Morning sickness is a bit of a misnomer; while morning is the most common time to experience feelings of nausea, morning sickness can be experienced at any point in the day – especially if you are carrying twins. Researchers aren’t entirely sure what causes morning sickness, but there is a general consensus that morning sickness is at least partially related to hCG, (human chorionic gonadotropin), a hormone produced during pregnancy. During a multiple pregnancy, hCG levels are higher than in a singleton pregnancy which explains why episodes of morning sickness tend to be elevated in twin pregnancies. This leaves many moms asking how to cope with morning sickness.

Some women experience morning sickness as waves of nausea that come and go, while others feel queasy all day long. Often these feelings of nausea are accompanied by feelings of lethargy. The good news is that for most women morning sickness peaks around week 9 or 10 and subsides, or at least lessens in intensity, during the second trimester. I found it to be somewhat ironic that the most intense morning sickness I experienced was during the first trimester, when we had not told many people yet about the pregnancy. I had to soldier on and function with little sympathy. By the time the second trimester rolled around and we began telling everyone about the pregnancy, my morning sickness had passed. It was then that I had everyone fussing about me and asking how I was feeling – and I felt great!

If you are still getting acquainted with your toilet bowl, remember that this too shall pass and in the meantime, there are several steps you can take to lessen the intensity:

1. Have your husband bring you some crackers or toast to eat in bed, before you get up for the day. Okay, so it’s not your romantic breakfast in bed, but there is something to be said for keeping a little food in your stomach at all times.
2. Have lots of little snacks throughout the day. Continue the good foot you started off on with your crackers in bed. Carry little snacks with you all day and never let yourself get too hungry.
3. Avoid caffeine, carbonated beverages and fatty or spicy foods. Each of these is thought to make morning sickness worse.
4. Take your prenatal vitamins with food or speak to your doctor about switching brands. Some women find that certain types of prenatal vitamins make their morning sickness worse.
5. Seasick wristbands – they may not be the fashion statement of the year, but many woman have found that these acupressure bracelets, which can be purchased at your local pharmacy, successfully control nausea by pushing on the pressure points in the wrist.
6. If your nausea is severe or if you just can’t keep anything down, see your doctor as dehydration is a concern. Your doctor may be able to prescribe anti nausea pills.
7. Preggie-pops have worked for several women we know as well.

Do you have a special solution we’ve missed? Please share with us and our readers how you learned to cope with morning sickness.