Manage Nausea and Gestational Diabetes naturally during pregnancy

Managing nausea

Most of the women experiences nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Morning sickness is very common in pregnancy. Generally these symptoms are prevalent and limited to the first trimester but some may even experience the symptoms until delivery. It becomes a cause of irritation and also could hamper their normal diet. To manage nausea sharing some tips from my personal experience:

• Foods that may help you: Dry Sweets (Ex: cookies, candy, barfi, cream biscuits), Ginger (Ex: ginger candy, ginger tea), Herbal tea, Ice cream, Cheese (you can add cheese to your sandwich/pizza/burger/pasta), Salted snacks like chips, Lemons, Fruits, Tangy soups.

• Morning routine that may help: After getting up from bed drink plenty of water. Go to washroom and vomit if you want to. It might help you to prevent vomiting for the rest of the day. Rinse your mouth after vomiting with a mint flavored mouthwash. You may also brush your teeth with a mint flavored toothpaste in case you are not using mouthwash. Eat a cookie/cream biscuit before having anything else.

• Drink plenty of water and fluids throughout the day.

• Have smaller meals throughout the day.

• Load your plate with food that are high in protein, low in fat and easy to digest, and avoid greasy, spicy and fatty foods.

• Breathe fresh air whenever you have the vomiting feeling. Try to distract your attention to something else.

• Try to remain busy or occupied whenever you have the puking feeling.

• Pay attention to your nausea triggers, it may be some food or any particular smell. Tackle them carefully.

My physician advised me not to have papaya and pineapple during pregnancy but it depends. If your doctor is not advising you the same you could have everything. In case you are facing too much vomiting issue and unable to eat anything then speak to your doctor. Your gynecologists/obstetrician would prescribe you medication to be taken every morning. My doctor prescribed me "Vomifore" pills which thankfully I didn't had to take much as I managed to cope with it naturally. You could get your medicine after consulting with your doctor in case your situation worsens.

Managing Gestational Diabetes (GD)

Gestational diabetes (GD) is a diabetes diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy (gestation). It affects how our cells use sugar (glucose) like any other form of diabetes. Gestational diabetes causes high blood sugar that can affect your pregnancy and your baby's health. Experts says that if GD is not treated, it may result in consequences like premature birth and stillbirth. It is often linked to your family history. GD usually goes away after you deliver your baby. So no need to worry. If you are not diabetic and diagnosed with GD during pregnancy you can eliminate it in two to three weeks. I was diagnosed with GD in my 7th month of pregnancy and I managed to get rid of it in just two weeks and it never reoccurred during my pregnancy. Below are some tricks on how I reversed GD:

• In case you are having GD, mostly you would crave for sweet foods and drinks. This you need to take care. Limit you sweet content. Switch to jaggery or sugar lite instead of sugar. Avoid packaged juice instead opt for whole fruit. Have fewer foods that have a lot of sugar such as soft drinks, fruit juices, and pastries.

• You may feel extreme nausea even after eating. So do not eat too much quantity in one meal. Reduce size of your food portions. If you are hungry, snack often. You can have three meals a day with snacking in between as needed. Have early dinner, this will help you in digestion.

• Correctly portion carbohydrate in your diet. Though in later part of pregnancy we need to have carbohydrates but try to portion it wisely. Do not indulge yourself in eating too much white rice or potato or fries. You may have moderate amounts of whole grains, such as bread, cereal, pasta, and rice, plus starchy vegetables, such as corn and peas. Avoid processed foods.

• Have healthy foods. Include plenty of vegetables and whole fruits in your diet. You can have non starchy vegetables such as Broccoli, Cucumbers, Green beans, Onions, Peppers. Salad is a must for both lunch and dinner. You can also have pulses. Add yoghurt, fruits, almond, cashew, peanut to your snacks instead of having processed snacks. Add Lean proteins such as Chicken, Eggs, Fish, Low-fat dairy to your diet. Proteins are also believed to help you with morning sickness.

• Stay hydrated. Water is the best drink for a pregnant women. You can spice it up sometimes with lemon and a pinch of rock salt.

If you are having GD, doctor would recommend you to go for blood sugar test often. Try not to think too much about it, just monitor your sugar level to tackle and get rid of it. Make your own diet chart as per the above suggestions and stick to it, you will definitely be successful in eliminating it. In case your problem is not solved naturally with the above tips, consult your doctor to get medicines to control your blood sugar level. All the best!