Incomprehensible Gagging Noises

I hate it when I fail to make a substantial dent in my To Do list, especially on those days when the list is on the short side.

Today, for example, my raisin de etre du jour reads, simply:

1. Don't throw up

and I have already blown that to hell about 15 times.

Morning sickness (like getting kicked in the balls I presume) is one of those things that provoke quiet mirth on the sitcom set and yet somehow aren't so funny when you are on the thudding end.

I get that it plays a key evolutionary function. If the species is to survive (ok, let's be honest, if the survival of the human race is reliant upon Steve and me we are all screwed) I understand that we cannot have the gestating hordes eating poisoned berries or (I cannot even look while I type this) scarfing rancid woolly mammoth filets, but a goddamned English Muffin? With all those harmless nooks and crannies? That was an orange-level threat requiring neutralization with extreme prejudice? Feh. Feh, I say.

I have just composed a new list for the day:

1. Inform internet of impending demise

2. Assure internet oh yes you can too die from morning sickness, just look at poor Charlotte Bronte

3. Tell internet no, Charlotte, the other one

Check, check and... check.

I have done this before, you know, but the only thing that sounds remotely good is limeade and Granny Smith apple slices, both ice-cold. I am willing to hear suggestions if you promise not to gross me out.

Comments

[Emily]

Ice cream sandwiches. If you're soliciting healthy suggestions, my mind is drawing a blank. That's what those Volkswagen-sized prenatal vitamins are for, right?

[EyesofGreen]

Ice pops! You know the ones in the long plastic tubes? Loved them while pg with my twins. ;0)

When my best friend had horrible morning sickness the only thing she could eat was rainbow sherbert and ice pops. You know that generic sherbert that comes in the big tub. It think it was just about all she ate for two weeks at one point. The kid was nicknamed Burt the whole time he was in utero because of it. Later on in the pregnancy (she was sick form most of it unfortunately) it was all about the campbells chicken soup and garlic bread. For some reason that combo worked well for her.

Hang in the. Hoping this is a good sign.

[Alexa]

Put in blender: vanilla ice cream, banana, ice, candied ginger. Blend. Sometimes this worked for me. At the very least, it is soft and cool coming back up...
Good luck my dear.

Depending on which texture seems less offensive, try either frozen grapes or the red can of Pringle's chips/crisps. I'm trying to remember with which pregnancies you've felt sick before; any insight?

[MustangSally]

Peppermint altoids. Or as an herbological friend suggested to me, dab some peppermint essential oil on the inside of your wrist and take a big whiff every time you feel the urge to upchuck.

Also? Lemonade is supposed to quell the queesiness. And ginger (as in ginger ale), chamomile and raspberry. I made it through many a day with a zinger tea.

Avoid fish and chips at all costs. That is all.

[Karen]

How about cherry lime-aide from Sonic? Or just the lime-aide? The big boy is enough to last you ALL day.

[breegenie]

I'm still there with you. I'm 21 weeks, and the all-day sickness has finally eased back into actual *morning* sickness (plus midnight, if I'm still awake).

I got through with Luna S'mores Bars, Campbell's Chicken Noodle (no generic) and butterscotch pudding.

Saltines, peppermint, ginger, etc. didn't work for me. And switch to a fruity toothpaste & mouthwash if brushing pushes you to the toilet. Don't drink water while eating, drink it 30 minutes after.

Avoid tuna and corned beef, or you'll never eat them again. Nuff said.

[Cherith]

Fruit smoothies...only thing I could keep down. And throw in some protein powder to counteract the early pregnancy exhaustion.

Frozen fruit of choice, 1/2 cup plain or flavored yogurt, milk to desired consistancy....I think that was the recipe...I liked to add sherbert sometimes too. Anything citrus settled my stomach.

Best wishes!!!

[Kate]

I sucked on lemons. Cut them in wedges, and took them *everywhere* with me. It didn't stop the barfing, but it slowed it to, oh, just once or twice an hour, instead of every 15 minutes.

[Lisa V]

Orange Gatorade, so cold it's almost frozen.

[Kel]

I never had any morning sickness and just dodged the first shoe thrown at me by the rest of you. Ha! I just wanted to say that I hope this is a good sign and will help take your mind off...oh never mind.

Kel

[Saartje]

There was a three-week period while I was pregnant with Ishy that I ate Fruity Pebbles for at least two meals a day, because it was the only thing that reliably sounded good. (Also, it didn't hurt if it came back up.) I was under strict doctor's orders to eat whatever sounded good — anything that I thought I might be able to keep down, no worrying about nutritional content. She wanted me to get calories, period.

[Wendy]

I've read that raw almonds can help, the kind that aren't toasted or salted or remotely flavorful. Having never achieved pregnancy, I've not tested this, but I'm eager to try. :)

[Erin]

Hi - 36 weeks and still sick occasionally...really bad off for the first 20 weeks... Fresh (not canned, never canned) pineapple worked wonders for me - it's got a clean flavor, sweet without being too sweet, and not so acidic that it kills coming back up

[Amy]

I had horrible morning (all day, really) sickness with both of my kids. Nothing cured it, except for the magical 14-week mark, but the following helped:

B6 vitamin morning and night
Pre-bedtime benadryl (blessed by my OB as a safe anti-nausea drug)
Those stupid motion sickness wristbands
Ginger snaps
Vanilla milkshakes
Tater tots
Frozen cokes
Naps: frequent and undisturbed

Sorry that you are suffering through this. I know how much it sucks, and how little comfort it is to know that its a sign of a strong pregnancy.

[Amy]

Oh, and how could I forget? Rice Pudding.

[Febe]

Good: Lucky Charms (or any other brand marketed on the lower shelves of the cereal aisle) and Gatorade ... just not at the same time, unless you're into that sort of thing.

Bad: bananas and eggs, still trying to get over the painful memories associated with them.

I kept lemon wedges around, not for eating just for smelling - cut down on urgent sprints to the bathroom about 40% of the time. Also came in handy when husband prepared dinner (and forgot to turn on the downdraft and open all windows and doors).

[Beth]

Rice Krispies. And if they should, er, not agree with you, they are extremely forgiving when they make their reappearance. Soft and mushy, you know? Sorry for the mental image, but I ate them for 18 weeks and they stayed down 90% of the time.

Also, I could only drink beverages that were so cold they were nearly frozen. Liters and liters of ice water. Yum.

[Jen]

I felt like I hit a new personal low when I threw up Saltines one day. Fun, fun!

I'm with others on the citrus helping--both smelling and eating. Oranges tasted fabulous. I was also a big fan of potato chips, french fries, and baked potatoes. I also found sucking on Jolly Ranchers (apple or cherry) really helped.

I hope, paradoxically, that this continues for as long as necessary ('nother 6-8 weeks okay with you?) and that you get at least a little relief soon.

[JenEx]

Gah, just reading these comments is making me a little ill. I haven't been terribly sick, but when I have had it, mashed potatoes and 7-up (not at the same time) have been about the only thing I want. Good luck!

[Beth]

Oh, and Sea Bands might have worked, or maybe it was a placebo effect - either way, I'll take it. I also did the B6 and half a Unisom twice a day. I know not everyone will want to take the pharmaceutical route, but I'm a wuss and I just couldn't handle the nausea (8x/day). It really, really works. And my son doesn't have gills or anything, so I think everything turned out OK.

[Al]

Zorfan....I tried everything form ginger biscutes to b6 and i had to resort to getting anti sickness meds

sorry

[sozzled]

sea bands
plain oatmeal w/ a touch of honey
lemon drops (the candy, not the drink)
I bet ginger altoids might work....

avoid shrimp, scallops and clams; even when you are feeling better. I am scarred for life, as was my roommate, who shortly there after moved out AND got a vasectomy. I'm just sayin'

[Linda B]

Well, burger king was my cure-all for a couple weeks but perhaps that is a bit much for you?

Ice cold water and a small amount of fresh, cold fruit seemed to help.

[Moxie]

Watermelon chunks, ice cold.

Reed's Ginger Beer, raspberry flavor.

Altoid Tangerine Sours.

If you can take it, nuts or other protein every two hours.

Good luck. It's too bad they can't put you in a medically-induced coma for the next 10-12 weeks.

[Toni]

Having been through it (seen the ER, got the sticker) - Ginger does help. Clear fluids and jello.

And if it gets bad - get Zofran. Class B - they even have the tablets that desolve. Better have good drug insurance - it's $30 a pill. ugh.

[kate]

Lemonade icy poles; frozen iceblocks in the plastic tubes; hot chips; mcdonalds cheeseburgers (I know, I know, sorry); orange tic-tacs; acupuncture when desperate, and zofran when all else fails.

[Schnozz]

I've never been pregnant, but if you have a Jimmy John's up there, you should try it. I used to work there, and we had hordes of pregnant women telling us that the #4 or #6 was all they could eat without getting sick. It was amazing--every day, all the pregnant people came to pick up their lunch and dinner sandwiches!

[andrea]

I tried ginger ale, ginger snaps, ginger root, all to no avail. Just try not to move for the next couple of months.
((hugs)),
a.

[Jenn]

B6 is the only thing that's worked for me. Ginger made it worse.

[Dee]

I'm surviving on Campbells chicken rice soup and peanut butter toast. (not together) Alternating between the two, depending on which sounds like it will stay down the best.
Funny enough, like Schnozz I was craving Jimmy Johns the other day, and said to my husband "I think that's the only thing that sounds like it will stay down" I didn't get it though. I should have.
Weird.

[Andrea]

I craved those things too!!! Unfortunately, the heartburn was nearly as bad as the vomiting. The only things that stayed down and tasted good: for 2-1/2 weeks at the beginning of this pregnancy I ate beef only (and I mean only, water was the only other thing that stayed down), after that phase Tim's Dill Pickle Potato Chips. Good luck!

[Heidi]

Potato chips and ice cream . . . specifically, sour cream and onion potato chips and Dairy Queen Blizzards. My favorite Blizzard flavor was mint Oreo, which wasn't on the menu, but they made it if I requested it.

One thing I wish I'd known was not to rely too heavily on foods that I might want to eat again after pregnancy sickness abated, lest too strong an association be formed. For awhile, I ate a bagel sandwich every day and, most of the time, it didn't lead to queasiness. However, I still--and the boy is a year old--have a hard time with several of these sandwiches' typical components, such as brown mustard and a particular variety of spicy jalapeno cheese that is delicious, but I am gagging even now just thinking of it.

[Marsha]

I have no business making recommendations because I barfed for, oh, 8 months. And yet, here I go:

1) Drink things that will taste good coming back up mere seconds after you consume them: lemonade and sweet tea are excellent in this regard - even better when they're still cool for the return trip. Carbonated stuff not so much.

2) If you find one thing that works, eat it morning, noon and night, social convention be damned. At off-site morning work meetings I begged more than one server to convince the cook to give me nachos. Sure, I scandalized my colleagues but it's not like I asked them to share nor was I throwing up an omelet. I could eat nachos for three blessed weeks and then switched to steamed dumplings and then buffalo wings. So you just never know.

3) I hated hearing that this, too, will pass so I won't tell you that. It does, but not soon enough.

4) Zofran is your friend. You'll poop, like, twice a week and you'll still feel sick, but at least you won't barf.

5) And when the Zofran stops working, B6 helps and so does the odd half a Unisom or Benadryl.

6) And, if you feel you need it, there's always commiseration at: http://www.hyperemesis.org/ These lovely people got me through more than one rough day/week/month.

Good luck! As always, thinking of you!

[Dead Bug]

The three foods I didn't get sick of (literally and figuratively):

Canned pineapple
Mandarin oranges
Salt and vinegar potato chips
Triscuits

--Bugs

[julia]

Oh you poor, poor dear. And look, you continue to entertain and edify, even in your misery! I had no idea about the details of Charlotte's demise!

No suggestions, just a wish for you to gain some relief in a few weeks (no, "tomorrow" is not too soon, but maybe not realistic).

[Lisa M.]

I have no suggestions for you since what appealed to me could make you sick just thinking about, but I do have plenty of sympathy. My last pregnancy was terrible. I had to start taking Zofran at 5 weeks and then ended up on a Zofran pump by 8 weeks. When that still didn't do the trick, I added Reglan to the Zofran and had a PICC line put in at 10.5 weeks for both fluids and nutrition. Both my PICC line and the Zofran pump stayed with me until 24 hours post-delivery.

Drinking is more important than eating since dehydration will make the nausea worse. I could drink orange Kool-aid (disgusting, I know) and occasionally some diluted grape or apple juice. If things get really bad ask your doc for Zofran. It didn't get rid of my nausea but it kept me from vomiting continuously. You won't poop for weeks but I have other suggestions for that later.

I hope you find something that works for you - morning sickness sucks, especially if it is all day.

Hang in there!

Lisa

[Dead Bug]

Oh, and cheddar cheese. Plain slices of cheddar cheese.

[amber]

Zofran! That is what got me through the nine months of puking. In the early stages, before the zofran, I was fond of dill pickles and lemonade. Until all that acid made my tongue bleed. I also liked canteloupe for a while.

I am full of lovely morning sickness stories!

I hope yours eases up and doesn't stick around for too long.

[Leslie]

ginger tea - simmer an inch long chunk of ginger, sliced, in 2-3 cups of water for 10-15 minutes. drink w/honey.

hoping the nausea is a good indicator here!

[Mary]

Okay, so I'm in the camp that threw up the entire pregnancy so I am sympathetic. My favorite thing was frozen fruit. Any local fancy-pants store that has an exotic frozen fruit section--mango, pineapple, bing cherries, etc. Those were heavenly . . and yes, not so bad when they come back up.

[Laura K.]

Scwepps and salt bagels.

Yeah, I was REALLY a healthy pregnant girl...

[Lisa P]

Orange Citrus Sours (or something like that) from Altoids. Something about the sour and slightly sweet combo worked.

Also, I had to achieve an oh so delicate balance of eating enough to settle the queasiness and not eating too much as to make it worse.

Best of luck with it all!!

[redfox]

Have you encountered queasy pops? I haven't used them for morning sickness but find them excellent for my inclination towards horrific motion sickness. The combination of pure sugar and nausea-quelling flavors like sour fruit or ginger seems to help a lot.

[Kayla]

I would eat dry frosted shredded mini wheats at work, because I could pop them in my mouth and keep trucking. Lots of water as well. Later, watermelon. Mmmm.

[jb]

smoothies - frozen fruit, some juice, maybe a little yogurt - blend. try different things -- freeze some bananas too. cold is good.

[Ellen]

Zofran got me through the last 27 weeks of "morning sickness" - the horrible nausea started at 6 and a half weeks and stayed with me all the way to 39. If I get pregnant again I won't be wasting my time with anything else. I feel for you! :)

[Carrie]

What worked for me wasn't a particular food, but protein protein protein. If I ate lots of protein, before or immediately when I was hungry, I could stay on top of the sickness. If I missed that window and got hungry, it was all over and I couldn't keep anyting down. As you can imagine, I carried food with me almost everywhere.

[terri c]

OK, no experience, so no advice, but a question: how does morning sickness fit with the concept of Intelligent Design? I mean, it makes more sense to me to label what-you-can't-watch-while-typing with a little tasteful label that says "Yo! Don't eat this crap while pregnant." I mean, the labels could be lime green or something, so a person would notice. Don't you think?