Your Pregnancy: Week 7

Advice from Dr. Shari E. Brasner

Morning sickness is a misnomer. It can strike any time of day (or all the time), and it can cause significant distress. Generally it hits in the first trimester and resolves by a magical twelve- or thirteen-week mark. Unfortunately, we don’t understand the nausea or vomiting. We don’t know why the body sometimes seems to rebel early in pregnancy. When doctors don’t understand what causes a problem, it’s difficult to treat it. But I have collected various pieces of homespun wisdom from my patients as to what works for them, from which I have compiled the following catalog of remedies, all of which have helped some of my patients to one degree or another:

• Eat more frequently but in smaller quantities.
• Take your prenatal vitamins at night rather than in the morning.
• Take liquid antacids, which seem to be more effective than tablet forms.
• Try seabands or acupressure brands.
• Consider the use of pharmacological medications, some over the counter (Benadryl, Unisom), some prescription. But never take them without first asking your doctor.
• Keep food in the stomach. Crackers by the bedside, for instance, provide a perfect pick-me-up (and keep-it-down).”

Babble recommends Dr. Brasner’s pregnancy book, Advice from a Pregnant Obstetrician.

Mom-To-Mom Advice: So What Exactly CAN I Eat?

As science has learned more about pregnancy and fetal development, more links have been found between food contamination and complications. So women are now welcomed to pregnancy with a very large list of things they must not eat. Between the nausea and the no-nos, trying to find a dish on a menu can feel like an advanced logic problem. Then there are those fancy diets designed to turn every meal into the optimum pregnancy nutritional powerhouse. They look so good on paper, but what if they’re not available at the deli in your office building? What if everything they’re serving at your sister’s baby shower contains something you’ve been warned to avoid? How can a pregnant woman get all the nutrients her body and her baby need while dodging the seemingly ever-growing list of prohibitions?

The first thing to understand is that your baby’s health and your own do not depend on optimum eating experience. Yes, you want to try to eat a balanced diet and to steer clear of things that are considered dangerous. But if you’re straining to pack three superfoods into every meal, you can feel free to loosen the reins a little. Babies can grow just fine on a pretty basic diet, especially early on. Many women who suffer from major nausea in the first trimester are unable to eat anything but simple carbs, and this has never been shown to be harmful. So if the thought of fatty fish is activating your gag reflex, fear not for your baby’s brain. You’ll have a chance to fill out your diet later on when the sickness lifts, usually by the end of the third month.

The next thing you need to know: All prohibitions are not equally crucial. There are varying opinions out there about which matter most. Some say sushi is fine in a reputable place, some say listeria is so rare you needn’t worry about deli meat, while others focus on the seriousness of the disease rather than the frequency of outbreaks. Ask your doctor which food concerns she thinks are most important. You can bring in real-life food dilemmas as examples and ask what she’d recommend. So the next time you find yourself faced with a menu of seared mercury, poached PCBs, and salmonella on toast, you’ll know which way to turn. (Toward the waiter, as you ask ever-so-politely for an uncontroversial off-menu entrée).

Find More: Pregnancy Food Myths

Babble recommends From the Hips, by Rebecca Odes and Ceridwen Morris.