In the middle of January, I thought I might be pregnant. I knew the nauseous feeling well from my pregnancies with my now-11-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son. But this time, it hit me at a particularly bad time. My book, “I Said Yes,” was about to be released, and I was very worried that I would have my head in the toilet when I needed to promote it.
Unfortunately, my fears proved true. While my husband and I are thrilled about expanding our family, throughout most of my pregnancy (I’m now about seven and a half months along), I found myself struggling while promoting my book and fulfilling other parenting duties like running from “mommy and me” classes to soccer practice. I wish I could say that I had good days and bad days, but my morning sickness was constant. I was nauseous, throwing up and had very little energy — a major problem for a working mom of two with things to take care of and people to see.
[See: 8 Ways to Beat the Mid-Afternoon Slump.]
Plus, for me, the feeling didn’t just impact my mornings — it really should have been called “all day sickness.” One night during part of my book tour in New York City, for example, I was looking forward to eating at a really nice restaurant where my team and I had made reservations. But the minute I walked in, I knew I needed to leave; the smell (which I am sure was amazing to everyone else) did not agree with me.
After experiencing many similar episodes, I knew my morning sickness was not going to get better. While I had tried everything from diet and lifestyle changes to various prescription medications recommended by my doctor during my previous pregnancies, this time, nothing was working.
I needed to find help.
So I listened to the voice in my head that told me, ” Go to social media.” In retrospect, it was an amazing decision. When I asked my large social media following — full of moms like me — what they did to help ease their morning sickness symptoms, the response was overwhelming. Not only was it comforting to connect with other moms-to-be looking for relief from morning sickness, but it was also nice to learn about a medication for morning sickness that had been FDA-approved since my last pregnancy.
[See: Pharmacist Recommended Women’s Health Medicines.]
Thanks to the advice of these women and discussions with my doctor, I was finally able to manage my morning sickness symptoms — a huge relief to my husband and kids. Soon enough, I was able to attend my daughter’s soccer games and not miss all the special milestones during my son’s first year. No longer did I have to miss out on life while my head was in a toilet.
[See: 10 Ways to Make Your Childbirth Easier.]
You may be able to find relief, too. All moms should be able to enjoy their pregnancies without suffering through morning sickness. The feeling — whether it’s day-long or an occasional queasy sensation in the morning — affects 8 out of 10 women, but it’s not a rite of passage. It can be controlled by talking to your health care providers and other women. Together, we can change the perception that morning sickness is something we need to endure.
Editor’s note: Emily Maynard Johnson is a paid spokesperson for Duchesnay USA.
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Women: If You Have Morning Sickness, Don’t Suffer in Silence originally appeared on usnews.com
