Just when you thought you were done with morning sickness, the third trimester can bring back those ugly symptoms. For some women, the nausea never really goes away. Around 20% of pregnancies cause morning sickness from the first trimester to the birth of the baby.
By the third trimester, though, you’ve got other aches and pains to watch for. Nausea should be the least of your worries or disorders right now. We know that new hormones that change a lot during the first trimester are what cause morning sickness. So, what causes third-trimester nausea?
Your baby has grown considerably in size by the third trimester. The baby will put a lot of strain on your digestive organs, leaving you with less space to store food. There are also a few things that can worsen nausea, which we’ll go over in these tips for getting rid of nausea in your third trimester.
Watch What You Eat, and How Much
Since your baby is going through its final stretch inside your uterus, you’re not given much room to work with. You will need to try to eat smaller, less filling meals several times throughout the day.
When you eat big meals and indulge in your favorite greasy, spicy, and sugary foods, you’re packing your stomach with foods that can facilitate heartburn and nausea. Instead, try eating bland, healthy foods like noodles with chicken broth, crackers, bananas, pretzels, toast, or apple sauce.
What’s more, progesterone helps relax your muscles, essentially making digestion slower. If you fill your stomach up with food, the buildup will certainly make you feel sick.
Just remember to eat healthy, less-fragrant foods slowly. Eat several small meals a day and don’t overdo it.
Don’t Forget to Hydrate
Stay hydrated at all costs. Sip ice-cold water (or just ice) as often as you can stand it. Other cold drinks, like a healthy smoothie with no added sugars or sweeteners, can help with nausea.
You can drink some herbal tea with ginger, lemon, or mint, all of which have been researched as nausea remedies. Make sure the tea is not caffeinated, however. Too much caffeine from black, green, or oolong teas can cause some adverse effects on your baby.
This is why coffee should be avoided as well. Not only can coffee have a lot of caffeine, but it can also make your stomach feel a lot fuller.
Some people find that fizzy drinks help with nausea. If this works for you, that’s great. However, with all of the new pressure on your stomach, you may end up with even more bloating and discomfort. Plus, many carbonated sodas contain added sugars.
Balance Rest and Exercise
There is a fine line between being too sluggish and working out too much. You need a good balance of rest and exercise to relieve third-trimester nausea. Exercise can help ease some of the worst late-pregnancy symptoms, including girdle pain, Braxton-hicks syndrome, nausea, and stress. Low-impact exercise is ideal, so you don’t overexert yourself.
Consider doing yoga or Pilates. Both of these will strengthen your core muscles and pelvic floor, giving you strength for the day you give birth. Also, yoga will help you feel less stressed and anxious about the big day, which will make you feel a little less sick.
It’s important to pace yourself and only put in as much work as you can without doing too much. Compensate all your exercises with more rest. When you are more well rested, you have the chance to not feel as nauseated throughout the day.
Avoid Triggers
At this point in your pregnancy, you’re aware of the foods and smells that make your stomach turn. Do yourself a favor and avoid them.
Don’t let your partner cook anything in the house that stinks . Your cravings may be calling you to your favorite restaurant, but think about the aromatic mixture in the air before you go.
The extra iron in your prenatal vitamin could be more difficult for you to digest right now. Consider breaking it in half and taking a piece at lunch and a piece before bed. Try to avoid taking them in the morning on an empty stomach, as it could trigger nausea.
Stale, stuffy air can be another trigger. Take a light walk or just get some fresh air for a minute.
Don’t Brush it Off
If nausea and vomiting become too much to handle, you should call your doctor. This is especially the case if you can’t keep food or water down. You shouldn’t feel severely dizzy or weak, and your baby’s movements shouldn’t be diminished. When these symptoms are associated with nausea and vomiting, it could point to something deeper than just morning sickness and pregnancy pains.
Likewise, pay attention to labor signs. Nausea coupled with diarrhea, back pain, or the loss of your mucus plug could mean your baby is on the way!
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