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Ask A Doula
Questions and Answer

Q. Nothing will stay in my stomach. What shall I do?

A. This is so hard! I can make some suggestions, which may or may not work, but do know that usually after the first trimester you will be able to keep food down - it just takes time sometimes.

Eating very small amounts of food frequently can help. Never go more than an hour without eating something, even if its just a grape or a cracker. Before bed eat a protein-rich snack, such as popcorn with nutritional yeast, or brown rice with miso, or if you are not a vegetarian, than a piece of chicken or fish or cheese. Eat an unsalted cracker or matzah before getting out of bed in the morning. Get up slowly and avoid any sudden movements. Sip Peppermint or Spearmint tea first thing in the morning. Take Raspberry leaf tea throughout the day.

Try to walk at least a mile a day to help the body get rid of the chemical by products of the increased hormonal activity of pregnancy. Keep a window open and get plenty of fresh air through out the day and night.

Increase iron-rich foods in your diet and get extra Vitamin B complex (especially B1 and B6) through diet or supplements. You may simply have a vitamin B6 deficiency.

Try some Ginger Tea or place "Sea Bands", wrist bands that use an accupressure point to help with the nausea around your wrists.

Many of these remedies will work in combination with each other. Another thing to look at is your emotional state. Is there something about this pregnancy that you can't stomach? Take some time to visualize what that might be - look at it, and then if you can, let it go. If you can't then talk to someone, your partner, your caregiver, a good friend or relative or a trusted elder. Our minds are very powerful. I hope this helps.

Ilana Stein has been working professionally with pregnant women since 1983 as a childbirth educator, labor assistant and breastfeeding consultant. She was originally certified by the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth (The Bradley Method), The Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators (ALACE), and Doulas of North America (DONA). She teachs the ALACE Labor Assistant training workshop nationwide. She has spoken at conferences and at the New York University Graduate Program in Midwifery about labor support. She is a Positive Pregnancy and Parenting Fitness (PPPF) instructor and La Leche League Leader. She is also a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor at the local YMCA. She volunteers as the coordinator of the annual New York Area YM-YWCA Women’s Wellness Weekend.