5 Natural Responses to Ease Nausea During Pregnancy (& Medication Insight for Extreme Cases)

(Please note that I am not a physician.  All of my insight comes from personal experience.  For further questions, please contact your physician.)


Can you count on your hands the number of nights you were up visiting the toilet?  How many date nights did you spend on the couch curled up in a ball?  And, did your husband give you grief over the crinkling of food wrappers during the night?  Oh goodness, did you develop a deep loathing of food, though you LOVE good meals?

Four "Yes"es from me and a thousand more to follow!  With my miscarriage, I notice my stomach was a little uneasy, but when I had our daughter, I started throwing up before my 8-week ultra-sound.  Note that this time frame will vary for everyone and every pregnancy.  However, I was sick well into the second trimester.

My lifeline, Zofran.  I was offered both Zofran and Phenegran from my OBGYN, but the Phenegran made me too tired.  As a working mom, Zofran was the way to go.  If you can afford Zofran, rather than the generic, it tastes much better considering your stomach is already sensitive.  The unfortunate part about Zofran is you have to disolve it in your mouth and the taste gets old.

While medicine is a wonderful relief when your stomach is too far gone, there are other ways I found helped easy my stomach. 

1. Eat:  This is ironic, as one usually eats less with an upset stomach.  However, I noticed when my hunger pains started, I needed to get something in my belly.  Is this ideal, "No".  You will gain more, but I chose this over throwing up for months.
2. When Nature Calls, Go:  Don't hold your bladder or a bowel movement too long.  The longer you wait, the more uneasy your stomach will become and lead to the inevitable.  (There were times I was sitting on the toilet while throwing up on the floor.)  Avoid my mishaps if you can.
3. Rest:  Give notice to your body and when it needs sleep.  I had to go to bed by a certain time or it would send me over the edge.  I found sleeping in later and taking naps helped wave the nausea.
4. Lay on Your Back:  I have not done any research on this, but I have noticed when I get upset and I cannot use the restroom or do not need to eat, laying on my back immensely helps my stomach.  Too help further, I sleep on my back at night.  (Note:  If you are further in your pregnacy, you should not be sleeping on your back.  Check with your physician if questioning when this becomes a problem.)
5. Take Deep Breathes In & Out:  If you are about to throw-up, trying breathing in and out slowly and deeply.  This helped me wave off the nausea or at least slow it down until I could get to a restroom.

If you are sick and so tired of feeling this way, I am truly sorry.  Though it is not fun, be reassured that this means your baby is healthy.  On the flip side, don't worry if you are not feeling nauseas and your baby has a healthy heartbeat.  Every pregnancy is different. 

Next Bake Sale

from: birdonacake.blogspot.com

Hey moms!  Here's an idea for the next bake sale you help with.  Put cupcakes in short, clear cups.  So cute and mess free.  Why didn't I think of this on my own?

2013 Healthcare Changes: What this Means for You

A long awaited, restful Friday evening was brought to an abrupt halt when my husband showed me an email from his employer.  Due to the healthcare reform, his employer is trying to find ways to make the additional costs more absorbable.  And what we read made our spirits drop.

But first, I want to say that we completely support our employer.  I believe the are doing what they can to afford these new costs.  I am just expressing the difficulty this healthcare plan will cause our family and many others, and that it would be wise to do your research so you can prepare for the upcoming future, especially if you are a mom on a budget.

Now, back to our Friday night wake up call.  Rather than celebrating Friday, we were dwelling upon the fact that we are already struggling to make it when emergencies hit, but thinking about tax hikes or additional out-of-pocket medical expenses are more than we can handle (especially wanting another child sometime soon).  The email from my husband's employer outlined the new insurance policy starting January 2013, just a few months away.  It shows that our out-of-pocket expenses will double due to healthcare reform.  There are other changes as well that make it appear as if the "almost doubled" deductible and "doubled" out-of-pocket expenses will be met much quicker, since the plan will not cover as much as before. (Note:  This is how our insurance benefits change, not necessarily yours.)

If you are pregnant, hoping to have a child or thinking this reform is free, you are in for a surprise.  I would encourage you to check with your or your spouses employer to see what changes they intend to make to your insurance plan come 2013.  Another item to check is if your baby's shots are covered or if they fall under your out-of-pocket expenses.  I'm not clear on how this affects us, but I know some of our daughter's well child check-ups with shots can quickly run a few hundred dollars.  This is a scary thought, especially if you will have a newborn getting frequent immunizations.  Again, I do not know how your insurance plan will change, which is why it is important for you to ask how the healthcare bill will affect you.

Want to become a "Mom Tester"?

I have not personally been a "Mom Tester", but I know of moms that save a bit of money by doing this.  You may not receive the diapers you prefer, but you could cut costs a little by getting a few free samples.  I wish I could tell you a little more about the specifics... I have joined the Facebook group that lists testing opportunities.  It looks like the most recent was for a razor, before that to have a will written for your family...  So, you sign up for opportunities as they come.

If you have been a "Mom Tester", please give us new moms advice or insight in the comment section below.  If you know of other websites that allow you do test products, please share so we can double up on the benefit.

This specific link will take you to the Facebook, directly to their "Mom Tester" page.  Sign up with me today and let us know how it goes!  Click here if you want to become a "Mom Tester".

Also, if you want to jump on their offer of 2 years free, you'll find that Parenting.com.  However, as long as I have been a mom, I think this offer has stayed the same.  If I am correct, you have to pay for one year to get the 2 free years.  It is still a pretty decent rate.

"Good Girl": A Remedy to Tantrums

So we have been facing tantrum zone with our gal, who is going on two.  Sadly, it seems that instead of getting better, they are getting worse.  She is a delightful little angel with company, but leave Dad and I alone with girl and a monster emerges.

When we try to discipline or change a diaper, we are hit, scratched and hair is pulled.  As a mom, I sometimes don't have the strength to control these tantrums.  In effort to help the munchkin, we tried to not say, "No" as often, instead finding other ways to help her adjust her behavior.  While we are not against firm discipline, we have found Riley imitates us and often responds with the same disposition.

One morning I stepped out of the room and heard a cringing crash.  Our daughter had knocked over our computer.  I calmed myself and very seriously said, "Never, ever touch that again."  She glared me in the eye, pointed and said, "Don't!".  I realized in effort of avoiding the word, "No", I'd simply reverted to the word, "Don't".

Still, we have a child throwing tantrums and we feel even more helpless to stopping them.  So we have tried to focus on the positive moments more often.  We have been affirming our child, telling her she is a "good girl".  And even more precious, is that she can now say the phrase on her own.

This morning I was getting ready, before getting her up for the day, and heard her rummaging around her room.  I asked her if she was being a "good girl".  Without hesitation or emotion, she said, "No".

Just a few days ago, I was cooking dinner and the rascal was awful quiet.  Again, I posed a question, "What are you doing?"  She emphatically chimed in, "Good girl!"  She will even copy me when I affirm our dog, with the infamous phrase.

While the tantrum problem is not solved, helping our daughter focus on a more positive state helps her revert to a more gentle nature.  We are all learning and laughing along the way.  And while our sinful nature is not so attractive, even in little ones, it is just a reminder of how human we all are.


(If you have any advice on how to help little ones work through tantrums, please share in the comment field below.)

Cleaning Muffin Tins

from: theautocrathaley.blogspot.com

How to clean a muffin pan - with dryer sheets! Soak overnight with a dryer sheet in the water, then baked-on junk will slough off.

I tried to find this on the original blog, since I found it on pinterest but was unsuccessful.  The bold print above is all I have on this...  (And, I am fully aware that this is not a recipe, but I thought moms looking for cooking tips would find this helpful under that label.)

Is My Kid Learning Anything?

I don't know how many times our little one crawled up into my lap and begged me to read one of our many animal books.  We would read through the touch and feel books, the flap books, soft books, hard books, and all about animals. 

You see, our little girl is obsessed with books.  I have a little nook for her of books she is allowed to touch.  You may think this sounds mean, and Grammie often gets on me for not letting her have free reigns with books that were gifts.  But if you have seen her book nook, you might think again!  We have twenty plus individual cardboard pages, all torn.  What is a mom to do?

So, the special books are only accessable with mommy and daddy.  And, of course, her favorites have to do with animals, specifically kitties.  At one time, it was any animal.  Those were the days when she was being introduced to books.  The favorite was the animal touch and feel book.  We read this book, reread it, and reread it 10 more time each sitting.  Each reading including seeing the chick, touching the gorilla, mooing like a cow, and waving my arm like an elephant trunk.  All the while, the only animal sounds I heard over the six month period were animals she saw in person, "woof woof" and "meow". 

About a month ago, dad had come home from work and was playing with our daughter.  He started to ask her each of these animal sounds, and... she said each one and made the motions as well!  I'd given in to the fact that I did not really know how to teach her, when, all the while, she was really taking it all in.  She was just waiting until she was ready to say these things back to me; progress.

This past month has been amazing in regards to all the words and sounds she is saying and learning.  We are not out of the water yet, as she meowed at a piglet tonight and often does so to little dogs as well.  I am satisfied though; she is learning so much and it is reassuring to see kids respond after months of teaching.

Don't give up; it takes time.  I remember when our daughter started walking it took about a month to see her responding to our discipline.  She learned what, "No" and "Don't touch" meant, while also learning what not to touch.  It just takes a little time as they are soaking so much in all at once.  Know that your child is taking everything in, it is only a matter of time until you see results.

Mc Donald's & Burger King: Apple Slices Recall

I don't often see recalls and I wasn't going to post this one, but in light of the recent bumbo recall, this was one of the more relatable recalls important to moms.  Also, listeria can cause miscarriage; so if you are expecting, you'll want to be careful as well.

An article on this recent recall can be found at healthpop.com.  Click here for the direct link.

Bumbo Recall

Does Your Baby Have Dry Skin or Eczema?

If you  have found your little one has eczema or dry skin; Aveeno is a wonderful way to treat this problem.  First off, our little girl does not have terribly sensitive skin.  We use regular detergent and dryer sheets that do not affect her one bit.  Still, we noticed the signs of dry skin and ezcema.  The more we played in water, the more her ezcema flared up.  I, her mother, also struggle with ezcema, so I am not just making light of extra dry skin.

Her pediatrician gave us a few samples of pretty exspensive shampoos and body washes, which I found, made her hair pretty greasy.  I gave in and splurged on Aveeno's original body wash and shampoo.  (I can't recall if our bottle is the same color as the picture above; just stick with original.)  Her hair stays soft, it treats the problem and it smells so good that both Dad and I also want to use her shampoo/body wash! 

We use it sparingly at bath time and it has lasted months.  Had I not left the bottle open and let more than half the body wash leak out over our summer vacation at the beach, I think we'd still have more than half a bottle around half a year of use (I'm referring to the large bottle).  All to say, it is a wise purchase budget wise (I think it is aroud $7 for the year for both shampoo and body wash) and I no longer see any signs of dry skin or ezcema.

Also note that Aveeno lotion is wonderful.  I have found I can only use certain washes and very few lotions on my own face.  After receiving Aveeno lotion as a gift for our daughter, I tried a little myself and have found it to be great for a facial lotion as well.