Source for this image here.
How lovely to hear on the news today, that The Prince and Princess of Cambridge (Prince William and Princess Catherine) are expecting their first baby! Our congratulations go to them both and are shared, we are sure, by millions around the world.
Our family especially admires the Royal Family, who are such an important part of our heritage and history here in England. Despite their wealth and the pressures that their very public lives must bring them, they are still good role models - especially Prince William and Princess Catherine - and represent the traditional values of family, work and faith, that are so under represented in society as a whole.
We were saddened to hear that Princess Catherine is presently in hospital suffering with hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness). Although I didn't suffer too badly with sickness myself during any of my pregnancies past the third month, I do suffer severely with nausea now, as a result of medication that I have to take. Today I have not been too bad - but when it is dreadful it is like morning sickness - that awful lurching faint feeling that immoblisies me, and just as I found when I did have the occasional day of morning sickness, I find the smell of cooking food extremely nauseating. But there are ways to make it better. Ordinary morning sickness can easily be helped with these simple tips - that I also use for my sickness now.
- having an empty stomach actually makes sickness of this sort worse (as opposed to sickness caused by a virus or food poisoing) so if you can bear it, do try to have a little something now and then.
- it's actually better, I find, to eat several small meals a day, rather than stick to the usual 3. I also have a bottle of Lucozade (Gatorade) with me that I sip during the day. This seems to help keep the sickness at bay.
- dry plain foods are generally easier to tolerate than richer, fattier things. I tend to prefer dry crackers - something like Krakawheat is good - or Twiglets - anything crisp and slightly salty, that has not been fried.
- also good are ginger biscuits (cookies), or a piece of toast, perhaps with Marmite or something else salty on it. Sweet foods tend to be less appetising, but if you can bear it, a mug of a fortified food supplement like Ensure or Complan is good because it will line your stomach and provide you with a quick form of energy and nutrients.
- generally however I prefer cold or even icy foods when I feel nauseated. Ice by itself is a great stand-by and what I used throughout my pregnancies.
- if you feel worse when you are hungry, try to keep your busy times of day to when you have just eaten. I find I get faint if I am not eating much, and it's easier to keep active when I have a little energy inside me. A couple of hours after I have taken my morning meds is my worst time, so I delay taking them and get some of my chores done before the sickness kicks in. With morning sickness, often first thing (of course!) or evenings, are worst - so you may find it easier to do the main bulk of your chores during the middle of the day.
- if the smell of food makes you feel bad, then do what I do - get some olbas oil, lavender, or another non-food scent that doesn't nauseate you, and sprinkle some on a tissue. Holding this close to your face whenever you are likely to be near cooking food (or making it yourself!) makes it a little easier to bear.
- finally, if you are actually being sick and finding it impossible to keep anything down, do go to your doctor. You can quickly get very dehydrated and undernourished if you are vomiting a lot and just like Princess Catherine, you may need medical treatment to help with your sickness.
We're so pleased for our favourite Royal couple! They and their unborn child are in our prayers today!
"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate." (Psalm 127; 3 - 5).
