9 Weeks Pregnant

Helping Her Manage Pregnancy Symptoms
It is unclear who devised the term "morning sickness" to describe the nausea that often accompanies pregnancy, but that person certainly played a joke on prospective parents. What you may not know is that morning sickness doesn't only occur in the morning, but can happen any darn time it pleases—morning, noon, or night—and often causes your partner enormous displeasure.

During pregnancy, women's bodies experience increased levels of hormones unlike at any other time. These surging hormones, which prepare her body for Baby, can wipe her out physically and emotionally. Your full-of-energy partner now may need a nap every day (or several times a day!). The same hormones might make her feel sick, too, and react with aversion to things that never bothered her before. For instance, some mothers-to-be find brushing their teeth suddenly triggers intense nausea. Others may turn their noses up at foods they once enjoyed.

So, what should you do to help? It's important to calmly and coolly support your partner. If you notice certain foods turn her stomach, keep them out of sight. You can also ward off the queasies by making sure she doesn't go too long without food (an empty stomach is more likely to adversely react to the hormones coursing through her body). Crackers and bread as well as lots of water are good things to always have on hand (they make for great travel snacks, too). You may even want to pack her a little "emergency kit" to take with her wherever she goes. Pack her favorite snacks, breath mints (if they're agreeable to her), ginger candies (which help fight nausea), and water (so essential for her and Baby).

The best thing you can do is to be flexible and try to adjust to your partner's changing needs. The coming weeks will be full of transformations, and you can be the one thing she knows will always be there and not change.