Seasickness and pregnancy

[Sparrow78]

I've been reading about all the stuff you can take to help with sea sickness, can they be taken when pregnant?

[PrincessShmoo]

Originally Posted by Sparrow78

I've been reading about all the stuff you can take to help with sea sickness, can they be taken when pregnant?

I would be cautious about taking anything during pregnancy. This question is best posed to your OB.

[Four Bears]

Congratulations! You can use sea bands, preggo pops (ginger lolly-pops) and crystallized ginger. Make sure you keep a full stomach as well! I am not the best sailor but was fine when I sailed at 23/24 weeks (the furthest along you are allowed pregnant).

[trwprid]

Originally Posted by Sparrow78

I've been reading about all the stuff you can take to help with sea sickness, can they be taken when pregnant?

I cruised when I was about five months pregnant with my daughter. Mostly, I relied on Sea Bands, but my OB gave me the OK to take something OTC [I used what DCL had in their big bucket near the infirmary]. I wouldn't have even needed it, but we were being chased by a storm and the going was choppier than usual.

Just call your OB's nurse line and they'll be happy to offer suggestions or even call in a prescription for you.

[EDelashmit]

Zofran is safe and works, but is prescription only..

[lorenni]

Give the sea bands a try. My carsickness hit like a ton of bricks when I was pregnant and sea bands worked like magic. Wish I'd had them years ago for all those childhood car rides!

[Sparrow78]

Thanks everyone. I will talk to my Dr at my appointment on Thursday. Just a little nervous since the last time we were supposed to go on the cruise I ended up in the hospital with an ectopic pregnancy 3 days before we were supposed to leave. This time, hopefully it's smooth sailing (haha)

[Shanlow]

Hi. I just wanted to second zofran. I had hyperemisis w/ my baby, so zofran was the only way I could hold any food or water. I took it every 4 hours for 6 months w/ zero issues to my baby. I did a lot of research and it's the best, most prescribed preg med for nausea. I'm positive Kate Middleton's on a constant drip right now, thanks to her hyperemisis! Have a wonderful trip!

[manateesmom]

Are you currently having morning sickness? Do you normally have motion sickness?

I sailed at 23/24 weeks, no problems at all. In fact, I felt the baby move for the first time during our "babymoon" cruise! I did not ever have morning sickness, though.

I do understand that ginger capsules are good for motion sickness, and safe in reasonable amounts during pregnancy, but agree that you should consult with your doctor/midwife.

[jlwhitney]

Originally Posted by manateesmom

Are you currently having morning sickness? Do you normally have motion sickness?

I sailed at 23/24 weeks, no problems at all. In fact, I felt the baby move for the first time during our "babymoon" cruise! I did not ever have morning sickness, though.

I do understand that ginger capsules are good for motion sickness, and safe in reasonable amounts during pregnancy, but agree that you should consult with your doctor/midwife.

Im with you that I cruised at the 23/24 week marker and had no problems, but also never had morning sickness either and dont get seasick either.

[RedxPanda]

Originally Posted by lorenni

Give the sea bands a try. My carsickness hit like a ton of bricks when I was pregnant and sea bands worked like magic. Wish I'd had them years ago for all those childhood car rides!

I had the same problem while pregnant, but i never get motion sick otherwise. The Sea Bands were the best thing i bought while pregnant! I wish i bought them sooner into my pregnancy.

[Sparrow78]

Originally Posted by manateesmom

Are you currently having morning sickness? Do you normally have motion sickness?

I sailed at 23/24 weeks, no problems at all. In fact, I felt the baby move for the first time during our "babymoon" cruise! I did not ever have morning sickness, though.

I do understand that ginger capsules are good for motion sickness, and safe in reasonable amounts during pregnancy, but agree that you should consult with your doctor/midwife.

I am currently having morning sickness and had it consistently with DD for the first Tri. Dr appointment tomorrow so I will defiantly mention it to him. Just trying to figure things out!

[bbwex]

This is a large topic, and some background information will really help you before we get to remedies.

First of all, most people don't get seasick, and if you do, it almost always passes in a day, once you get your sea legs. Yes, I know, there are some people (a very small number) who seem to take several days to get over it.

Seasickness is primarily caused by a conflict between the eyes (if they are not seeing the motion) and the inner ear which detect the motion. So, prevention is somewhat easy -- stay someplace where you can see the motion until you get your sea legs. Staying out on deck and watching the horizon is the cure, and the fresh air will help as well. If you are inside, stay near a window so you can see the horizon. If you are not feeling well, do not go inside and lose sight of the seas. The other thing is to eat normally. While this seems counter-intuitive, an empty stomach is not the answer. Keep away from greasy foods and don't overeat, but eat normal meals at normal times.

As for the remedies:

Ginger is clinically proven to dramatically reduce or prevent all motion sickness. You can take ginger pills (available in any drug store), eat candied ginger or ginger snaps, or drink real ginger ale (though you might need a lot). This is a natural remedy obviously, but clinically proven to work. It is also used to reduce nausea on land and often with chemo therapy, so it might (I have absolutely no idea) help with your morning sickness. Who knows? Start taking or eating it before you get on the ship, but you do not need more than a few hours' time for it to get into your system.

Some people, as noted in a previous post, swear by the seabands, others notice no effect whatsoever. Again, no medications, but not always effective.

Bonine and dramamine are OTC medications available everywhere. They will work for most people who get seasick. They should be started before getting on the ship. Ships also dispense generic forms of these pills. Here, however, check with your doctor before taking any OTC medications.

This is where I would normally mention the patch, but there is no way I would even get into it if you are pregnant. The patch contains scopolamine with is a very, very strong drug. Even with people who are not pregnant, it is really for people who have tried everything else, and nothing works. I'm no doctor, but I would stay away from this.

Perhaps most of all, don't worry yourself into it. If you don't get motion sick in other situations, you are likely to be fine or will be fine after a few hours. While cruise ships do move in the seas, and rough seas can cause a lot of motion, bear in mind that they are not anything like small pleasure craft that bob and bounce along all the time. Motion on a cruise ship tends to be much, much slower and less dramatic. If it were a really common problem, you wouldn't see so many cruise ships out there. For most passengers, the gentle motion is calming. Cruise lines try to avoid rough seas when they can, though that is not always possible, and the seas are not always coming from the right direction (Mother Nature can be soooo finicky). For the most part, though, relax and enjoy. Odds are that you are going to be just fine, and the initial prevention suggestions should be enough by themselves.

[WeAreKopin]

I'd check with your doctor before you leave and ask what they reccommend.

I was 6 weeks pregnant with twins when we sailed on DCL last time. I was fortunate and had no problems with morning / motion sickness. The only symptom I had was unending hunger (for 8 weeks). I was in the right place for that though. I think the room service folks were a bit suspicious about my orders of multiple meals at 1am .

I hope you find this trip to be smooth sailing for your tummy.

[SnipsNSnails]

Ask your OB what they recommend. I sailed while 4 months pregnant with my first and had no seasickness. The only time I threw up was the last day after breakfast when we were already in port so that was just good old morning sickness. I would also take a stash of saltine crackers with you. I had morning sickness bad with my first one and it was much better if I ate some crackers right away when I woke up before even getting out of bed. Not letting my stomach get too empty was a huge help, which of course is easy to accomplish on a cruise!