Try taking your prenatal vitamin before bed. You may switch to Flintstone vitamins if the true prenatal vitamins are too potent for you (but make sure your provider is aware). Eat small, frequent meals rather than 3 meals per day. Stay hydrated by sipping liquids and/or ice chips. Ginger, peppermint, and Vitamin B6 can also help with nausea. You can take Vitamin B6 25 mg up to three times per day. If no relief, you can add Unisom 12.5 mg up to three times per day. Acupressure wrist bands, or Sea bands, can be helpful as well. If you are unable to keep any food or fluid down for greater than 24 hours, please contact the office.

Make sure you are getting adequate sleep. Try comfort measures such as increasing water intake, massage, cool compresses and relaxation techniques. You may try Tylenol (acetaminophen). If you still have no relief, please discuss this with your physician at your next visit or for urgent matters call the office.

Increase fluid intake, eat raw fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains and cereals. If this doesn't work, you may try Metamucil, Miralax, Citrucel or Fibercon. If you have external hemorrhoids, you may try witch hazel pads or other over-the-counter preparations. If you still don't have relief, please discuss with your physician at your next visit or for urgent matters call the office.

Avoid fried or fatty foods, spicy or acidic foods, excessive intake of caffeine (including chocolate) and lying down immediately after eating. You may try Tums, Rolaids, Pepcid, or liquid Gaviscon. If you still do not have relief, you should discuss this with your physician.

Benadryl (after 10 weeks), Sudafed (as long as you do not have high blood pressure), and Claritin are safe to use.

In a healthy pregnancy, continuing your current exercise routine is typically recommended. It is not recommended to start a new exercise program in pregnancy. Some forms of safe exercise in pregnancy include (but are not limited to): walking, swimming, prenatal yoga, cycling and aerobics. In general, activities in which there is a high risk of falling (water skiing, downhill skiing or gymnastics), contact sports and scuba diving, should be avoided in pregnancy. If you have questions regarding your current exercise routine, you should discuss this with your physician.

Yes. Necessary x-rays are ok after the first trimester.

Hair dye is safe to use in pregnancy.

You can drink 1-2 eight ounce cups of caffeinated beverages per day.

You can take any over-the-counter prenatal vitamin containing at least 600 mcg of folic acid per day. Fish oil supplementation is safe in pregnancy, up to 3 grams per day, and supplements should either be plant-based or from de-mercurized fish. Be careful not to take additional supplements during your pregnancy, unless directed by your physician.

Most women can travel safely in pregnancy but travel plans should be discussed with your physician on an individual basis. Long plane flights can put women at an increased risk of forming blood clots in their legs. For this reason, it is important to hydrate well, stand and stretch occasionally and flex your feet/calves while flying. We do recommend traveling with a copy of your prenatal records, which can be obtained in the office, and limiting your travel in the third trimester. All travel is at your own risk, as many complications of pregnancy can occur without warning.

Appropriate weight gain during pregnancy depends on your pre-pregnancy weight, or body mass index (BMI). Women who are a normal weight prior to pregnancy (BMI 18.5-24.9) should gain between 25 and 35 pounds throughout their pregnancy. Women who are overweight (BMI 25 to 29.9) should gain between 15 and 25 pounds and women who are obese (BMI>30) should gain between 11 and 20 pounds throughout their pregnancy. For women carrying twins, the recommendations for weight gain in pregnancy is between 25 and 52 pounds depending on your BMI. Please discuss questions regarding weight gain with your physician.

Caloric intake should increase by approximately 340 calories in the second trimester and 450 calories in the third trimester of pregnancy.

In general, it is recommended to eat a well-balanced diet throughout your pregnancy including lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, some low-fat dairy products, and a few sources of protein. If you have a special type of diet (vegetarian or vegan), you can sometimes be missing important nutrients. Adequate hydration is very important during pregnancy. You should drink 60 to 80 ounces of fluid each day - we recommend plain water as the best source of hydration. You should discuss any dietary concerns with your physician.

Avoid raw or undercooked foods, high-mercury fish, unpasteurized milks, cheeses and juices, and alcohol. Food safety is also important in pregnancy. Washing your hands before and after handling foods, cleaning food preparation areas/utensils, rinsing fresh fruits and vegetables with water, and fully cooking fish, chicken, beef and eggs, are all important steps to reducing the risk of germs in your food.