Metropolitan Mama

Mother’s Day Giveaway: Preggie Pops

April 28, 2011 By Stephanie 31 Comments

preggie pops box Mothers Day Giveaway: Preggie Pops If you know a mom who has morning sickness this Mother’s Day, may I encourage you to do something to make her day extra special?

Morning sickness is rough. It’s exhausting, debilitating, and lonely…and physically grueling.

Please don’t “give her space” and stay away. Deliver a meal. Offer to babysit. Bring puzzles or a new DVD to her older children. Put together a gift basket…and include 7-Up & Preggie Pops.

Preggie Pops are all-natural, drug-free lollipops that are formulated to help ease the symptoms of morning sickness. There are a number of flavors to choose from and they retail for $3.95-$5.50/box. You can purchase the product directly from Three Lollies, on Amazon, or at a local maternity shop .

Do you know a woman who has morning sickness? Read: How to Help A Friend Who Has Morning Sickness.

WIN IT! One winner will receive 1 box of Preggie Pops and 1 container of Preggie Drops! To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Wednesday, May 4 at 11:59 p.m. All generic comments like “Enter me!” or “Love it” will be disqualified. Winner must provide a US mailing address.

* Three Lollies is compensating me for this post and is also providing the giveaway prize.

*UPDATE* The winner is #4 Madeline. Congratulations!

Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: how to help morning sickness, morning sickness, natural morning sickness products, preggie drops, Preggie Pops

Morning Sickness [remedies for emesis gravidarum]

September 30, 2010 By Stephanie 36 Comments

I had it for both of my pregnancies – unrelenting, all-day nausea + vomiting. For 4 months.

My appetite disappeared (but I HAD to eat or I felt worse). My skin turned pale. I lost weight. All I wanted to do was lie perfectly still and hope with all my might that I would fall asleep. [It was that bad].

Needless to say, my first few months of pregnancy were not glamorous and radiant. I was in survival mode, trying every possible remedy (except prescription medications – I didn’t feel comfortable with that).

Since my last pregnancy, quite a few natural remedies have come out or become more popular. As far as I know, this is a comprehensive list. If you know of any others, please leave a comment.

Acupressure bands ($5-$20)

Marketed and manufactured by a variety of companies, these drug-free brands utilize pressure to bring nausea relief. These bands are also commonly used as a natural remedy for motion sickness. I tried them for my second and third pregnancies with little success. [Pictured: Psi Bands]

Beaute de Maman Dietary Herbal Supplement for Pregnancy Related Nausea ($15.99 for a box of 30 capsules)

These tasteless, odorless capsules are all-natural and use a combination of Ginger, Vitamin B6, Vitamin D, & Lime to counteract nausea. The instructions are to take one capsule twice a day.

B-natal Therapops or Lozenges ($15.99 for 28 pops or lozenges)

According to the website, Vitamin B6 is the only scientifically proven treatment that consistently works to alleviate the nausea and vomiting of morning sickness. Choose between a cherry pop or a green apple lozenge.

Earth Mama Angel Baby Organic Morning Wellness Tea ($5.97 for 16 tea bags)

100% organic and certified kosher. Blended with stomach settling ginger root and spearmint, a safe hint of peppermint, and soothing chamomile and lemon balm with just a twist of orange peel for flavor. Drink your nausea away (no, not THAT kind of drinking…Tea, people!).

Mommy’s Bliss Morning Sickness Magic ($14.99 for 60 capsules)

Contains Ginger, B-6, Red Raspberry Leaf, and Folic Acid. Take one flavorless veggie capsule four times in a 24 hour period. Works to actively PREVENT (as well as treat) nausea. 100% all-natural. Look for improvement of symptoms within 3-5 days.

Preggie Pops and Drops ($3.97 for 7 pops or $5.50 for 21 drops)

Naturally-flavored lollipops and lozenges, formulated for pregnant women. Available in: Sour Lemon, Sour Raspberry, Green Apple, Sour Tangerine, Peppermint, Spearmint, Lavender, and Ginger. [Side Note: I've never understood the Lavender flavor. Eeewww.]

Tranquil Tummy Saltine Crackers With Ginger ($9.95 for a box of 12)

I pretty much lived on Saltine crackers for my first trimester so it makes sense that a company would market them as a morning sickness aid – with a boost of ginger (which is world-renowned as a digestive aid).

Other common remedies include: sucking on lemons, eating or drinking ginger, and avoiding an empty stomach.

Note: I’m not pregnant (at least, I don’t think I am). ;)

Note2: It was all worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Did you experience morning sickness? If so, did you try any of these remedies? Which ones worked for you?

* There are affiliate links in this post.

Filed Under: Babies Tagged With: emesis gravidarum, hyperemesis gravidarum, morning sickness, morning sickness remedies, nausea remedies

4 things to do INSTEAD of saying, “Can I do anything to help?”

September 11, 2010 By Stephanie 34 Comments

the rain came down 4 things to do INSTEAD of saying, Can I do anything to help? What do you do when a friend is in a tough spot? (Miscarriage. Morning Sickness. Military deployment. Lost job. Recovering from new baby. Death in the family. Bad day. Etc.)

If you are like most people, you will call up or send a text or write on his/her facebook wall, “Let me know if I can do anything to help.”

If you’re a little more action-oriented, you’ll say, “Can I do anything to help?“

Your friend replies, “Will do” or “I’ll let you know.” But then – they DON’T. Because it’s tough to ask for specific help when you’re hurting, in part because you don’t even know what to ask for.

Someone once said to me, “If you ever find yourself in a situation where you don’t know what to do to help someone, do SOMETHING.” I’ve been trying to get better about this.

Here are four fail-safe ways to bring some sunshine to a friend’s rainy spirits -

1. Deliver a meal. I am convinced that food is a relationship-builder and a wound-healer. How many illnesses and frustrations have been cured by a happy dinner table or a delicious dessert? Many. Drop by with a tray of chicken enchiladas, a pot of spaghetti and some bread sticks, or a hearty vegetable lasagna. If you don’t have the time to make from scratch, there’s no shame at all in ordering take-out or stopping in at a meal prep place. If you don’t have the budget to do a whole meal, bring 1 simple dish (pasta salad, a basket of fruit, or a loaf of bread).

2. Write a note. Pick up a funny, sentimental, musical, or giant card (Have you seen those? So cool!) at Hallmark. Or make one yourself. Not sure what to say? How about “I’m thinking of you,” paired with a genuine compliment or a warm wish. You don’t have to be poetic. Just put a stamp on it and send your heart.

3. Just say it. Speaking of compliments, never underestimate the power of words. I know I’ve had entire days ruined by mean words. On the flip side, I’ve had entire days brightened by a single sentence. Mother Teresa’s quote is truer than true, ”kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”

4. Give a [small] gift. No need to spend a lot of money. Even the tiniest thing will show you care. A box of homemade cookies. A chocolate bar. A packet of seeds. A necklace charm. A bunch of wild flowers. A pair of slippers. A stationary set. A hardbound journal. Anything will do.

On a related note: I’ve been working on a rockin’ gift guide over at Give Every Day. It’s not even close to being done yet, but you’re welcome to take a peek. The ideas are all unique and often handmade. You can search by recipient or occasion. Let me know what you think…

What do you do when a friend is in a tough spot? What meals do you think are the easiest to make and/or deliver?