Morning Sickness Tips

“25% of pregnant women do not experience morning sickness.”

Is this supposed to be an encouraging statistic? This means a whopping 75% of women do experience some form of morning sickness during pregnancy. And speaking of things no one tells you before you get pregnant, why do they call it “morning sickness”?

I had constant nausea from weeks eight to sixteen during both of my daughter’s pregnancies. Eternal optimists will try to encourage you by saying, “This just means you’re carrying a healthy baby!” But that doesn’t help a woman who spends each day feeling like she just got off Disney World’s tea cups.

No one can quite explain the cause of morning sickness, most likely it’s the cause of rapid hormone changes in a pregnant woman’s body. Although nausea is supposed to subside after the first trimester, this can seem like an eternity to a newly pregnant mother. Fortunately, there are some remedies for this common malady.

1. Don’t Let Yourself Get Hungry

Eating frequent small snacks and meals helps keep your blood sugar level and has shown great help with preventing nausea.

2. Avoid Greasy, Fatty Foods

Stay away from foods that normally cause indigestion or are difficult for your body to process. Stick to plainer flavors and simpler sources of food.

3. Do Not Get Overheated

Being too hot will increase uncomfortable feelings of nausea.

4. Get Enough Rest

Make sure you are sleeping 7-8 hours at night, and do your best to fit in a nap most days. Fatigue will contribute to your nausea. Additionally, your body is working extremely hard building a whole new person! You need rest.

5. Don’t Drink Too Many Fluids

This seems counterintuitive, but drinking too much will make you feel full, in turn causing you to eat less. Having solid food in your stomach is a major part of preventing nausea. Instead, take sips at intervals throughout the day.

6. Avoid Sights and Smells That Trigger Your Nausea

Learn what items specifically set off your morning sickness. It’s different for every woman, what bothered your sister may have no effect on you. Then do your best to avoid those sources. For example, if it’s certain food smells, using the microwave may cut down on odors.

7. Try Aromatherapy

You could carry a fragrance sample with you that is known to discourage nausea. Even a small, hard candy can help as an alternative. Some scents to try are lemon, ginger, and peppermint.

8. Eat First Thing in the Morning

Nausea is worse after not eating for a long period of time. It makes sense then that queasiness would be worse upon waking in the morning. Keep a few crackers by your bed and eat them before your feet even hit the floor.

9. Add a Little Ginger

Ginger is known to combat upset stomachs. Try ginger capsules, ginger hard candy, ginger ale made with real ginger, or grating fresh ginger in your tea.

10. If Nothing Works, Talk to Your Caregiver

If you’ve taken every possible measure and still are not experiencing relief, speak with your doctor or midwife. There are medications available that may be able to help.