Morning sickness – just the thought will turn any mama’s stomach. The constant feeling of nausea leaves you searching for all the morning sickness remedies.
- 1. Eat Smaller Meals More Frequently
- 2. Eat Before You Get Out of Bed
- 3. Get Out of Bed Slowly
- 4. Chew Your Food Thoroughly
- 5. Stick to Bland Foods
- 6. Ginger Anything
- 7. Avoid Greasy and Fatty Foods
- 8. Avoid Strong Fragrances and Smells
- 9. Aromatherapy
- 10. Enjoy Some Lemon Drop Candies
- 11. Keep Taking Your Prenatal Vitamins and Probiotics
- 12. Wear Sea-Band Wristbands
- 13. Exercise
- 14. Take B6 & Unisom
- 15. Try Magnesium
- 16. Eat Frozen Treats
- 17. Try Brewer’s Yeast
- 18. Try Rescue Remedy
- 19. Try Acupuncture
- 20. Chew Fennel Seeds
- 21. Stay Hydrated
- 22. Get as Much Sleep as Possible
- 23. Use a Cool Rag on Your Face, Neck, and Chest
- 24. Rub Your Scalp
- Kick Morning Sickness
When you are pregnant, your body goes through many changes, and the hormones change rapidly. The surge of pregnancy hormones like hCG and progesterone, along with a heightened sense of smell, and a sensitive digestive system, are part of the reason why some women experience nausea during pregnancy.
However, not all women end up with nausea, and experts aren’t sure why that is. It might be because we react differently to the hormones, or it also might be that each pregnancy has different levels and rises of hormones.
Women typically notice that nausea begins between the fifth and sixth week of pregnancy and lasts until the end of the first trimester. However, for 15-20% of women, the morning sickness lasts longer.
Every woman has a different experience with morning sickness, and you’ll find that some remedies work for you while others don’t. So I put together an ultimate guide to all the best natural remedies and wives’ tales for morning sickness.
Here are 20+ things you can do to help relieve your morning sickness.
1. Eat Smaller Meals More Frequently
The morning sickness remedy that I think works the best is eating smaller meals more frequently. Not eating makes nausea worse; an empty stomach isn’t your friend.
The problem is that once you’re nauseous, eating seems like a terrible idea. That makes it all worse.
Try smaller, frequent meals instead of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Don’t stress about WHAT those meals are, and focus on staying away from hunger. It’s not your friend right now.
When I was pregnant with my first, I used to carry food around with me everywhere I went. Literally, I had snacks and a bag of food in my purse.
2. Eat Before You Get Out of Bed
Breakfast in bed might help.
One of the reasons you might feel the most nauseous in the morning is because you have low blood sugar. It’s baffling to wake up and feel sick when you haven’t eaten in over six hours.
Having an empty stomach and low blood sugar is a recipe for morning sickness. So I suggest keeping some simple snacks beside your bed and eating those before you get out.
It can be easy foods like protein bars, crackers, or fresh fruit, though I personally recommend protein first thing in the morning. Putting something nourishing into your empty stomach as soon as you wake up is one of the proven morning sickness remedies.
This doesn’t have to be your entire breakfast, but it starts your day on the right foot and gives your body the much-needed calories to boost your blood sugar levels.
3. Get Out of Bed Slowly
Sometimes, pregnancy throws off your equilibrium, and the last thing you want is to feel dizzy or fall when pregnant.
Get out of bed slowly. First, sit up and have your snack before getting out of bed. Then, swing your legs over the side of your bed and do some small stretches. Finally, stand up and stretch your body.
4. Chew Your Food Thoroughly
Here is a strange remedy for morning sickness, but it works!
Only chewing your food a few times makes nausea worse. This is because chewing serves three big purposes when it comes to digestion:
- It makes food smaller and easy to swallow and digest.
- Chewing allows saliva to soften and break down food before it reaches your stomach.
- And chewing your food well stimulates the production of stomach acid.
What does this have to do with morning sickness?
Not chewing your food well enough makes your stomach work harder to digest the food. All that extra work causes an upset stomach and nausea. The general rule is to chew your food 30 times before swallowing; it helps with digestion.
Don’t rush when you’re eating.
5. Stick to Bland Foods
Some foods are more likely to lead to nausea than others. Bland and healthy foods are ideal.
Stick to fresh fruits and vegetables, soup, chicken, and simple carbohydrates like bread and crackers. Your goal is to give your body all the nutrients needed to keep you and your baby healthy while fighting off nausea at the same time.
Bland foods are your friend. Things like dry cereal, pretzels, broth, baked potatoes, and whole-wheat toast are great options as well.
6. Ginger Anything
There is a reason your mother gave you ginger ale to drink when you had a stomach bug as a kid. Ginger settles an upset stomach. The great thing is that you have several options for using ginger to soothe morning sickness. A few options you might want to try include:
What matters is the ginger, not the way it’s delivered to you. I enjoyed ginger ale when I felt nauseous, and ginger tea worked wonderfully, especially in the evening before bedtime. I also liked cooking with chopped ginger.
Traditional Medicinals Organic Ginger Herbal Tea
Buy on Amazon
7. Avoid Greasy and Fatty Foods
Some foods don’t pair well with morning sickness, in particular, greasy and fatty foods. The same goes for super sweet foods, spicy foods, and gas-producing foods.
Typically, the best diet when you have morning sickness is bland and high in protein and carbohydrates. This combination creates less nausea, so stay away from pizza and hamburgers for now.
8. Avoid Strong Fragrances and Smells
My friend used to work at a restaurant, and when she was pregnant, the smell of the Italian sausage soup made her sick the entire day she worked. It was such a struggle for her!
Strong smells aren’t your friend right now. So avoid triggering smells and stay away from strong perfumes, cigarette smoke, and anything that you find disgusting.
It’s not uncommon for smells you once enjoyed to become your enemy. But, please know that it doesn’t last forever, even if it feels like it.
9. Aromatherapy
One trick that worked for me was aromatherapy. For example, smelling mint, lemon, or oranges helps to reduce nausea.
Try putting a few drops of essential oils on a cotton ball and smelling it whenever you feel nauseous.
10. Enjoy Some Lemon Drop Candies
Lemon essential oil helps to ease nausea if you smell it. Another way to use lemon as a morning sickness remedy is to suck on lemon drop candies. My favorite are these Organic Morning Ease Anti-Nausea Lozenges. These are made with lemons and ginger, a delicious combination that kicks nausea’s butt. If this one is sold out, you can try this minty version from UpSpring.
Traditional Medicinals Morning Ease
Buy on Amazon
11. Keep Taking Your Prenatal Vitamins and Probiotics
Taking your prenatal vitamins is essential. But it’s important to take your vitamins at the right time — the best time to take them is right before bedtime. Taking them in the morning on an empty stomach is not recommended. At the very least, take your prenatals with a meal.
Biomeology Prenatal Vitamins
Buy on Amazon | Biomeology
Prenatal probiotics can also be a good idea, especially for when you are feeling nauseous during pregnancy. Supporting your gut health can be an important way to get through the nausea you’re experiencing during pregnancy.
Biomeology Mama Probiotics
Buy on Amazon | Biomeology
12. Wear Sea-Band Wristbands
Some women try the sea-band wristbands, sold to treat motion sickness. I saw many people wearing them on a cruise years ago, so I tried them several years ago when I was desperate for something to take away nausea.
Sea bands supposedly work because they press against an acupressure point on your wrist. I have to be honest; these didn’t work for me, but some women swear by them. A pack is cheap, so it’s worth trying to see if they work for you.
If you want to see if they work, try these Sea-Band Mama Bands. Moms seem to swear by this brand.
Sea Band Mama Maternity Kit
Buy on Amazon
13. Exercise
I know; the very last thing you want to do when you feel nauseous all day is exercise. However, some women say that exercising helps to decrease their nausea symptoms.
Try different ways to get active throughout the day to see if it helps. Take walks around your neighborhood, or go for a swim. Join a prenatal yoga class or walk on the treadmill while listening to your favorite podcast.
Remember, staying active throughout your pregnancy offers so many benefits in addition to reducing nausea, so it’s really a win-win for you and your baby.
14. Take B6 & Unisom
My doctor told me if my nausea was terrible to take vitamin B6 and Unisom.
Unisom is an antihistamine because it contains doxylamine, but it’s in Unisom, which is a sleep aid. This is generally considered safe for pregnancy and for the purpose of reducing vomiting. Because this is a sleep aid, you have to be careful not to take it before driving.
Vitamin B6 can reduce nausea as well. You should get a dose from your doctor, but I was told to take 25 mg tablet up to three times per day. You should never exceed 200 mg per day and you have to factor in the amount of vitamin B6 in your prenatal vitamins as well.
Research shows that B6 and Unisom are most effective when taken together, but you have to decide what you feel comfortable with and what you would like to do.
15. Try Magnesium
Some believe that a magnesium deficiency makes morning sickness worse. Believe it or not, most people are low on magnesium, so there is a good chance you are as well.
There are a few ways to get enough magnesium into your body. The first is to eat more leafy greens, nuts, and seeds. However, when you’re struggling with food and nausea, this route might not be the easiest right now, or it might not be “enough”.
Another easy way is to get topical magnesium. You can use a magnesium oil or take Epsom salt baths. This salt contains magnesium, and as you soak in the tub, it absorbs into your skin and helps the deficiency.
Biomeology Magnesium Oil Spray
Buy on Amazon | Biomeology
Sky Organics Epsom Salt
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16. Eat Frozen Treats
Are you feeling a bit nauseous? Suck on a popsicle or on some ice.
Many moms swear that sucking on frozen foods helps to settle their stomachs quickly. Of course, not all foods will ease your nausea, but once you figure out what helps you, you’ll stick to it! Frozen watermelon slices, popsicles, lemonade cubes, and frozen grapes are some great options.
17. Try Brewer’s Yeast
Brewer’s yeast is high in B vitamins, and if you sprinkle it over rice or couscous, it helps reduce nausea. You won’t even taste it!
Brewer’s Yeast Powder
Buy on Amazon
18. Try Rescue Remedy
Bach Flower Remedies make Rescue Remedy, and it’s an over-the-county flower essence with a bit of alcohol. It’s available as lozenges and oils that you put under your tongue or on your wrist.
The Rescue Pastilles are natural stress relief lozenges that use natural ingredients to calm your stress, but the ingredients also help nausea. They are also really tasty! I love the orange and elderberry flavor, or the black currant flavor.
Bach Rescue Pastilles
Buy on Amazon
19. Try Acupuncture
Have you ever heard of reflexology or acupuncture? Both of these help reduce morning sickness but make sure you use a practitioner who is experienced and trained in prenatal care. These natural pressure points work wonderfully, but when misused, they might have adverse effects — so I can’t emphasize enough that you should only see an acupuncturist or reflexologist who has many years of experience and specifically working on pregnant women.
20. Chew Fennel Seeds
Fennel is an herb that helps to reduce nausea. While you can put it into recipes, most women find that chewing on fennel seeds is the fastest way to reap the benefits and reduce nausea.
Organic Fennel Seeds
Buy on Amazon
21. Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is essential for your health and the health of your baby, but when you feel nausea and vomit, hydration is easier said than done.
Plain water is your best friend. You also need to make sure you avoid drinking before you eat and after you eat for digestive purposes.
22. Get as Much Sleep as Possible
Now is the time to get as much sleep as possible. Nausea gets worse when you’re tired and stressed because your body uses energy reserves to keep going when you’re tired and to stay calm.
Getting plenty of sleep combats that, but it’s always easier said than done. Here are some tips:
- Take naps when you feel sleepy, even if it’s a 20-30 minute catnap.
- Go to sleep when you first feel sleepy.
- Keep electronics turned off at least 20 minutes before you go to bed.
- Reduce the temperature in your bedroom.
If you need some help, read my guide on sleeping better during pregnancy.
23. Use a Cool Rag on Your Face, Neck, and Chest
My mom gave me this trick, and I love it. Whenever you’re puking and have a tummy bug, I bet your parents gave you a cool rag to wipe your face and put it over your neck.
I always assumed it was for a fever, which helps with that, but coolness also helps with nausea. Think about how cold wind blowing on your face reduces car sickness.
The same thing goes for morning sickness.
Using a cold washcloth on your face, chest, or neck helps with my nausea so well. It stops it fast, and I also keep a spray bottle with cool water in it. I found that when I’m too hot, I end up feeling nauseous. So take the bottle outside with you!
24. Rub Your Scalp
I read this strange morning sickness trick years ago, and I tried it with my last pregnancy.
Rub your scalp. Don’t scratch it, but give it a nice little massage. Think of the pressure you use when scrubbing your scalp while washing your hair. That’s the pressure you want and the feeling that you want. It helps to relieve nausea, even if it’s only for a few minutes at a time.
Kick Morning Sickness
Once you find the morning sickness remedies that work for you, stick to them. Every woman is different, which is why you need to know all the remedies to help you feel better and reduce your nausea. Don’t let nausea get you down.
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