Ahh, the joys of pregnancy.
Exhaustion, a swelling waistline (and ankles), and everyone’s all-time favorite….
Morning sickness.
Ugghh.
To be fair, not every woman will experience morning sickness: that terrible queasy, nauseous feeling that seems to cluster at the beginning of your day when you’re pregnant and in your first trimester.
To be unfair, others will get it morning-noon-and-night. (Life’s not fair at all, ladies. Not one bit.)
While doctors and medical experts love to remind suffering moms-to-be that even extreme nausea and vomiting early in pregnancy can mean a healthy baby, that assurance does nothing to help you keep your breakfast down.
Zilch and nada.
Luckily, there are several natural remedies you can try to help ease the discomfort and quell the symptoms. Try some for yourself, and maybe, just maybe, you can get back to enjoying your pregnancy.
Eat Small, Frequent Meals
It’s a cruel joke that when you’re not feeling well due to morning sickness, the answer is to eat.
Keeping a full belly has been a tried-and-trusted remedy for the first-trimester tummy blues for centuries.
The key is to eat small meals more frequently.
An empty stomach is your enemy here, so you want to keep something on your tummy most of the time — but without getting too full.
Stay (Strategically) Hydrated
Dehydration can increase feelings of nausea, so it’s essential to stay hydrated when you’re pregnant.
And if you’re spending a considerable amount of time, ahem, expelling the contents of your stomach into the nearest wastebasket, toilet, or sink, you can run the risk of becoming even more dehydrated.
Sipping on water throughout the day could help keep morning sickness at bay.
But…
Most of us eat a meal with a drink, but when you’re struggling with morning sickness, combining even a small snack with a beverage can leave you feeling too full.
Therefore, experts advise drinking water or another safe beverage about 30 minutes before your meal — or 30 minutes after, if you prefer.
Nausea Wristbands
Nausea wristbands use pressure points to help quell nausea from things like morning sickness and seasickness.
The two bands (one for each wrist) are usually made of a stretchy knit or silicone material and feature a small plastic ball in the middle of each.
This ball is strategically placed over a known acupressure point called the P6 or Nei-Kuan on the inside of each wrist.
The stimulation and pressure applied to this point can help reduce nausea and vomiting.
Supplement with B6
Studies have shown that vitamin B6 has been known to help individuals with morning sickness and other nausea-related symptoms.
B6 is considered safe during pregnancy, as long as a reasonable dose is taken.
Ask your medical professional if B6 is right for you and how much to take. Generally, 10 mg to 25 mg is recommended, one to three times daily.
Avoid going over 100 mg per day, which may lead to nerve damage.
Graze on Ginger
For thousands of years, doctors, midwives, and other health and wellness gurus have been prescribing ginger to settle upset tummies.
Experts say it’s the 6-gingerol compound found in natural ginger, which can relax the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract and make tummy upsets subside.
Regardless of the exact cause of its effectiveness, many women swear by ginger as a morning sickness remedy.
Try it grated into boiling water as a tea, as a crystallized candy, or even in a capsule form.
Drinking ginger ale may also be a good option as the bubbles found in this carbonated drink can have an added positive effect on nausea. Just look carefully at the label – many ginger ale drinks contain a ton of added sugars.
Munch on Cold Foods that Don’t Smell
We know you’ve got to eat something, even when you have morning sickness related nausea.
But how can you possibly eat when the smell of everything is sending you running to the nearest bathroom?
Cold foods with minimal scent could be the answer.
For example, opt for a cold greek yogurt, fruit, and cut-up veggies instead of a hamburger for lunch.
For a snack, go for the apples and peanut butter instead of a cup of hot soup.
And for dinner, try a salad instead of chicken and vegetables.
Strong smells can trigger morning sickness, so whenever you can, avoid cooking foods that come with strong odors, such as cooked meat, garlic, onions, or heavy spices.
Eat Before You Get Out of Bed
Finally, don’t wait to eat in the morning.
Although morning sickness can strike at any time of the day, it’s often particularly bad when you first wake up.
If you eat a few bites before getting out of bed, you may be able to head off nausea and start your day semi-normally.
Keep a box of crackers right next to the bed munch o you can munch on a few before you crawl out from under the covers. Your tummy will thank you.
You’ll Get Through This, Momma!
Whether or not you’re one of the “lucky ones” who experience morning sickness during the first trimester, the good news is that morning sickness generally subsides by week 12 or 13.
Of course, there are times when morning sickness can become so bad that your health, or your baby’s health, could be at risk. If you think this is you, definitely get your health professional involved.
But for most women suffering from the horrible, terrible, no good experience of morning sickness, a few of these natural remedies could provide enough relief to get you back to feeling excited about your pregnancy again.
And don’t worry — the morning sickness WILL go away. Eventually.
