How To Beat Morning Sickness: Top Remedies

Can you solve this riddle: what’s never fun, often unpredictable, and a tell-tale sign of pregnancy?

That’s right – morning sickness (did the title ruin the riddle?).

Every pregnancy is different and while some are fortunate enough to bypass it, chances are you will experience at least some degree of nausea during your first trimester.

Whether it lasts a few weeks or appears sporadically throughout the duration of your pregnancy, every pregnant woman wants to know how to overcome morning sickness.

Well, this article intends on helping you to do just that!

What Causes Morning Sickness? 

While the exact causes of morning sickness are unknown, a lot of health care professionals believe that it revolves around the drastic changes happening in your body during your first trimester¹.

These bodily-changes include:

•          Increases in estrogen and other hormones
•          High levels of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG)
•          Changes in metabolism
•          Lower blood sugar
•          Higher levels of anxiety or stress
•         Sensitivity to environmental toxins

How to Overcome Morning Sickness

Morning sickness remedies differ for each individual. What works for one woman may end up having the opposite affect on another. The best thing to do is find what works for you through some simple trial and error.

The following list of suggestions is a great place to start.  

1. Eat Intuitively

What and how often you eat during pregnancy is extremely important.

Since empty stomachs can increase the feeling of nausea, Women’s Health Magazine suggests eating small meals every few hours. This keeps your blood sugar at optimal levels and ensures that you never have an empty stomach.

However, be careful not to overeat, since eating too much can be just as bad as under-eating.

Eating simple, bland, and easily digestible food helps combat nausea for many women.

Some food options that seem to work are:

• Mashed potatoes
• Boiled rice
• Toast
• Soup – try cold if warm has too strong an odor
• Smoothies
• Natural juices – avoid high sugar juice
• Salads
• Yogurt – try adding muesli for extra energy
• Fruit
• Other “cold” foods – warm foods tend to be more aromatic
• Plain crackers

Alternatively, highly processed (think too much sugar or added chemicals), spicy, or overly fried food can lead to digestive problems and may induce morning sickness.

Some women may not be able to handle much more than bland crackers and boiled rice. If this is you, don’t worry too much about the lack of variation, as your body will naturally provide some nutritional grace to you and your growing baby.

Yet another trick that could help you overcome morning sickness is sucking on a naturally made lollipop. Having something in your mouth can distract you from your nausea and lessen morning sickness symptoms.

There are morning sickness lollipops specifically for expecting mothers, making use of soothing flavors and all natural ingredients!

Before heading off to bed be sure to grab a snack that includes protein and carbohydrates.

HAVING PROBLEMS SLEEPING WHILE PREGNANT? THIS ARTICLE CAN HELP!

Having protein and/or carbohydrate-heavy snacks before hitting-the-sack will help ensure that your blood sugar doesn’t plunge overnight, which can be a leading cause of nausea.

2. Stay Hydrated

If you are constantly throwing up, staying hydrated can be difficult. However, it is still extremely important.

During pregnancy, a woman’s blood volume increases in order to supply the placenta and fetus. This means that more fluid is needed in order to support a healthy metabolic process².

If you can’t seem to tolerate water, Women’s Health Magazine recommends adding some slices of fruit or lemon along with tons of ice. Slowly sipping on cold water may help ease your stomach more than lukewarm liquids.

You could also opt for sparkling water, ginger ale, or even caffeine-free tea.

If none of those are working, Pedialyte is safe; it helps keep you hydrated and your electrolyte levels high.

3. Listen to Your Body

A key aid in beating morning sickness is to simply listen to your body.

Avoid foods you had sensitivities to pre-pregnancy. Also, make sure to keep track of any foods, smells, or liquids that trigger vomiting.

Discovering your morning sickness triggers will allow you to proactively avoid them. If you’ve yet to discover a trigger, you will know it when you smell it.

Make a list of your morning sickness triggers and keep it handy so your partner will think twice about making that tuna sandwich for lunch.

Tuning into your body and listening to what it wants and needs will help you shorten bouts of morning sickness.

Plus, it is also a great practice to maintain throughout all three trimesters.

4.R-E-L-A-X

Fatigue, stress, and anxiety can be the catalyst of morning sickness in a lot of women.

Make sure to take time for yourself and get plenty of rest. If you are tired or nauseous in the afternoon, go lie down and take a nap.

You can also work some deep breathing exercises into your daily routine. Abdominal breathing is a great breathing practice, along with yoga and meditation.

If you’re not sure where to start, check out these free online videos – or search for “Prenatal Yoga” on YouTube.

Additionally, essential oils are a great option to explore. Especially if you’ve yet to experience them.

Take a nice bath with some lavender oil or experiment with combinations. Peppermint oil has been known to help some women and is a popular morning sickness home remedy.

Simply place a few peppermint droplets onto a cloth and inhale deeply to experience the soothing effects.

5. Try Ginger

Ginger is a tried and true morning sickness natural remedy. Try adding fresh or grated ginger into a cup of hot water. Ginger ale is also a good option to sip slowly throughout the day. 

If you can’t keep the liquids down, talk to your doctor about ginger tablets. They are usually higher in strength and may be easier on your stomach.

6. Acupuncture or Acupressure

Some women swear on acupuncture and acupressure as their go-to method of overcoming nausea. If you are up for the test, try seeing an acupuncturist once a month, or more often if necessary.

You can also locate the pressure point – Nei Guan – located on your wrist (where you can feel your pulse). Women’s Health Magazine mentions this pressure point helping to relieve nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy.

7. Supplements 

If all else fails, talk to your doctor about adding supplements to your diet.

Taking a vitamin B6 supplement may help, as B6 deficiencies are tied to stronger bouts of morning sickness. Digestive enzymes may also help your body eat and hold down food more efficiently.

St. Mary’s thistle (or milk thistle) can support your liver and kidneys since morning sickness can sometimes be a sign of an under-functioning liver³.  

Conclusion

Use this list to assist in diagnosing morning sickness triggers, as well as how-to overcome them. As with everything that you do during your pregnancy, make sure to discuss all of your options and changes in nutrition with your doctor.

If you have tips on beating morning sickness, share with us below or post on our Facebook page!

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Sources:

1 http://www.bubhub.com.au/hubbub-blog/17-natural-ways-to-beat-morning-sickness/

2 https://obgynindiana.com/2012/07/17/why-you-must-stay-hydrated-during-pregnancy/

3 http://www.womenshealthmag.com/mom/25-ways-to-beat-morning-sickness