Morning Sickness Remedies, Tips and Tricks
Find natural morning sickness remedies and tips that will get you through the first few weeks of pregnancy, when nausea is the worst.
This is NOT medical advice and only for informational purposes. Information provided in this post is based on my experience as a mom of two. If you have any concerns about your or your baby’s health, reach out to your medical care provider, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911.
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It should not be called ‘morning sickness’
First of all: Why on earth is it called MORNING sickness?! That is such a lie. Before I got pregnant for the first time I believed pregnant women would get a bit nauseous in the mornings with the occasional throw up and the rest of the day would be fine. Because that’s what morning sickness sounds like.
So when I got pregnant with my first kid I was so overwhelmed by the nausea and throwing up that lasted ALLLLLL DAY LONG! It just did not stop. Nausea during the first weeks of pregnancy should be renamed to all day, everyday sickness. If you ask me, that would be the more accurate name.
You can be grateful to be pregnant and excited for your baby while also hating this phase and being completely exhausted and tired of it!
If you have found this post you are probably currently pregnant and are desperately looking for some morning sickness relief. I am SO SORRY you are feeling queasy!
Living life when you are constantly nauseous and/or on the edge of emptying your stomach is SO SO SO rough. I want you to know that you are not alone in this. So many women deal with insane morning sickness in the first trimester of pregnancy (and unfortunately some beyond that) and it is absolutely okay to be upset about it and hate everything about it.
I had terrible morning sickness with both my children to a point where I could not go to work for months. Everyday life was a struggle. I felt so bad and guilty and weak for not being able to function normally, just because I was pregnant.
I wish someone had told me back then that it is OKAY to not function as normal, while YOU ARE GROWING A HUMAN! Yes, there are some women who have beautiful pregnancies with very mild symptoms, but that is not the case for everyone. Growing a baby inside of you is probably the hardest job your body will ever do. You have every right to be tired, exhausted, sick and just not yourself.
How long does morning sickness last?
This is a question I know every woman dealing with morning sickness wants an answer to. It would be nice knowing when you will feel better again.
Unfortunately, there is no right answer here. While most women start to feel better after the first trimester, some women experience nausea way past that. Generally, morning sickness is often the worst between week 8 and 10 of your pregnancy. Many women start to slowly get better after that point.
With my daughter the morning sickness lasted until I was 14 weeks pregnant. With my son, the nausea and vomiting lasted until around 22 weeks. And to make it worse with both pregnancies the morning sickness returned when I was around 38 weeks pregnant (probably caused by no room left in my belly and everything pushing on my stomach).
Morning Sickness Remedies and Tips
Below you will find remedies, tips and tricks that helped me deal with my morning sickness. Everyone is different so you may have to try out a couple of things before finding something that works for you.
If you feel like your morning sickness is extreme, nothing is helping and you are having a hard time keeping any foods or fluids down, reach out to your healthcare provider.
1. Eat small and frequent meals
Eating small meals before you get hungry can help so much with nausea. Try not to let your stomach get completely empty, but don’t overeat either. Having large meals and feeling full may make your nausea worse and for me it definitely made it harder to keep my food down.
2. Limit spicy and greasy foods
Spicy and very heavy greasy foods are harder on your stomach and can make your morning sickness worse. Try to stick to unfried foods and include lots of vegetables, low-fat proteins, such as chicken breast, and unprocessed foods into your diet.
Also listen to your body. If you are constantly craving something, your chances are pretty good that it won’t make your nausea worse, even if it’s heavier food. If baby really wants chicken nuggets, go get chicken nuggets ;-)
3. Always carry a snack with you
If you are at work or out and about make sure you pack a snack so you have something available to eat as soon as you start to feel hungry. Having an empty stomach will make your nausea so much worse.
I also had some pretzels sitting on my nightstand that I would eat as soon as I woke up, before even getting up. Some days that would be enough to stop me from throwing up.
Some convenient snack ideas for on the go are: protein bars, nuts, string cheese, crackers, pretzels, homemade energy balls, bananas.
Whatever is convenient for you and is okay on your stomach.
4. Add Ginger and lemon to your drinks
Ginger and lemon are great for helping with nausea. You can either make your own ginger and lemon tea or can find them at grocery stores. Just make sure they don’t contain any caffeine. I used to just boil water and pour it over a piece of ginger and some fresh lemon juice.
I also often added some lemon slices to my water bottles. I know some people are okay just chewing on ginger, but I could not handle that. Might be worth a try!
5. Get yourself some Tummy Drops
There are many options for nausea relief drops. The ones that worked best for me were the Tummy Drops. I also liked Preggie Pop Drops and the UpSpring Stomach Settle Drops. They all come in a variety of flavors so you can try out which one you like best.
The drops worked great when I only had a little bit of nausea. I would just suck on them throughout the day and I believe it definitely stopped me from having to vomit a couple of times. At times when you are feeling very sick though they probably won’t help much.
6. Eat some sour gummies
I have no idea why but sour gummies can really help with morning sickness and nausea. Maybe it’s that they take away that awful taste in your mouth or the sourness itself?! No clue. But fact is, eating a few sour gummies when you feel queasy can help you feel less nauseous. It is not the most healthy snack but it definitely worked for me and you do what you gotta do. The Trolli sour gummies were my favorite until I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 26 weeks pregnant and that was the end of sour gummies for me (BOOOO).
7. Drink plenty of water
Staying hydrated does not only help with morning sickness it is generally so important to get enough fluids in your body while pregnant. Getting dehydrated will definitely make you feel a lot worse and increase the nausea. Especially if you are frequently emptying your stomach you want to make sure to drink enough. Water, unsweetened and caffeine free teas are the best options.
When I was pregnant with baby #2 water tasted very metallic to me and I had a hard time getting it down. What helped was adding some slices of lemon and a ridiculous amount of ice to my water bottles.
8. Drink small sips of Sprite and lemonade
While you want to drink mostly water to get hydrated, small sips of Sprite and lemonade can help you feel better when you are nauseous. I loved having a few sips of Sprite when I felt like I was about to empty my stomach. A lot of times it stopped me from actually getting sick.
Again, no idea what the science behind this is but it was helpful to me.
9. Try a Sea Band
A Sea Band is basically a bracelet that pushes on an acupuncture pressure point, called the Nei-Kuan point on your wrist that is supposed to help with nausea.
While it did not help me at all, I have heard people say it helped them a lot with sea and morning sickness. They are very cheap so definitely worth a shot.
10. Popsicles
Popsicles were always great when I felt sick and nauseous. I think having something cold and fruity to eat helped my stomach settle and it also got rid of the yucky taste you get in your mouth when you are dealing with morning sickness.
If you are trying to stay hydrated there are even pedialyte popsicles out there that may be a great option for you.
11. Take your prenatal vitamins in the evening
Prenatals can be hard on your stomach when you are dealing with morning sickness. It can help to take them at night before you head to bed. That way you may just sleep over the nausea you get from taking them. If you cannot keep your prenatals down at all, talk to your healthcare provider about other options.
12. Get medication from your doctor
I am not a medical professional and this is solely informational.
If your morning sickness becomes so bad that you cannot function in your daily life anymore or you are throwing up multiple times a day, talk to your OBGYN about possible medication.
What helped me was the combination of over the counter Vitamin B6 & Unisom. You can also get a prescription for Diclegis, which is basically Vitamin B6 & Unisom but with an extended release. There are a variety of options that help with morning sickness you can discuss with your doctor.
I just want you to know that it is more than okay to need medication to help with your morning sickness!! There is absolutely no shame about it!
13. Prepare for Baby
When you are dealing with morning sickness it often seems like it will never end. If you are dealing with nausea 24/7 and you cannot function normally it can make you feel frustrated, sad and even depressed.
Something that helped me get through the worst weeks of morning sickness is to focus on things related to the pregnancy and baby that I enjoyed. For example, work on your registry, start shopping for baby, read pregnancy and parenting guides.
If you are planning on breastfeeding or pumping, I have a free printable checklist with all the breastfeeding and pumping essentials for you! Also take a look at 13 Things you should know about breastfeeding before giving birth and know what to expect when baby arrives.
Maybe talk to family members and friends that are excited about your pregnancy and the arrival of your baby.
Try and focus on the positive and joyful aspects of pregnancy and having a baby. I know it's easier said than done, but it really helps.
You are a rockstar for growing a human inside of you!!
Dealing with morning sickness can be so hard and it can definitely take a toll on your mental health. Hopefully, some of the above tips and remedies can help you manage your morning sickness and make you feel better in those first few weeks of pregnancy. If you feel like you are starting to feel sad and depressed, talk to your partner, a friend or family member and consult with your doctor if necessary.
And most of all remember: Pregnancy is SOOOOO hard on some of us! It is absolutely okay to not feel grateful and happy about being pregnant all the time.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!
XX
