Remedies for Morning Sickness

Pregnant woman

Tips To Help With Morning Sickness

If you’ve ever been pregnant, you know the struggles of dealing with morning sickness. Morning sickness is nausea and vomiting that comes during pregnancy. This illness often occurs during the first trimester but can persist throughout the course of pregnancy at any time throughout the day. Morning sickness can be debilitating for expecting mothers trying to accomplish daily tasks, but don’t fret! There are many ways to manage the symptoms of morning sickness, including medical treatments, home remedies, and IVs for morning sickness.

Causes and Symptoms of Morning Sickness

Morning sickness is a very common side effect of pregnancy, but the reasoning behind it is not totally clear. However, many professionals believe that the changes in hormones that come with pregnancy are mainly to blame for this condition.

With common conditions come common side effects. You are likely experiencing morning sickness if you exhibit the following symptoms:

Nauseous feelings similar to seasickness or carsickness
Queasiness
Vomiting triggered by certain foods, odors, or rising temperatures
Nausea followed by hunger pains
Vomiting without triggers

Ease symptoms of morning sickness.

Tips for Easing Symptoms

Morning sickness can be intrusive and irritating to the body, but many ways exist to help relieve these bothersome symptoms. If you’re an expecting mother, try some of the tips below to combat your morning sickness.

Medical Treatments

Many medications can aid in alleviating morning sickness. When you visit a doctor for pregnancy care, they will evaluate the severity of your symptoms and prescribe medications that are safe to take during pregnancy. These include:

Over-the-counter medications
Prescription medications
Vitamin supplements

Common vitamins for pregnant women include folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin D, choline, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and vitamin C, but checking with your doctor can help you determine what supplements are necessary for you!

Did you know: Pregnant women need more vitamin B9, also called folate or folic acid, to lower the risk of neural tube birth defects.

Home Remedies

You can relieve your morning sickness symptoms from the comfort of your own home with one of these at-home remedies:

Drink lots of fluids: Water and ginger ale are great for settling an upset stomach. Try to drink six to eight cups of noncaffeinated beverages every day. If you’re having trouble with your fluid intake due to nausea symptoms, see our tips under Alternative Medicine which include ways to boost your fluid intake.
Choose foods carefully: Be sure to select bland, easy-to-digest foods like rice, bananas, applesauce, and toast, as well as foods that are low in fat and high in protein. Avoid spicy, greasy, and fatty foods. Avoid certain foods during pregnancy.
Let in the fresh air: Take walks and open windows to increase your intake of fresh, breathable air. When pregnant, walking is a great exercise option because it is low impact, and the fresh air may help lift your energy levels.
Avoid nausea triggers: If the smell of certain foods makes you nauseous, be sure to avoid eating them. Even smells you previously enjoyed before becoming pregnant, such as your favorite foods or perfumes, may make you feel sick, so adjust your surroundings as necessary.
Snack frequently: Empty stomachs can lead to nausea. That’s why it’s important to snack on foods little by little throughout the day. Checking in with yourself every few hours and eating when you feel hunger cues may help combat nausea.

Pregnant lady with morning sickness

Alternative Medicine

Nowadays, there’s a wide variety of alternative remedies for alleviating morning sickness symptoms, including:

Acupressure: This technique releases muscular tension by applying pressure with the hand or thumbs at specific acupoints. By stimulating specific points of the body with gentle pressure, this traditional Chinese treatment works to stimulate the nerves and decrease nausea.
Acupuncture: Another Chinese medical technique similar to acupuncture, only it uses needles to stimulate the nerves.
Aromatherapy: This process typically uses essential oils for therapeutic benefits. Using scents may help with morning sickness. Peppermint is particularly effective at lowering nausea.
IV for nausea: IV therapy is an excellent way to pump the body full of the vitamins and minerals it needs during pregnancy, even in addition to supplements. IVs for morning sickness help restore body fluids, alleviate chronic fatigue and even improve fertility. The thing that makes IV therapy great for pregnancy is that IVs allow your body to absorb these vitamins faster and in much higher quantities than oral consumption. This means that you’ll get more of the essential vitamins that make for a healthy mom and baby. Plus, you’ll get near-instant relief from that nasty nausea.

Author: Phil Hinkel, MSN, RN, is Co-Owner of Rocky Mountain IV Medics. His professional background includes Pre-Hospital Trauma, Surgical and Trauma Critical Care, Interventional Radiology, Cardiac Cath Lab, Hospital Supervisor, Nurse Manager, and Nursing Service Chief.