Being pregnant should be a time to celebrate the new life you’re bringing into the world, and you don’t want to spend it feeling too sick to function. Queasiness, nausea, and vomiting are the unwelcome effects that come with the dreaded morning sickness.
While you can’t lower the surge of hormones partly responsible for morning sickness, you can conquer the symptoms with these tips and tricks that have been tried and tested by many morning sickness sufferers.
1. Ginger
When you think of ginger, you may only consider it as a warm, spicy herb that works great in many Asian dishes. But ginger has long been used as a herbal medicine in Asian countries due to its ability to treat a number of gastrointestinal ailments.
The magic of ginger lies in the root where the nausea fighting compounds are found. Taking ginger in various forms has been shown to help some women with the morning sickness symptom of nausea and is even more helpful with the symptom of vomiting, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
A few ways you can get some relief with ginger:
• Steep a small piece of ginger in hot water for a few minutes and drink 1 to 3 times a day. Add sweetener of your choice to make it more palatable.
• Take ginger capsules as directed on the bottle and agreed upon by your doctor.
• Keep ginger candies in your bag while out and about to suck on as needed.
2. Acupressure Wrist Bands
Commonly used for motion sickness, an acupressure wristband is simply a tight, stretchy bracelet with a raised plastic nub strategically placed on the inside of the wrist for relief from nausea. The nub puts slight pressure on the Nei Guan pressure point of the wrist.
How to put the wristbands on correctly:
• Place one motion sickness wristband on each wrist. Face your palm up and place the raised nub against the skin on the underside of the wrist, two to three finger lengths from where your wrist bends.
• If you don’t feel relief after 20 minutes, play around with the location on your wrist until you find the sweet spot.
3. Green Apples
Including green apples in your diet is another common remedy for motion sickness. The sourness of the fruit has a property that helps make the feeling of vomiting disappear almost immediately, whether your nausea is from motion sickness, morning sickness or a plain old stomach ache.
Easy ways to enjoy green apples:
• Keep a green apple in your bag when you’re out and about for any sudden waves of nausea. Simply smelling the apple can be enough to help.
• Cut up green apples and dip in peanut butter for a quick breakfast that serves double duty by being packed with protein and helping with morning nausea.
4. Mint
Mint is another herb that is considered to be very beneficial in treating stomach ailments. Taken as a tea or added to your food, the freshness of this herb and the quality oils it produces can calm the stomach lining, says Science Daily. If the thought of eating or drinking anything is making your symptoms worse, even smelling a bunch of fresh mint can have similar soothing effects on the stomach.
Some ways to use mint for nausea relief:
• Steep a handful of fresh mint leaves in hot water for five to ten minutes and drink the tea.
• Keep a mint plant in your house and smell the potent leaves if any sudden waves of nausea hit.
• Make a citrus fruit salad and place a tablespoon of chopped mint on top.
• Suck on peppermint candies for quick relief on the go.
5. Get Moving
Being physically active is a great suggestion for many ailments and morning sickness is no exception. Though difficult to do when you’re feeling unwell, getting your body moving keeps your circulation flowing, your energy levels high, and can even help you sleep better.
Physical activity ideas to get you up and moving:
• Go for a walk around the block twice a day to get some fresh air and to keep your muscles limber.
• Find a prenatal yoga class or do stretching at home.
• Doing the laundry or washing the dishes is enough physical activity to help combat symptoms.
6. Watch What You Eat
As a pregnant woman, you may already be watching the types of food you put into your body. To combat nausea, vomiting and even heartburn associated with morning sickness, it can help immensely if you cut out certain trigger foods. You’ll also want to keep your portion size small. Eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day can keep the vomiting to a minimum.
Food tips to help relieve symptoms:
• Avoid eating too much garlic, onion, or spicy foods.
• Eat bland foods such as crackers, rice, toast or baked potatoes without extra butter or heavy sauces.
• Have a protein-filled snack before bed, such as peanut butter on crackers.
7. Lemon
Lemon is another common food said to help with nausea and an easy one to keep on hand in your kitchen all the time. It’s fabulous that lemon is known to be so beneficial since its juice can be squeezed over so many meals, and drinking lemon water is an easy way to get some lemon into your system.
How to include more lemon in your diet:
• Keep a bowl of lemons as a centerpiece on your kitchen table for easy access.
• Squeeze half of a lemon into your glass of water when you first wake up or when any symptoms arise.
• Scratch the outside of the lemon peel with your nail briefly and smell the oils for quick relief.
8. Hydration
If you have been vomiting nonstop due to morning sickness, then it’s hard to think of drinking the suggested eight to ten glasses of water. Unfortunately, the more dehydrated you are, the more nauseous you will feel. It’s an unfortunate cycle that can be interrupted by finding ways to get more water into your system.
Ways to keep yourself hydrated:
• Drink room temperature water through a straw to raise the amount that you are consuming.
• Suck on ice chips to hydrate without having to swallow large amounts of liquid.
• Make homemade popsicles with freshly squeezed juice for a sweet alternative to water or ice.
Every woman will react differently to a home remedy, so it is best to keep trying until you find one that works for you. Of course, you should always check with your doctor before trying anything new. Armed with these natural and easy methods to combat the effects of morning sickness, you will be well on your way to sweet relief and a happy pregnancy in no time!
