When I was pregnant with my daughter, I regularly bowed down to the porcelain throne. Every morning, like clockwork, I would succumb to the nausea that had been plaguing me since I woke up and relieve my stomach of its contents. But there was actually a plus side to this. The minute I was done getting sick? My nausea was 100 percent gone. I felt absolutely perfect and could carry on with my day. But those first few hours in the morning? I wanted some morning sickness remedies that didn’t involve the toilet.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, morning sickness affects over 50 percent of women and begins around the sixth week of pregnancy. While there can be more debilitating types of morning (or all day) sicknesses, standard morning sickness isn’t harmful to you or your baby. The American Pregnancy Association also noted that it usually clears up around twelve weeks and doesn’t make much of a comeback in pregnancy. Keep in mind that if your morning sickness clears up earlier or later, it doesn’t mean you aren’t experiencing a normal, healthy pregnancy. Everybody’s pregnancy is different, but I think we can all agree that anything to keep the nausea at bay while you’re on your way to work, wrangling older children, or simply trying to power through the day is needed. With these nine morning sickness remedies, you can get through the queasy feelings and make it to nap time.
1
Eat Some Starches
Your mom had a reason for filling you with those saltines when you were sick as a kid. Saltines, dry toast, and pretzels contain simple starches that absorb stomach acid and can settle your queasy tummy.
2
Supplement With Vitamin B6
The American Pregnancy Association has recommended that pregnant women take up to 50mg daily of Vitamin B6 as a way to combat morning sickness. This vitamin can also be found in some cereals, whole grains, poultry, eggs, and fish if you can stomach a full meal.
3
Try Sour Candy
If you were a fan of Lemonheads candy as a kid, you’ll be pleased to know that these can help battle the nausea. Apparently the tartness of lemons makes them easy on your stomach, so feel free to cut up a fresh lemon and suck on it if you’re up for the pucker face.
4
Sip Ginger Tea
Many recommend ginger sodas for nausea, but the sweetness can be a bit much sometimes. Try grating fresh ginger root into a mug of tea and sip slowly. A study from the University of Maryland Medical Center noted that one gram of ginger per day brought relief from nausea and vomiting.
5
Eat Small, Frequent Meals
The worst part about feeling sick during pregnancy is that you’re still hungry and still need your nutrients. Instead of three large meals, try eating small, frequent meals throughout the day. The pregnancy hormone progesterone actually slows the passing of food through your digestive system, so smaller meals can keep you from getting too full or too hungry.
6
Try Popsicles Or Frozen Drinks
To keep from having an empty stomach or a heavy tummy, pick up some popsicles at the store or make your own. Similar to the delivery room ice chips, popsicles keep your mouth from going dry and helps you stay hydrated without all of that water on their stomach. You can even make your own with some ginger popsicles to double the nausea-banishing power.
7
Sniff Or Suck On Mint
Whether you prefer to hold a few mint leaves to your nose, diffuse some mint oil, or suck on a mint, this herb can keep you from feeling too sick. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that mint’s calming and numbing properties can settle your digestion and the smell can keep any upsetting scents away from your nose.
8
Keep Food Cool
Hot foods have a stronger scent and are usually a heavy meal. Focus on cold, light meals like salads, fruit, or sandwiches.
9
Motion Sickness Bands
If you’ve exhausted all other remedies, you can try a motion sickness band. Often used for those traveling, the bands apply pressure to certain points on your wrists to ease the waves of nausea and keep you upright.
Images: Odua Images/Foltolia; jeffreyw, denAsuncioner, Catherine Bulinski, The Little Red House, Quinn Dombrowski, Abi Porter, Jakob Lawitzki, Katrin Gilger/Flickr; Giphy
