Whether you’re pregnant with your first child or your fifth child, there’s no denying that morning sickness is one of the worst parts of pregnancy. Nausea, the queasiness, the inability to keep anything down, the sensitivity to smells… It’s all a pain. On top of it all, you don’t really want to put any harsh medications into your body at such an important time, so you may assume you’re left to battle the morning sickness on your own.
However, there are a few ways that you can ease your nausea and morning sickness, naturally. Check out these eight options.
1. When you can eat, eat right.
This is an oh-so-important thing to remember. While you may not be able to keep much down in the morning, you can help your body fight off nausea overall by eating the correct things when you’re able. That means not spending your entire pregnancy scarfing down Flaming Hot Cheetos for your daily snack.
Instead, try to eat when you’re hungry and not wait too long between meals (keep some snacks handy) and eat foods that go down comfortably and won’t unsettle your stomach. Think healthful, filling foods like rice, chicken and avocado.
And remember to take your prenatal supplement with the first meal you can. You definitely don’t want to take it on an empty stomach.
2. Load up on the ginger.
Even when you’re not pregnant, ginger can work wonders to alleviate nausea. Keep some ginger chews in your purse for those times when you feel a strong hit of nausea and there’s nowhere to go. You can also find ginger teas and ginger ales that provide relief.
3. Enjoy a peppermint or two.
Likewise, peppermint also has natural nausea-relieving properties. Keep some all-natural peppermint candies in your purse alongside those ginger chews, for fast-acting nausea relief on the go. You can also find peppermint teas that can help relieve nausea, both teas that you can drink hot and cold, in case you have a preference for either.
Don’t even think you can keep a candy or tea down? Grab some peppermint essential oil to sniff as needed. Sometimes just the smell can help.
4. Look for stomach acid-fighting foods.
Some foods have natural stomach acid-fighting abilities, which can really help you with after-meal nausea and morning sickness. Two foods that are good for this are grapefruit and potatoes. Look to add a grapefruit to your breakfast in the morning, and see how it helps. Likewise, add some potatoes to your lunch or dinner.
5. Add some extra spice to your meals.
Similarly, there are several spices that have been proven to reduce nausea severity and it can’t hurt to begin adding them to your food. These include fennel powder, cinnamon and cumin. In addition to helping with general nausea, they can also help with specific nausea related to menstruation and even IBS.
6. Increase your Vitamin B6 intake.
Many pregnant women who want to avoid taking anti-nausea medications turn to Vitamin B6 for relief. You can usually take Vitamin B6 supplements daily or even multiple times a day to help with morning sickness and pregnancy-related nausea, but, as is the case with all of these various remedies, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor before trying anything.
7. Put a priority on exercise.
While the last thing you want to do while feeling nauseous is likely exercise, it can actually help a lot. Just like with eating better, more balanced meals while pregnant, keeping up a healthful exercise routine can likewise increase your overall well-being and decrease undesirable symptoms like morning sickness. You don’t have to go all out or anything, though; just 20 minutes of light exercise per day (like going for a brisk walk around your neighborhood) can help.
8. Eat something first-thing in the morning.
Sometimes having an empty stomach is just enough to trigger your morning sickness as soon as you wake up, so try to beat it to the punch. Place some plain crackers next to your bed and then, once you’re awake, have a few along with some water. Having something in your stomach can help curb any nausea that might follow. Additionally, as you get out of bed, take it slow and easy. Don’t jump up. Go easy on yourself.
Hang in there!
What can be the most relieving of all, though? Knowing that the nausea won’t last forever, and that it usually won’t last your entire pregnancy. Just a little while longer and you’ll be feeling good as new.