Ways to get rid of morning sickness
At the beginning of the pregnancy every women is usually overwhelmed with joy and excitement of whats to come.
Morning sickness is one of the absolute buzzkills of the first trimester.
According to Clevelandclinic about 70% of all pregnant women get morning sickness which is a lot.
About 3% of those have it severe with way more vomiting and nausea than “normal”.
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What is morning sickness?
Morning sickness is defined as nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
But don’t let the name fool you – while it is called morning sickness it can really hit you at any moment during the day or even at night.
While it is most common during the first trimester some women experience it through the whole pregnancy.
I was very lucky to only have it a very short amount of time during my pregnancy and can’t even imagine how draining and exhausting it must be to deal with this during the whole pregnancy.
Especially when it is not your first kid and you have to take care of your other children too.
If that is you – my heart goes out to you!
When does it start?
The feeling of nausea and vomiting usually starts around 6 weeks of being pregnant and because many women don’t even know that they are pregnant that early it is a also one of the first pregnancy symptoms.
Around week 13-27 – or the second trimester – the morning sickness should improve and disappear.
Unless you are one of the very unlucky ones that has to deal with it until the end.
Morning sickness can also cause you to react very sensitive to smells and certain foods.
This may also be interesting:
– First trimester problems
– Pregnancy announcement ideas
– Funny pregnancy stories
– Names for your baby
– Hyperemesis gravidarum – the extreme morning sickness
What causes morning sickness?
Unfortunately the cause is not really known but it is believed to be caused by low blood sugar or the rapid rise of pregnancy hormones (HCG).
Symptoms can be worse if you are very stressed, are very tired or eat certain food even if you really loved them before your pregnancy.
Another possible cause could also be the drop in blood pressure caused by the placenta needing more of your blood.
What are the symptoms of morning sickness?
If you ask me personally I would tell you it’s a feeling like you have food poisoning.
Overall symptoms of morning sickness include:
- Nausea after eating
- Waking up nauseous
- It can feel like you have food poisoning or are sea sick
- Nausea so strong it results in vomiting (sometimes multiple times a day)
- It literally hits you any time during day and night without any obvious cause
I was working the most part of my pregnancy and when I dealt with morning sickness it was like a lingering feeling of stomach cramps to the point that I had to excuse myself and go home.
As soon as I opened the door I ran to the toilet.
Like someone just punched me in the gut – definitely not a part that I miss about pregnancy.
What are good remedies for morning sickness?
Let’s talk about how to relief those pregnancy symptoms so you can fully enjoy the rest of it.
Eat first thing in the morning
It’s a good idea to have a few crackers or cookies with a glass of water next to your bed and slowly eat those first thing before you even get out of bed in the morning.
This seriously helps with nausea right in the morning.
Split your meals into smaller portions
This is in general a good advice during the whole pregnancy and also helps if you suffer from acid reflux.
Instead of a lot of food your already busy body only has to deal with digesting smaller amounts of food at once. So instead of eating three big meals you might want to switch to 5 smaller ones.
When your baby grows bigger and the organs get squeezed together this will also make you feel better overall.
Eat healthy
A well balanced diet during pregnancy can help with morning sickness and give you more energy in general to get you trough the day.
Of course that doesn’t mean you have to say no to that delicious burger – treat yourself! Just keep a balance.
Drink lots of water
Staying hydrated during pregnancy is so important for you and your baby’s healthy development.
Drinking a glass first thing in the morning can help to ease the morning sickness and give you a better start in the day.
Stay away from triggers
You may find yourself becoming instantly nauseous just from the smell of food you loved to eat before pregnancy.
It’s best to just stay away from what is triggering your morning sickness – no matter if it is certain foods or smells.
Take your vitamins
Taking your prenatal vitamins is a absolute crucial part of healthy development for your baby and will compensate your body with the important nutrition you are giving to your baby and therefore lack yourself.
Keep yourself busy
Doing your favorite hobby can distract you from your nausea and the urge to throw up.
Even better – go out for a short walk.
The fresh air is another great way to help with morning sickness.
Ginger!
Ginger seems like the magic spice of pregnancy.
Besides helping with morning sickness and heartburn ginger itself can help your immune system.
You can drink it as a fresh tea (fresh ginger and boiling water) or buy ginger tea and get ginger drops that are coated with sugar and slowly suck on them.
I always love to make fresh ginger tea in the winter time when my body can use the extra boost of health.
Ask your doctor for medication
If all this doesn’t help of you don’t want to go with a natural way you can always ask your doctor what medications you can take while pregnant to help you with morning sickness.
So, in a nutshell:
- Eat small amounts of food
- Eat a cracker and drink water first thing in the morning
- Healthy diet (maybe take it slow on very fatty and spicy food)
- Ginger and Peppermint
- Take your prenatal vitamins
- Keep yourself occupied with hobbies or go for a walk (plus point fresh air)
- Lots of Water to stay hydrated
- Stay away from known triggers
What helped other moms?
I asked a few other moms what helped them survive morning sickness.
“Granola Bars and peanut butter where my life saver with morning sickness” – Lisa
“I always had some crackers and warm sprite nearby” – Kate
“Sucking on tic tacs did really help me” – Linda
“Sea bands for motion sickness made it way more bearable for me” – Mona
“Slowing it down and taking my time in the morning for getting up” – Ashley
I usually drank ginger tea which is very helpful few more benefits of ginger one of them is it reduces heart burn too so those prego mums who are there 3rd trimester suffer through this issue – Maazin
I had to eat small amounts all the time (every hour) so 3 meals a day was out the window. I also had a strong aversion to anything sugary in my second pregnancy so I could only snack on savoury things in between lessons (I was a teacher). – Helenelaine
Can morning sickness become severe?
Absolutely. With your normal morning sickness you may throw up a few times a day and feel nauseous but that’s it.
If you find yourself vomiting way to much for hours you may be experiencing a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum.
Other frequently asked questions about morning sickness
If you really don’t feel good it is best to go home for the day and rest.
You should not just drink loads of water after but take small sips of water or eat ice chips. Small sips of pedialyte or other sports drinks with electrolytes can be really helpful too.
If you can’t even keep small sips of water down please contact your doctor – being dehydrated can cause your body to go in early labor.
Morning sickness and the nausea in general usually get’s better or stops completely by the time you reach the second trimester (after 12 weeks)
It is not good or bad but can sometimes even cause nausea.
Yes mostly because of the carbonation. Carbonated drinks can help make your stomach less adicity.
Do you have a special life saving tip for morning sickness?
