Seven Pregnancy Hacks on Relieving Nausea and Vomiting
- Morning Sickness is a normal part of pregnancy for 70-80% of women. It is triggered by changes in hormone levels.
- Usually, it only affects the first three months of pregnancy — and then fades away.
- Home remedies and medications can ease nausea and vomiting. Especially if you are undecided about the pregnancy, aim to get your nausea under control rather than deciding out of exhaustion.
This article provides pregnancy hacks for morning sickness.
Morning Sickness Does Not Last Forever
Morning sickness does not go beyond the 16th week of pregnancy for most women.
🤔 Are you feeling nauseous and wondering whether you could be pregnant? Take the test: Are My Symptoms Signs of Pregnancy?
When Does Morning Sickness Start and End?
Morning sickness usually starts between the fourth and seventh week of pregnancy (counting from your last menstrual period). Symptoms often increase until the eleventh week, then slowly subside, lasting until the 12th-16th week. It is very rare for morning sickness to last longer.
Morning sickness is a misnomer. It can occur anytime, but some women deal with more substantial nausea in the morning.
Seven Pregnancy Hacks for Morning Sickness
Here are seven tips we at Profemina have gleaned from talking to thousands of pregnant women. Try them and see which works for you!
1. Eat Snacks 🥨
Avoid letting your blood sugar levels drop too low by eating more frequently. This may help keep your nausea at bay.
Keeping it simple:
- Eat five small meals a day, rather than three larger ones.
- Eat some crackers when you feel nausea coming on.
2. Breakfast in Bed 🛌
Soothe your stomach before getting up by eating a snack in bed.
Keeping it simple:
- Set a travel mug with herbal tea on your bedside table before you go to bed.
- Keep a container of cereal or mini pretzels beside your bed.
- Get up slowly after enjoying your snack. (Moving too quickly can make nausea worse.)
3. Avoid Nausea Triggers 🚫
The smell of deep-fried food or spices may be a nausea trigger. You will figure out which foods and smells to avoid.
Keeping it simple:
- Are some smells unavoidable? Keep essential oil on you to blend out the trigger (lemon, cardamom and ginger are some favourites).
4. Natural Remedy: Ginger Tea ☕️
Ginger is known to soothe one's stomach and alleviate nausea — even morning sickness. Depending on your preference, you can take it in various forms.
Keeping it simple:
- Make your own ginger tea by cutting up fresh ginger and infusing it in boiling water.
- Most grocery stores carry ginger products such as tea, candies, gum, or capsules.
5. Rest 🛋
Stress and exertion can intensify your morning sickness. Allow your mind and body times of rest! Constantly dealing with nausea is exhausting. Make sure you take good care of yourself!
Keeping it simple:
- Exercise and fresh air relax the body and mind: Go for a walk!
- Take a nap or go to bed as early as possible.
6. Vitamins 🥑
Some vitamins such as B6 are commonly used to alleviate morning sickness. Multi-vitamins often have the opposite effect because of the iron they contain.
Keeping it simple:
- Ask your doctor whether it makes sense for you to avoid multi-vitamins containing iron by taking children’s vitamins or gummies. (Make sure you still get your folic acid!)
- Take your prenatal vitamin in the evening to sleep off its nauseating effect or take it with food.
7. Safe Medications 🩺
Sometimes symptoms can get out of hand, and nothing seems to work. If this is your situation, you might want to consider medical treatment.
Keeping it simple:
- Your doctor is likely to start you on an antihistamine. Check with your doctor before starting any medication.
What Causes Morning Sickness?
In early pregnancy, your body produces large amounts of the pregnancy hormone ß-hCG. These hormonal changes can trigger morning sickness. Your emotional well-being and hereditary disposition may also affect your level of nausea.
While morning sickness is physically and emotionally taxing, it is normal (to a certain degree).
- ℹ️ Fact: 70-80% percent of all pregnant women suffer from morning sickness, with or without vomiting.
As soon as your hormone levels stabilize, the discomfort usually subsides.
Do I Have to Endure Morning Sickness?
We recommend you do something to ease your morning sickness, if possible. Those who have never experienced it tend to underestimate its impact. Constant nausea can wear you down physically and emotionally.
Hopefully, one of our pregnancy hacks for morning sickness works for you.
When Morning Sickness Is Relentless
In rare cases, morning sickness takes a more severe course. This condition is called hyperemesis gravidarum, aka HG (persistent severe vomiting in pregnant women). According to the HER Foundation, 1-3% of pregnant women suffer from HG.
HG is debilitating. It becomes (almost) impossible for a woman suffering from HG to keep liquid or solid food down, leading to weight loss and dehydration.
The exact cause of hyperemesis is unclear. It usually occurs between the 4th and 9th week of early pregnancy. HG rarely extends into the third trimester. If you suspect you are suffering from this severe form of nausea, seek medical advice.
Your nausea and vomiting may be so depleting that you are thinking about ending the pregnancy. That is understandable. The HER Foundation was created for women in your shoes. They are there for you with advice and emotional and practical support. You can do this!
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