How to Ease Morning Sickness

For most women, morning sickness goes hand-in-hand with pregnancy. Many women’s health reports show that a majority will experience some form of nausea during their pregnancy, whether or not they are vomiting as a result. If your patient is one of the two in 10 who don’t experience nausea with her pregnancy, she can consider herself lucky. But if she is in the majority, there are some natural and home remedies to help her ease some of the discomfort of morning sickness.

1. Relaxation: Finding ways to relax, meditate, get plenty of sleep and otherwise reduce stress levels can help to ease morning sickness, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises. Pregnant or not, stress can be a factor contributing to upset stomachs, so reducing stress levels while pregnant can help prevent stress from contributing to nausea.

2. Diet: The American Pregnancy Association recommends that women eat smaller meals more frequently, eat soon after waking, and pay close attention to what they are able to eat. Getting a balanced diet is certainly important for the baby’s growth, but during the peak of morning sickness, she can afford to simply avoid the foods that cause the worst nausea. Be wary of foods that are high in fat or heavily spiced, as these are common culprits. Also, because morning sickness often involves vomiting, she needs to do her best to stay hydrated.

3. Ginger: One of the most common home remedies is ginger, according to the Mayo Clinic. Although foods with ginger may help, they often contain little ginger and a great deal of sugar. Instead, patients should consider making a ginger root tea, which will give doses of ginger in a more concentrated amount. If the tea is not for her, room temperature ginger ale can also be helpful, although the reasons for its calming effect are largely unknown, as most commercial ginger ales don’t contain much ginger.

4. Anise or fennel: Some mothers have experienced some relief by chewing on anise or fennel seeds. Both are known to settle upset stomachs, even those caused by morning sickness.

5. Citrus: The exact reason is still a mystery, but many women find citrus soothes their stomachs. For some women, merely smelling a freshly cut lemon can be enough, notes the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada, but adding lemon to water or tea is an easy way to get just enough of the citrus flavor without risking the high acidity. Grapefruit, oranges and other citrus fruits can also work.

6. Aromatherapy: Although there is no scientific research on the topic, as the Mayo Clinic notes, nor an OBGYN board review on the subject, many mothers will attest that a particular scent helped them with their pregnancy. Women can certainly seek out an aromatherapist, who would have more tools at his or her disposal. However, they can also keep a record of the scents around their homes that make your nausea lessen. As with citrus, there may be some scents that help more than others. There may also be others that trigger their nausea. Advise to make note of both, so she can take advantage of the helpful smells and avoid the ones that make her feel worse.