How to get rid of morning sickness
Congratulations! You’re pregnant. The minute those two lines showed up on the test you turned into a rush of hormones and feelings. Maybe this was something you’ve been dreaming about forever. It may have been a surprise. Either way, you’re on the baby train and are in for a whole new experience. And it’s going to be awesome. But you might want a few tips, particularly around how to get rid of morning sickness.
Unfortunately, not all of pregnancy is sunshine, roses, and cute baby toes. Early on, morning sickness can become soul-sucking, causing you to question your mental stability for wanting a child. If you’re in the trenches of your first trimester, I’m guessing you may know what I’m talking about. You feel like it’s the moment before you vomit with the stomach flu, for 23.5 hours a day. Then you got hit by a truck, and it backed up and ran over you again. You probably also can’t stop crying.
While none of the other stuff was particularly pleasant, the sickness is what really did me in. Here are the top tips I tried or found across the internet to relieve morning sickness and go about my day. Because really, you just need to be able to get up off the couch.
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Use Seabands to reduce morning sickness
Remember those motion sickness bands you’ve seen on cruise ships? Well, they happen to work by pressing on a pressure point on your wrist to prevent nausea/vomiting. This is applicable to things way beyond seasickness. Yes, this is a natural remedy and I’m not 100% sure if it works. However, during this phase, anything is worth a shot.
I wore these every day until I was way beyond 13 weeks, and I still needed medication. BUT, if they kept me from puking in public even once, it’s worth it, don’t ya think? Some people swear by them. They’re available at your pharmacy or grocery store (or snag them off Amazon below if you’re feeling really crappy) for less than $15.
As another data point, I tried them on a recent really bumpy flight when I was feeling nauseous. They definitely helped. I have no idea if pregnancy nausea and motion sickness have any of the same triggers, but I wasn’t going to pass up any remedies.
Try Ginger to reduce nausea
Y’all I’m going to be honest here. I drank ginger ale almost every day of my first trimester and I still can’t stand the sight of it. Almost four years later. So again, I can’t promise anything. Ginger is known for its anti-nausea properties so getting creative with ways to add ginger to your diet could help.
Ginger tea may be a better way of going than ginger ale, I just thought the carbonation may help. It didn’t for me, but many mammas have documented significant relief from using ginger. Try it in drinks, add it to anything you can stomach, or get some ginger candies.
Eat constantly & before you get out of bed
Eat before you pick your head up off the pillow. A lot of morning sickness is caused by spikes and drops in blood sugar. Eating a high protein snack like nuts or some crackers while you’re still in bed is a good way to stabilize your blood sugar before you get up. And it may prevent you from puking first thing in the morning. This is always a win.
You should also eat small meals throughout the day for the same reason. Waiting too long between meals causes the same blood sugar drop, which can be disastrous for morning sickness.
A bonus is that if you’re eating tiny meals throughout the day, there’s much less in your tummy in case you are getting sick. Although I felt sick nearly 100% of the time, I attribute much of the success of NOT vomiting 10x a day to my eating habits. Don’t let your stomach get completely empty. It’s really bad for business with morning sickness.
Try sucking on lemon wedges
I can’t tell you why this one works, but I walked around sucking on lemons for weeks. The smell was great for when something triggered my nausea, and the sharp citric acid did something to stem my gag reflex. I don’t know the science behind it. They’re definitely worth a try. Cut some wedges up to about the size you’d get at a restaurant. When nausea strikes, just suck on one. If it’s a smell that’s bothering you, squeeze the juice so you can smell it instead of the offensive smell.
Obviously, this won’t work if it is the lemon smell that makes you sick, so try it in small doses. One can never tell what will be a nausea trigger during pregnancy, but citrus is pretty powerful at covering smells if this one works for you.
Yes, I’m seriously talking about getting a truckload of fresh lemons 🙂
Switch the time of day you take your prenatals
Many women can’t take the prenatal horse pills that become required with a baby on board without feeling queasy. I’m assuming additional nausea comes from trying to process so many additional supplements at once, but again, not sure of the science. Try a different type of prenatal and see if that helps.
Also, many women get sick immediately after taking their prenatals, so we’ll try to address that issue. A great way to relieve this problem is to try switching up the time of day that you take them. Sometimes it’s just too hard for your body to process the supplement in the morning or at night. Check out another time of day. Additionally, you could try taking multiple vitamins throughout the day that give you the same cocktail as a prenatal. This wouldn’t require one huge dose of everything at once.
Vitamin B6 and Unisom
If you google morning sickness or head into any pregnancy forum you’ll see this recommended all over the place. Many women swear by it and say it was recommended by their doctors. Definitely worth a try if you’re really struggling and you don’t have an OB appointment soon enough to help.
Call the doc before dosing yourself. Mine told me 25 mg of B6 and 12.5 mg (1/2 tablet) of Unisom, up to four times a day. But I’m not a doctor, so don’t take my word for it.
Prescription meds (Diclegis and Zofran).
As a last resort, there’s always medication. I’m 100% not afraid of modern medicine when it’s needed. For me, this was my first trimester. I fully believe it would have been nearly impossible to work if I hadn’t been on diclegis. As it was, I was still sick and felt terrible most of the time. You have to do whatever you can to survive.
Check with your doctor and see what options are available to you. I know some prescriptions aren’t available until after 13 weeks, which may feel like a lifetime away. The last time I checked, Zofran was in that category. I was able to go on Diclegis at 7 weeks and have a happy and healthy little girl.
None of the above treatments are miracle cures
As much as I wish there were, there isn’t a miracle cure for getting rid of morning sickness. You’ll likely need a combination of the above tips and tricks to combat nausea. What works one time may not work a week later. Try to find foods you can tolerate at that time.
Some weeks lemons may work. The next week it could be peppermint. Experiment with diet schedules, foods, herbs (ginger, peppermint, etc) and anything else that could ease some of your suffering. You can get through this. It might not be pretty and your life might look a little different, but you will be OK.
Now is not the time to try out a new hobby or take on a new job. Do what you can to remain at the status quo in the rest of your life so that you can focus on getting the rest and nutrients your body needs during this challenging time.
Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Please note, these are not cures for Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG).
Many of you won’t know what this is (and that’s a good thing). There are some people who suffer from HG, which causes nausea and morning sickness that is so bad you may need to be hospitalized. If you can’t keep anything down for days at a time you’ll likely need to go to the ER for re-hydration.
HG has some very specific characteristics, and you can learn more about it here. If you’re suffering from HG, seek help early as this helps improve outcomes for both mom and baby. And know that all other fellow morning sickness sufferers are extending their deepest sympathies. There are many Facebook and support groups you can join to learn how others have coped with this disease.
I hope you found some useful nuggets of information. Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet on how to get rid of morning sickness. I’m sure whoever finds one will become rich very quickly. Just remember, this DOES NOT last forever. Although sometimes one more hour feels like torture, it will end. Keep reminding yourself of your prize at the end. Once you meet that baby you’ll know that you could do it all over again (hopefully not immediately :)) and it was all worth it.
Hang in there Mamma – you’re doing awesome.
