Morning sickness can range from mildly inconvenient to debilitating. Here are 5 strategies to relieve morning sickness from me – a certified pregnancy health coach, birth educator, and doula.

What is Morning Sickness?

You’ve heard the term before and are now experiencing it first-hand. Morning sickness is used to describe nausea and/or vomiting during pregnancy. It impacts between 50-70% of pregnant people, with the first trimester typically being the worst time. However, despite its name, morning sickness can strike at any time of day, or even all day.

What Causes Morning Sickness?

Although the exact cause is unknown, many health care providers believe morning sickness is caused by different physical changes in the body during early pregnancy. Some of those changes include:

• An increase in pregnancy hormones (human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and estrogen)
• Changes in blood pressure
• Low blood sugar

In addition, certain physical factors can make morning sickness worse like being overtired, nausea triggers such as certain smells, and eating particular foods (like fried, acidic, or heavy meals).

How Long Does Morning Sickness Last?

Symptoms usually ease or disappear after the first 12-14 weeks of pregnancy, but nausea may return in the third trimester due to hormonal changes and increasing heartburn/acid reflux.

If nausea and vomiting in pregnancy persists beyond the first trimester, becomes excessive, or is causing weight loss or dehydration, contact your care provider immediately as this may be a sign of Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG; severe nausea vomiting) and you may require treatment.

Strategies to Ease Morning Sickness

Start Your Morning with a Light Snack

Keep a light snack on your bed stand at night for the morning. Once awake, giving yourself plenty of time before getting out of bed, slowly sit propped up by pillows and nibble on your snack. A few crackers or a small breakfast bar that you can tolerate would be good choices.

Believe it or not, having an empty stomach will make the nausea worse. Even when you don’t feel like eating anything, it is better to have a little bit of food in your stomach. Especially in the morning when you haven’t eaten all night.

In addition to the snack, it may also help to have a carbonated drink to sip on before you get up. Sparkling black cherry water was my personal go to when I had HG. Ginger ale with a splash of water to cut down the carbonation was another favorite of mine. Or having cold water with pieces of ginger or lemon in them could be helpful.

Eat Small Meals Throughout the Day

Again, you don’t want your stomach to be empty during the day, as that will just make the nausea or vomiting worse. Eating small meals every few hours will help prevent that.

Choose your safe foods, the ones you know you can tolerate right now. Nutritious foods and complex carbs can help balance your blood sugar and are ultimately more useful in easing morning sickness. However, don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for eating what you can stomach, even if it’s not the most nutritious. I don’t like playing the guilt and shame game. If you’re at the point in your day when all you’ll be able to keep down is a small bag of Lays potato chips, then eat the chips. It’s more important that you are getting in calories.

Some meals that may be better tolerated and are more easily digested include:

• Baked sweet potato
• Whole wheat toast (that you can add butter, nut butter, avocado, or anything else you can stomach to add some extra calories)
• Plain baked chicken or turkey
• Plain or lightly flavored tofu
• White or brown rice
• Applesauce
• Bananas

Choose Cold Over Hot Meals

When foods are hot, they emit more fragrance, making it more likely to trigger your morning sickness. If you’re finding that food smells are making you gag, then it’s better to opt for cold dishes.

Reach for cold beverages, too, as they are typically better tolerated when nauseous. Cold carbonated drinks, a nutritious smoothie, or a glass of almond milk (especially if suffering from heartburn) can offer some relief.

Take Your Prenatal Vitamin with Food or at Bedtime

Do you find morning sickness gets worse after taking. your prenatal vitamin? You’re not alone.

Prenatal vitamins often contain iron, because it’s not uncommon for pregnant women to become mildly iron deficient throughout their pregnancy. However, iron supplements can often cause nausea.

If your prenatal vitamin contains iron and is making you queasy, try taking your prenatal vitamin with a small snack or before you go to bed. If neither strategy helps, talk to your care provider about other prenatal vitamin options that are right for you.

Get Lots of Rest!

This one may seem like a no-brainer (because you are creating a little human being, after all), but it’s essential to help ease morning sickness.

Being over-tired makes pregnancy nausea even worse. Your body is going through a lot right now and needs this downtime. Try creating a sleep routine for yourself with low-energy activities that you enjoy doing like reading or watching your comfort shows. And get to bed earlier than usual.

But, this doesn’t mean you need to be isolated. Many moms-to-be can start to feel lonely and like they’re missing out on all the fun while silently suffering through morning sickness. At this point in your pregnancy, not many people, or anyone outside of your partner and family, may know that you’re pregnant. Telling people is your decision. But while you are resting at home, you can still find connection with others.

Here are some ideas for you:

• Ask a friend to come over and just watch a movie with you
• Join a pregnancy support group
• Join pregnancy Facebook or Meetup groups
• Talk to a friend who has gone through pregnancy
• Express your needs to your partner
• Give your bestie a call

Summary: Strategies to Relieve Morning Sickness

I know how difficult it can be in those early weeks of pregnancy and beyond, especially when you physically feel ill and not like yourself. These strategies may not make morning sickness disappear, but they can help manage your symptoms and make it easier to cope through these physical changes.

It can be difficult, but taking care of yourself is essential not just for pregnancy, but for the entirety of motherhood.

Download my free Pregnancy Self-Care Checklist and Daily Tracker to have an easier pregnancy and get back to feeling like yourself again.