Top 5 Home Remedies For Nausea During Pregnancy

Nausea might be the indicator that tells you you’re pregnant, something that you push through in your first trimester or it can even be something that plagues your entire pregnancy.

Every pregnancy is different.

I have a friend who, with her first child, felt no ill side effects:

• no nausea
• no heartburn
• no indigestion

Nothing.

The entire duration of her pregnancy, she felt great.

So, naturally, she was thrilled and looking forward to the same outcome when she became pregnant with baby number two.

[Click here to jump to our Top 5 Natural Remedies for nausea.]

This was not the case this time around! 

For nine months she struggled with severe nausea, actually having to be admitted to the hospital once during month 7 to get IV fluids due to not being able to hold down any food or drink.

As I said, every woman and every pregnancy is different.

If you suffer from nausea at any point in your pregnancy, you have our sympathies because it’s not fun.

But let’s talk about nausea, what it really is and how to combat it in healthy and natural ways.

So, why does morning sickness happen?

There is no one specific cause for morning sickness, and there are endless questions about it: why morning sickness happens, when it starts and how to lessen the impact of it are among the most searched questions by soon-to-be moms everywhere.

It can be the worst!

Let’s try to sort out some answers for you.

What We Know About Morning Sickness 

How can you be so excited about the new addition to your family but feel so sick, you feel like you can’t even enjoy it?

You begin to count down to the second trimester in hopes that by then you will have some relief from feeling nauseated.

Pregnancy sickness affects woman to all varying degrees.

It can range from mild nausea to the most severe form, hyperemesis gravidarum (which, I believe, is what my above-mentioned friend suffered from in her last pregnancy). 

Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Hyperemesis Gravidarum is described as “a pregnancy complication that is characterized by severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and possibly dehydration.”

This can sometimes be diagnosed by your doctor, who usually looks for the following signs:

• measuring weight loss
• measuring nutritional deficiencies and metabolic imbalances

Hyperemesis gravidarum is one of the most common reasons for hospitalization in pregnancy, occurring in up to 3% of pregnancies. [1]

If you think you might have hyperemesis gravidarum, check out this link for more information. 

The complicated thing about morning sickness isn’t just the name…

As those who have suffered through it know morning sickness doesn’t care what time of day it is.

The other confusing thing about morning sickness is how it affects different people, at different times, in different pregnancies.

There are some that have no symptoms at all and there are others that it is so bad it can make them bedridden.  

For some women, it can just affect them in the morning and they feel better throughout the day while the unfortunate others have it, last all day long.

Here’s an in-depth video about nausea in pregnancy, including an interview with the author of the infamous “Pregnancy for Dummies”… 

 

Why!?

Really, if you’ve struggled with morning sickness in any form – this is the question you’re likely to be asking after hugging the toilet bowl for the third time this morning. It’s rough, we know! 

While there aren’t a lot of solid facts on nausea in pregnancy, let’s talk about some theories about why nausea occurs in pregnancy…

There is a theory that nausea and vomiting happen during pregnancy due to part of an evolutionary strategy to protect the developing fetus by reducing the chances of the mother consuming foods containing toxins or pathogens during critical times of organ development. [2]

There are also some studies that show morning sickness can have a genetic theme to it – suggesting that if your mother, grandmother or female siblings have had morning sickness during their pregnancies, you are more likely to be afflicted with it as well. [3]

Here is a video that describes the theory of genetics and nausea in pregnancy: 

 

Of course, these are only a few of the really interesting theories surrounding morning sickness in pregnancy.

To read more interesting thoughts and theories on morning sickness, read this article by the New York Times – it’s a great read!

With all of these theories flying around about morning sickness, there are bound to be some myths in there too…

Myths About Nausea During Pregnancy

Myth #1

That morning sickness is believed to be nature’s way of preventing mama from eating foods that would be toxic to their unborn baby.  

This holds untrue because while a mother may feel nauseous at the smell of bacon or eggs, these items are not harmful to their baby.  

Myth #2

Another theory is that it happens because your body is adjusting to all the extra hormones or that it may be caused by low blood sugar.  

These are only partially true.  

Myth #3

Another theory is that your body is deficient in vitamin B6 and B12 – magnesium.  

These vitamins help aid in absorption which in turn can help prevent morning sickness.    

How do you know whether or not you will be one of those who will predispose to morning sickness?  

If you are pregnant with twins or higher multiples than your hormone levels such as hCG and estrogen will also be higher than those who are carrying a singleton.

If you have a history of motion sickness and if your family history, such as your mother or sisters had severe morning sickness, most likely you will too.

This condition most likely won’t threaten your baby’s well-being, especially if it is mild or moderate.

But if your morning sickness is preventing you from eating and having severe and prolonged vomiting, you are at a greater risk of preterm birth and low birth weight.  

It is important that while nausea may keep you from eating a balanced diet that you are making sure you are taking a prenatal vitamin every day.  

This helps make sure you and your baby are getting the nutrients that you need.

Top 5 Home Remedies For Nausea During Pregnancy (and tips for making it easier to live with!)

How do I get some sweet relief from nausea or occasional vomiting during my pregnancy?

There are many options out there for pregnancy nausea remedies that can help you feel better and help you focus on actually enjoying your pregnancy.  

➕ Vitamins! (Such as Magnesium and Vitamin D)

Along with your prenatal pills, there might be some other supplements you can take that will lessen the effect of nausea on your body.

The first one that many swear by is magnesium!

1.) Magnesium rich foods such as seaweed, leafy green vegetables or bone broth are thought to help combat morning sickness. 

It is also suggested to use magnesium oil because it is easier to absorb and will help you feel better faster.

2.) Vitamin D is needed to help your body absorb nausea reducing magnesium.  

If you can’t get out in the sun, try taking extra fermented cod liver oil.  This will also help your body absorb magnesium.  

➕ Take in Protein and Saturated Fats

While eggs and fatty fish may not seem appealing when you are very nauseated, they are great at stabilizing your blood sugar and can actually help reduce your nausea.  

Our liver uses cholesterol to make the bile that helps digest the fats and it also helps your body make the hormones needed to sustain your pregnancy.

If you don’t have enough cholesterol than your body has nothing left to make but bile. Gross!

➕ Don’t Skip Meals…Eat More (Just Smaller Portions)

Something else to keep in mind…

A lot of pregnant women who suffer from nausea will try to skip meals because they don’t feel hungry (due to being sick all morning).

While this is a normal train of thought, it can actually be making things worse.

Having small meals multiple times per day, keeping yourself hydrated and fed can also be a way to combat morning sickness. 

A pro tip that saved me many mornings: try keeping crackers next to your bed so you can nibble on them when you wake up.  

➕ Get Up and Get Out of Your House

When you are feeling ill, the last thing you may want to do is get out of bed, but trust that this really does make you feel a whole lot better.

Being out and about will help your body fight nausea: fresh air, movement and sunlight are all super beneficial!

Take in all the vitamin D from the sun you can get!

➕ Ginger

Ginger is a miracle worker and can also help ease queasiness.  

If you can find ginger ale made with real ginger or grate some fresh ginger into hot water to make ginger tea, this is a great way to combat your morning sickness.  

There has been research that shows that taking powdered ginger root in capsules, which may be easier to digest, can also provide some relief.  

Not a fan of ginger?

Peppermint candy and peppermint flavored teas can work well too!

Related Questions

What are symptoms of morning sickness during early pregnancy?

• Excessive vomiting
• Headaches and/or confusion
• Dehydration
• A decrease in urination due to dehydration
• Heartburn

What does morning sickness feel like? 

While there no cut and clear answer to this, as every woman can experience a different kind of morning sickness, nausea in the beginning of pregnancy can be best described as an uncomfortable condition (feeling of sickness) that can occur with or without vomiting.

Many woman feel nauseous without vomiting, while others have trouble keeping food down due to excess vomiting. 

How soon can you get morning sickness due to pregnancy? 

While morning sickness differs from woman to women (and even pregnancy to pregnancy), typically morning sickness will start 6 weeks after conception (which would be around 2 weeks after a missed period). 

For many women, this is the first indicator that they might be pregnant. 

Why is morning sickness considered a “good sign”? 

Morning sickness can be considered a “good sign” if you’ve been trying to conceive for a longer period of time, as this is usually one of the first indicators (after a missed period) that you’re pregnant.

If you’re interested in why other theories suggest morning sickness to be a good sign, check out our theories section on morning sickness above! 

Are there any cures for morning sickness? 

While there aren’t any known specific cures for morning sickness, us women (and the men helping us) have theorized a long time over how to make things easier!

This is why there are countless articles and research projects on morning sickness and nausea in pregnancy (like this one) dedicated to helping find ways to cope with nausea during pregnancy! 

When does morning sickness end? 

A tricky question, and one without a clear answer (yet again, nausea has bested us!)

While there isn’t a strict beginning and a strict end point, there are things like “early pregnancy nausea”, which describes usually nausea that sticks within the first trimester – and then there’s hyperemesis gravidarum, which is describing the more severe, longer lasting nausea that can last throughout pregnancy. 

If your morning sickness is so severe that you can’t keep anything down and inhibits your ability to function, make sure you see your doctor right away.

That way they can make sure you and your baby are fine and they can help treat you with medications to help you feel better.  

 

If you enjoyed this post, check out our post for Breastfeeding vs Pumping: Calorie Count!