Effective Tips & Foods for Morning Sickness Relief
You’re excited about the new addition to your family, but right now, all your energy is consumed by the nausea and vomiting that are hallmark signs of morning sickness. You’re not alone. While not all mothers will develop morning sickness, around 70 to 80% of pregnant women in the U.S. do. This equates to an estimated 4 million Americans.
But don’t despair: We can help. There are foods for morning sickness relief that can help ease the discomfort of this challenging period of pregnancy.
We’ve found that a lot of our patients benefit from some small changes in eating habits and these foods for morning sickness relief. We’ll work together to help alleviate the nuisance of this condition and monitor you throughout your entire pregnancy to help ensure the healthiest start possible for you and your baby.
We’ll take a look at foods to avoid, foods that can help, and how long you can expect your morning sickness to last.
Effective Foods For Morning Sickness Relief
Morning sickness can be caused by factors such as hormonal fluctuations, fluctuating blood pressure, and a heightened sense of smell. Low blood sugar can also be a contributing factor. When our patients mention their struggles with morning sickness, we provide the following dietary recommendations:
Ginger
Ginger improves the way your stomach and intestines function, which reduces nausea by affecting certain chemicals in the body that control digestion, without causing the common side effects of other anti-nausea medications that affect the brain.
Ginger can be used in many forms, such as tea and capsules. Speak with us and we can recommend an accurate and safe dosage.
Broth-based soups
These are good not only for alleviating nausea, but also hydrating you and replenishing nutrients you may have lost through vomiting.
Greek yogurt
Not only does Greek yogurt contain probiotics, but it’s high in protein, which is instrumental in alleviating nausea.
The BRAT Diet
You may have heard of the following foods referred to as the BRAT diet. BRAT stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. These foods have qualities that can alleviate nausea and help settle your stomach. (We’ll take a closer look at each of them).
Bananas
Bananas are useful because they have nutritional benefits and they actually stimulate mucus production from your stomach’s lining. As a result, this creates a barrier between the lining and the strong gastric acids that are notorious for causing nausea and heartburn.
Rice
The blandness of rice makes it easier to digest, which can help your food stay down.
Applesauce
Like bananas, they can help subdue gastric acids that are responsible for increased nausea and vomiting.
Toast (and Crackers)
Nothing quite settles the stomach like bland toast and crackers. They can absorb stomach acid and because they have no odor, they are easily tolerated by those who have a heightened sense of smell during pregnancy.
Other Tips for Getting Rid of Morning Sickness
We also suggest:
- Eating small, frequent meals
- Staying hydrated
- Avoiding strong odors
What Foods Should You Avoid Eating For Morning Sickness?
We advise against eating anything fried, high in fat, or spicy.
Is It Safe to Take Medicine for Morning Sickness?
Before we discuss medication, it’s best to first try the strategies listed above. Often, we’ve found these help our patients significantly. However, we also realize that these strategies aren’t effective with all women.
The critical aspect of treatment is to ensure that your nausea and vomiting are coming from morning sickness and not another cause. Some over-the-counter solutions for morning sickness include vitamin B6. We can also prescribe a medication that combines vitamin B6 and doxylamine. Doxylamine is often found in sleep aids.
Before you take any medication–whether over-the-counter or herbal supplements– you should speak to us to ensure that it is safe to take during pregnancy.
When Does Morning Sickness End?
Every pregnancy is different, but we’ve found that morning sickness typically starts before you’re nine weeks pregnant and in many cases will go away by your 14th week of pregnancy.
But there are exceptions. Some women have morning sickness that continues for months, while for others it may last throughout the pregnancy…which is why we’d like to turn your attention to a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).
Hyperemesis gravidarum is a severe form of morning sickness that can cause significant weight loss and extreme dehydration. If you’re experiencing nausea and vomiting during your pregnancy, we’ll review your care and treatment plan to determine whether you have typical morning sickness or hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).
The main difference is that “regular” morning sickness can be managed by using the methods we’ve discussed. Hyperemesis gravidarum requires more intensive medical intervention.
Chapel Hill OBGYN: A Partner in Your Care Throughout Your Pregnancy
We care for our patients throughout every phase of their lives, whether they’re having their first Pap smear or entering menopause. For those expecting a baby, we know how exciting and challenging this time can be. Often, it is a time of both anxiety and joy—and we want you to know you’re not alone.
We are a partner in your health care throughout your journey. If you’re having issues with morning sickness, we want to know about it. Timely help can ensure you are getting the nutrients needed for both you and the baby. We invite you to schedule an appointment today.
The content within this article and others on this website is only for educational purposes and should not be considered as medical advice. For any questions or concerns, please consult with your healthcare provider.
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American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: “Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy,” https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/morning-sickness-nausea-and-vomiting-of-pregnancy#:~:text=Try%20bland%20foods.,eat%20and%20that%20stay%20down.
The Cleveland Clinic, “Doxylamine Vitamin B6,” https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/19085-doxylamine-vitamin-b6-delayed–and-extended-release-tablets
Lee NM, Saha S. Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 2011 Jun;40(2):309-34, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3676933/#S30
National Library of Medicine, “Bananas and Nausea,” https://medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/9689.htm
Ramadhanu, A. (2021). Effectiveness of Ginger in Treating Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy. Eureka Herba Indonesia, 3(1), 111-115. https://eurekabiomedical.com/index.php/EHI/article/view/46