Morning sickness is a very common early physical sign of pregnancy most commonly experienced in trimester 1, however some women may experience morning sickness into trimester 2 and some may experience it for their entire pregnancy. Many report feeling nauseas all throughout the day also, not just the morning. Experts still don’t have concrete reasons as to why morning sickness occurs however the good news is that there are a number of natural remedies that can ease the severity of the symptoms. As always, please make sure you speak to your obstetrician or GP before making any changes.
Our top 10 tips for morning sickness are:
1. Blood sugar control – fill your plate with an abundance of vegetables, protein and healthy fats and add a protein-rich snack before bed.
2. Avoid foods that can make symptoms worse: alcohol, caffeine, strong tasting or smelling vegetables, low quality meat, fish, poultry and eggs, greasy and fatty foods, and salty processed foods.
3. Include ginger in your diet as much as you can for its anti-nausea effects. Grate it into cooked meals, salad dressing and smoothies. Sip on ginger tea, add slices to your water or try sourcing some natural ginger chews to have between meals.
4. Soups and broths. These are often tolerated better when feeling nauseous and are nutrient rich ways to get a vitamin, mineral and fibre hit.
5. Don’t skip breakfast. Even if it’s as bland as toast with nut butter at least try and have something you can keep down.
6. Eat smaller more regular meals and don’t go more than 3-4 hours without a meal.
7. Drink plenty of water or pregnancy safe tea’s (peppermint tea is great).
8. If you are vomiting a lot try 1 cup of coconut water to replace electrolytes.
9. Supplement - 25mg of B6, taken 3 times/day is a well-known solution when symptoms strike. Where possible, purchase a high-quality ‘practitioner only’ brand.
10. Try acupuncture – the Traditional Chinese Medicine theory is that some points, such as Pericardium 6 (PC6*) located on the inside of the wrist, are ideal for treating nausea. Acupuncture is a very safe and drug free alternative for morning sickness.