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Being pregnant comes with all kinds of crazy symptoms, but the one that gets the most attention definitely has to be morning sickness. While some pregnant people don’t feel nauseous at all while they’re expecting (those are the lucky ones!), for others, that nausea ends up being the first sign that might make them grab a pregnancy test. And spoiler alert: It doesn’t just happen in the morning, despite what the name might suggest!
It can definitely be hard to carry on with your daily life while coping with morning sickness, but fortunately, there are a few ways to help — and for many people, it also doesn’t last the entire pregnancy. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and with these foods for morning sickness relief, you might end up getting there just a little bit faster.
What is morning sickness?
Morning sickness is nausea and vomiting that occurs during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, and it is caused by the hormonal changes in your body that are happening during pregnancy. It can also be pretty miserable.
“I went from feeling great to feeling like I had a stomach flu that would not end,” mom Carla Wiking previously told Mom.com. “I couldn’t keep much down. I lost weight, the one time in your life that you actually want the scale to tip the other way. I struggled to get out of bed. It was brutal. I felt desperate, frustrated, and flawed.”
But when does morning sickness start? According to Mayo Clinic, it usually kicks in by nine weeks after conception, and it usually ends around the middle of the second trimester, so don’t worry — sweet relief is coming!
Symptoms for morning sickness are simply nausea and vomiting, sometimes triggered by certain smells, tastes, or even temperatures… and sometimes, it’s triggered by nothing at all. Do pay attention to the severity of your symptoms, though — if what you’re experiencing is severe or if you’re unable to keep liquids down, feel dizzy, or your heart is racing, you may be suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum and it’s time to contact the doctor.
What to eat: Foods to help with morning sickness
What you eat — and when you eat — can make a big improvement in your morning sickness. American Pregnancy recommends eating as soon as you wake up so your stomach won’t be empty (we’re talking leave some saltine crackers by the bed to eat before your feet even hit the floor) and to eat small meals throughout the day. The goal is to avoid your stomach being too full or too empty, since both of those feelings can trigger that nausea.
There are definitely foods that make morning sickness worse, too — anything greasy, heavy, spicy, or too flavorful could end up stabbing you in the back, no matter how delicious it was at the time (and don’t forget… heartburn can be very real during pregnancy, too).
And as for the food to help with morning sickness? There are a few options you can try:
- Eat cold food. As Medical News Today pointed out, that can help you avoid smells that will trigger nausea. Healthline suggests popsicles, Jell-o, chilled fruits and ice cream and sipping on cold drinks.
- Fruit. Medical News Today adds that anything with potassium could help fight morning sickness.
- Eat plenty of carbs. Bread, potatoes, pasta — these foods can be made bland and help keep something substantial in your tummy.
- Plenty of protein. Peanut butter, eggs, and protein bars can help you get the nutrition you need and avoid an empty stomach.
- Keep candy on hand. Ginger chews, peppermints, and sour candy can all help keep that nausea at bay, especially for those times you’re not home.
You can also drink hot ginger tea to help with nausea, and remember to stay hydrated.
In the end, though, eating anything is what’s most important, because you and your baby need that fuel to stay healthy.
“Eat anything that is appealing to you and not dangerous to baby, such as alcohol, raw animal foods, or cheese made from unpasteurized milk,” registered dietitian Elizabeth Ward told Cooking Light. “Also, don’t get dehydrated or let yourself get too hungry as this can make morning sickness, which can actually last all day, worse.”
Remedies for nausea: Morning sickness relief
The struggle with morning sickness can be very real, and it can definitely be worth talking to your doctor about it if you need more help than changing your diet can provide.
There are a few over the counter remedies for morning sickness out there, like wearing motion sickness bands or using a combination of Benadryl and Unisom as directed by your doctor — not to mention products like Preggie Pop Drops that can help keep nausea at bay. Note: Make sure to check with your doctor before taking any medications or supplements, even if they are over the counter.
There is also prescription morning sickness medicine, which would include treatments like Diclegis, and your ob-gyn can help you figure out what might be right for you.
Morning sickness can make a pregnancy pretty miserable, but don’t worry — relief is coming! If not before the end of the pregnancy, then it should disappear when your baby is born, and that’s definitely something to look forward to. In the meantime, there are plenty of remedies — such as eating the right foods — to help.
