Natural Remedies for Morning Sickness during Pregnancy

Morning sickness during pregnancy – The term alone can shake up many an unpleasant memory and unsavory flashback of constant nausea that often culminates in vomiting.

The irony is that morning sickness is not just confined to morning hours. It can last all day long and that too for months.

As per a rough estimate, Morning sickness affects more than half of pregnant women and the chances of this affecting the first timers are quite high. The rise of estrogen, and a heightened sensitivity to odors, that the hormone causes are also some causes of morning sickness.

Pregnancy is no time for taking over-the-counter, (or any) drugs (especially during the critical fetal development stage of the first trimester).

I wrote these points when I was 6 months pregnant now and was going through the morning sickness.
It was my husband who felt more pain than me!!

I didn’t know what had happened to my body and mind. Almost everything I used to love eating was now I hate and frequently vomit whatever I consumed.

See Also: Desi Pregnancy Myths which we follow religiously

Here I am writing up five natural remedies to help ease morning sickness that may help you navigate the first months of pregnancy.

1. Don’t keep your stomach empty:
   Making sure your stomach is never empty i.e. you should never wait for your stomach to ask for food. Ideally, you should eat something every 2 hours.

   Forget the 3 meals of the day, you should take at least 10 meals a day to keep your nausea away.

   Keep a box of your favorite snacks on your bed-side stand/chest, and don’t get out of bed in the morning until you’ve eaten a few snack pieces.

   When suffering morning sickness, the mere sight or smell of some foods can send you running for the bathroom, so if possible, have someone else prepare your meals so you can consume them without thought.

2. Drink loads of water:
   It is also vital to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, especially if you’ve been vomiting. If you can’t tolerate water, drink your favorite hydrating beverage, or suck on ice cubes or juice cubes that may be frozen in an ice cube tray.

   The idea is to consume water in any form that may seem reachable and possible.

3. Eat what you like and Use Lemon Drops & Mint Gum:
   I know that your husband may not like this but DON’T care about him and eat whatever you like, at any time of the day. I have been making wild food cravings at the most wee hours of night and my husband has been kind enough to fulfill them.

   If you thought of eating Maggi at 12 AM, ask your husband to prepare it. If the only choice for breakfast in your mind is Mc. D’s burger, dig in.

   Be grateful about the wave of hunger striking during the challenging phase of morning sickness, and be quick to consume food and beverage when you’re able to.

   Additionally, between hunger breaks, try sucking on lemon drops or chewing on mint gum to keep nausea at a distance. Lemon and peppermint are known for soothing the stomach and eliminating nausea.

4. Ginger can help:
   I know this is the best choice for Indians. Herbal ginger tea is a good choice whenever you are feeling the morning sickness and that too is best when somebody else can serve it to you in bed itself! You can also suck on a piece of straight ginger root. However you choose to get your ginger fix, try to make sure it’s in as pure and unadulterated a form as possible.
5. Ample sleep and body rest is required:
   I feel sorry for working women but yes, proper sleep and body rest does help in keep the nausea feeling away.
   Additionally, lack of sleep may actually be a trigger for morning sickness.

   Sleeping as much as you can will be the key to escape an episode of morning sickness or trying to prevent a future episode.

   My husband’s advice: Skip all your Saas-Bahu daily soaps and try to take a nap instead. Cherish the time you have to sleep as you will crave for it when the baby is born!!

Related: Boy or Girl? Desi myths on guessing the gender of baby in your stomach

Please do remember that morning sickness is a perfectly normal process during pregnancy and don’t let anyone tell you that it’s all in your head, or mind over matter — because it is very real and very frustrating condition.

I (Maahi Gupta) struggled a lot with this morning sickness and had sailed through using the above tips for reducing the effects.

Please note that if none work for you, make sure you stay in touch with your doctor during this difficult time, as you may be in need of medication or hydration to get you through.