Try Relaxing Your Muscles
Relaxing your muscles may help relieve nausea.
One technique people have used to achieve this effect is known as progressive muscle relaxation . It requires individuals to tense and relax their muscles in a continuous sequence as a way to achieve physical and mental relaxation .
One recent review found that PMR is an effective way to reduce the severity of nausea resulting from chemotherapy .
Another way to relieve muscle tension is through massage.
In one study, a group of chemotherapy patients were given a 20-minute lower arm or lower leg massage during their treatment.
Compared to those given no massage, the massaged participants were about 24% less likely to get nauseous afterward (
Summary:
For pregnant women who are experiencing nausea, vitamin B6 is a safe and potentially effective alternative to anti-nausea medications.
Remedies For Nausea And Vomiting In Pregnancy
For many women, nausea and vomiting may occur during the early months of pregnancy. For most women, nausea resolves around the start of the second trimester, 14 weeks, but for some women, it may last longer into the pregnancy. Although this is often referred to as morning sickness, it can happen any time of the day or night.
Pregnancy nausea is thought to be caused by the increased hormone levels, estrogen and progesterone, that are produced by the ovaries early in pregnancy. Because of increasing levels of these hormones, the secretory cells in the stomach increase their production of gastric juices, at the same time the bowels slow down their ability to empty the contents of the stomach. This can cause the feeling of nausea and in some cases, vomiting.
What Does Pregnancy Nausea Feel Like
How pregnancy nausea feels varies among women and can even feel different to the same woman at different times of the day.
Pregnancy nausea or morning sickness can feel like any of the following:
- A general, lingering sense of feeling like you need to vomit but without the urgency to do so.
- A sudden, urgent need to vomit.
- A feeling that youre hungry but without the ability to stomach anything.
- Dizziness or weakness.
Some women experience nausea during pregnancy and never actually vomit, while others vomit several times a day. The vomiting can sometimes provide a reprieve from nausea until it returns.
Pregnancy nausea is often exacerbated by the intense fatigue experienced during the first trimester.
Exhaustion and tiredness can even cause nausea in a person who isnt pregnant. So, the fact that women in their first trimester have a double whammy of both exhaustion and nausea can make them compound one another.
Read Also: Can You Do Lasik While Pregnant
Home Remedies For Pregnancy Nausea
For some women, nausea is the first indicator that they might be pregnant and is what prompts them to schedule a doctors visit or a pregnancy test. Pregnancy nausea or morning sickness is not typically a dangerous condition, but it is aggravating and getting relief becomes a priority during its duration. Fortunately, your kitchen or bathroom medicine cabinet already provide plenty of home remedies for pregnancy nausea and well discuss 15 of those in this article.
Can You Prevent Or Relieve Morning Sickness
Yes. Heres what you can do to help you feel better and even prevent morning sickness:
- Take a prenatal vitamin before you get pregnant. Talk to your health care provider about which one to take. Sometimes vitamins can upset your stomach, so take it with a snack.
- Keep snacks by your bed. Eat a few crackers before you get up in the morning to help settle your stomach.
- Eat 5 or 6 small meals each day instead of 3 larger meals.
- Eat foods that are low in fat and easy to digest, like cereal, rice and bananas. Dont eat spicy or fatty foods.
- Eat healthy snacks between meals. This can help keep your stomach from being empty and helps prevent nausea. Try snacks that are high in protein, like milk or yogurt.
- Drink plenty of fluids, especially water.
- Avoid smells that upset your stomach.
You may have heard about these ways to prevent or relieve morning sickness. Talk to your provider before trying any of these:
- Acupressure and acustimulation wristbands. These involve putting pressure on or stimulating certain points of the body to help prevent nausea.
- Acupuncture. This is a kind of treatment in which thin needles are put into your skin. If youre thinking about acupuncture to help with morning sickness, tell your provider and find an acupuncturist who is trained to work with pregnant women.
- Ginger. Ginger is the root of a plant that is used in cooking and medicine. Ginger ale, tea or candies may help relieve morning sickness.
Recommended Reading: When Should You See Doctor When Pregnant
Keep A Stash Of Emergency Snacks
No matter how meticulously you plan your meals, you may still experience nausea due to an unexpectedly empty stomach or a drop in blood sugar. Keep a stash of snacks with simple carbs that will hit your blood sugar quickly to help manage these waves of nausea.
Good examples include crackers, juice, or a granola bar. These could also be good snacks to keep on your nightstand if you feel nausea in the morning.
What Is Nausea During Pregnancy
Nausea during pregnancy is a feeling of queasiness commonly experienced by expectant mothers, particularly during early pregnancy. We usually refer to it as morning sickness, though that is a misnomer, as the feeling can occur during any time of the day or night.
Up to 90 percent of pregnant women will experience this nausea, though the length and severity of the discomfort may vary drastically.
Nausea during pregnancy commonly disappears between weeks 11-14 as you get into your second trimester.
Editor’s Note:
Read Also: Is Nature Made Prenatal Multi Dha Good For Pregnancy
Can Morning Sickness Hurt My Baby
Although you might be feeling sick, your baby almost definitely isn’t. In the short term, not eating very much isn’t a problem. Your baby is teeny tiny when morning sickness is at its worst and doesn’t have very much in the way of nutritional needs yet. By the time he does, you’ll almost certainly have your appetite back, in spades!
Even women who have such a hard time keeping food down that they actually lose weight during the first trimester arent hurting their babies, as long as they make up for the lost weight, as needed, in later months.
Keep an eye on your urine: It should be clear or light-colored, like straw. If its darker, you may be dehydrated. Be sure to drink up, since staying hydrated during pregnancy ensures your baby is getting the essentials he needs for healthy development.
If youre not able to keep anything down, including fluids, it may be a symptom of hyperemesis gravidarum a more serious condition that affects up to 3 percent of women with morning sickness. If your nausea is continuous and severe and you vomit several times a day, make sure to see your doctor. You may require additional treatment to protect yourself and your baby.
Keep Physically And Mentally Active
Being physically active has been found to improve symptoms in women who experience nausea during pregnancy.
Keeping busy can help take your mind off the feelings of nausea. Reading a book, doing puzzles, watching television, playing cards, or going for short walks around the block will help to keep you preoccupied.
You May Like: How To Treat Back Pain During Pregnancy
Vomiting And Severe Nausea During Pregnancy
Some women experience extreme nausea and vomiting during pregnancy that cant be controlled with diet changes or OTC medications this is known as hyperemesis gravidarum. If this is the case for you, talk to your provider to first make sure no other medical conditions are involved and to explore other prescription medications that might help.
Per Dr. Berens, Dehydration associated with hyperemesis gravidarum can be serious and requires urgent treatment.
There are many prescription medication options available to treat extreme nausea and vomiting, but unfortunately clinical trials often exclude pregnant women, which makes it difficult to fully understand if potential harm exists when used during pregnancy. Working with your healthcare provider, it is important to weigh the potential risks of leaving your nausea and vomiting untreated with the benefits of trialing these medications on a case-by-case basis.
Morning Sickness And Your Baby
Some women are concerned that the action of vomiting may threaten their unborn baby. Vomiting and retching may strain the abdominal muscles and cause localised aching and soreness, but the physical mechanics of vomiting wont harm the baby. The fetus is perfectly cushioned inside its sac of amniotic fluid.Numerous studies have discovered that moderate morning sickness is associated with a reduced risk of miscarriage. However, prolonged vomiting can deprive your child of proper nutrition and increase the risk of your baby being underweight at birth.If you have nausea and vomiting that will not stop, contact your GP or midwife.
Recommended Reading: How To Ease Pregnancy Anxiety
What Is The Best Herbal Tea For Nausea During Pregnancy
The news of pregnancy is a dream come true for every mother but at the same time happens to be the most delicate stage where it is essential for the mother to take care of her own health in every possible manner so that her baby receives all sorts of possible nourishment from the mother and grows up to be healthy.
During this time, it is very important to get all the correct nutrients and make sure to intake enough fluids to maintain proper hydration of the body. However, women often complain that during their pregnancies, they fail to eat certain types of food or their body just refuses to drink certain types of fluids.
In such cases, one great option for women to consider during their pregnancy is pregnancy safe teas. These types of teas are a great source of vitamins and minerals and at the same time helps to maintain the fluid balance of the body if they can be consumed in small amounts regularly. Studies have shown that ginger tea has incredible benefits and can help treat nausea and morning sickness during pregnancy.
Image source – www.unsplash.com
Keep Your Mouth Squeaky Clean
Regular brushing helps keep your mouth fresh and reduces queasiness in the future. It also decreases the risk of damage to teeth from vomiting.
Brush your teeth or rinse your mouth after each meal and after bouts of vomiting once your tummy has settled a bit. If your usual toothpaste contributes to nausea , ask your dentist to recommend another option or a good rinse. Or use plain water.
Recommended Reading: Can Vitamin C Prevent Pregnancy
Best Herbal Tea For Pregnancy Nausea
The best solution to give relief or a soothing effect to a woman who is feeling nauseated during her pregnancy is to make her drink a warm cup of tea. Different types of tea offer different nutrients and flavors, which definitely helps to control nausea and provides a calming effect to the stomach. Listed below are types of different teas that, if consumed, shall definitely provide a calming effect while a pregnant woman is experiencing nausea.
1.] Ginger Tea -Ginger tea is one of the best available herbal tea, which is made up from the roots of ginger. Ginger root has many medicinal properties and has been used to cure nausea for many years now. While drinking ginger tea, one can also add ingredients like lemon, cinnamon, or honey to add that extra flavor of delight to the tea.
2.] Chamomile Tea -Chamomile tea is another famous type of herbal tea, which is usually made from a specific type of earthy flower, which generally has a sweet taste. This tea is known to have incredible health properties, one of which is it relaxes the digestive muscles. Thus this type of tea is very beneficial for people who are suffering from nausea, vomiting, and morning sickness.
3.] Honey Lemon Tea -Honey lemon tea is another prevalent type of herbal tea that offers a refreshing flavor and certainly provides a soothing effect. This type of tea is commonly prescribed to cure nausea and morning sickness during pregnancy.
When Should I See My Doctor About Morning Sickness
If nausea or vomiting is causing significant discomfort, or if you suspect that you have hyperemesis gravidarum, you should see your doctor.
Other signs you need to see a doctor include:
- very dark urine
- dramatic weight loss
- dehydration due to inability to keep fluids down
In some cases, a doctor may advise a home remedy. In other cases, they may refer you to another healthcare professional, such as a dietitian to help you create a healthy and enjoyable meal plan or to a specialist for further tests. Your doctor may prescribe you with medicine to ease your symptoms, such as an antiemetic , or vitamin and mineral supplements.
If your symptoms persist after treatment, it is a good idea to return to your doctor for another consultation there may be another approach you can try.
Recommended Reading: Can Pregnancy Cause Hot Flashes
Get Creative With Ginger
Ginger has long been touted as a stomach soother, and studies have shown that it may help morning sickness. For example, a 2014 meta-analysis found that using ginger for at least four days was associated with a five-fold likelihood of improvement in early pregnancy nausea and vomiting.
Try adding a thin slice of ginger to hot water or sipping flat ginger ale. If that doesn’t sound appetizing, snack on a handful of crystallized ginger candy, gingersnaps, gingerbread, or try ginger tea. Erick suggests microwaving ginger jam and pouring it over vanilla ice cream. Yum!
When Should You Call Your Health Care Provider About Morning Sickness
For most women, morning sickness is mild and goes away over time. But call your provider if:
- Your morning sickness continues into your 4th month of pregnancy.
- You lose more than 2 pounds.
- Your vomit is brown in color or has blood in it. If so, call your provider right away.
- You vomit more than 3 times a day and cant keep food or fluids down.
- Your heart beats faster than usual.
- Youre tired or confused.
- Youre making much less urine than usual or no urine at all.
You May Like: Is Halo Top Safe During Pregnancy
Nausea Help During Pregnancy
Treatment for and prevention of nausea during pregnancy is truly synonymous in regards to everyday self-care and home remedies. The following suggestions are beneficial to try as soon as you find out you are pregnant or if you are already pregnant and just looking for some relief. Look at the steps below, and explore our guide to managing morning sickness.
To help prevent and treat nausea during pregnancy, try:
The Best Tea For Pregnancy
Its actually quite easy to find pregnancy-safe teas to drink. They are quite abundant. Red raspberry leafis quite common. Its best not to drink it before your 24th week of pregnancy, but itll help tone the uterus so that when you go into labor your contractions are more productive.
Dandelion teas are high in vitamin A, calcium, iron, and potassium. They make a good once-per-day tea as it will support your liver, but too much can be a diuretic.
Teas with nettle leaf are considered safe, as mentioned above. Nettles provide iron, calcium, and magnesium. Any Rooibos or red bush tea is great since it is high in minerals, antioxidants, and is caffeine-free. It also comes in thousands of flavors. Look for red teas with natural flavor additives such as fruit and herbs.
Three pregnancy safe tea ingredients are ginger, lemon balm, and peppermint. Dont forget that its so easy to make your own mint teaat home if you want! Peppermint tea during pregnancy is one of my favorites!
When you combine these ingredients you get the ultimate Morning Sickness Tea. Combine these ingredients as directed below, and keep that nausea at bay! Peppermint and ginger are both wonderful digestive aids and are known cures for upset stomachs, even while not pregnant. Thats why I love this Cucumber Peppermint Tea recipe! Lemon balm adds a slightly citrusy flavor and is considered very calming for stomach and nervous system.
Don’t Miss: How Common Is Getting Pregnant With An Iud
Whats Severe Morning Sickness
Severe morning sickness is when nausea and vomiting get so serious that a pregnant woman vomits several times a day, loses weight, and gets dehydrated or is at risk for dehydration.
If this rare pregnancy-related condition isnt treated, it can affect a woman’s health and her baby’s ability to thrive.
The medical term for severe morning sickness is “hyperemesis gravidarum” , which means “excessive vomiting during pregnancy.” It usually follows a similar timeline to normal morning sickness. But it can go longer, sometimes lasting for the whole pregnancy. Often, the symptoms get less severe as the pregnancy continues.
Most cases of hyperemesis gravidarum affect a woman’s first pregnancy. But women who have it in one pregnancy are more likely to have it in future pregnancies.
Have Breakfast In Bed
Oddly enough, you may feel the most nausea first thing in the morning, even though you havent eaten anything for 6-8 hours. Why is that? That hungry feeling you get first thing in the morning, along with the low blood sugar that goes with it, is your bodys way of saying, Feed me!
But when youre pregnant, both an empty stomach and low blood sugar can make morning sickness worse. And it certainly doesnt get any better when you get up and start moving around.
Want a simple solution for nausea first thing in the morning? Eat breakfast in bed. Yes, you read that correctly. Eat breakfast in bed. We recommend sticking with dry products like toast or cereal.
They might not be your first choice for breakfast, but those foods actually do two things: they provide your body with quick calories that boost blood sugar levels and they absorb some of the acids associated with feeling like you want to throw up.
Recommended Reading: Can You Get Pregnant After Mirena Expires
