Discover practical ways to combat morning sickness with our detailed guide: “5 Ways to Ease Morning Sickness.” This article explores practical, safe, and natural remedies to help ease nausea and discomfort during pregnancy. Whether you are seeking dietary adjustments, lifestyle tips or home remedies, this guide is designed to support you throughout your pregnancy journey. You can use actionable advice for a more comfortable and enjoyable experience.
Joy over your new pregnancy can quickly start to fade away once the symptoms of morning sickness start to creep up! Symptoms of morning sickness can include nausea (feeling sick), vomiting, and sometimes, even dizziness.
Marjorie Greenfield, a leading obstetrics and gynaecology expert and author of ‘The Working Woman’s Pregnancy Book‘ states that over 70% of pregnant women will suffer from nausea during their pregnancy whilst 50% will suffer from vomiting. The book is well worth a read for anyone wanting to learn further about their symptoms so far!
Despite it being an unpleasant experience, morning sickness has no health risk for the baby. In fact, some studies reveal that it can be a sign of a healthy pregnancy, with lower rates of miscarriages and stillbirths.
For the majority of women, symptoms of nausea and vomiting start between week 5 and week 6. But for about 13% of women, morning sickness begins before the missed period. This means that some women will feel the symptoms of morning sickness before they even realise that they are pregnant. For many women, these symptoms can be quite severe (to the point of not being able to eat or drink). This can quickly lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, especially in cases where the woman also experiences vomiting.
Don’t be fooled by its name. Morning sickness can actually happen any time of the day, not just in the morning. In fact, studies reveal that nausea and vomiting are limited to the morning in only 13.6% of pregnant women.
Interestingly, in a study of 292 pregnant women who had nausea, 85% reported feeling sick twice a day, while a shocking 56% had three episodes daily. Additionally, 70% of episodes of nausea in the study lasted 1 to 4 hours. Symptoms tend to get worse, or gets better, around 11 to 13 weeks of pregnancy. Thankfully, for about 90% of women morning sickness tend to disappear by the end of the twelfth week (1st trimester). However, one in five women will experience it into their second trimester, while an unfortunate few will suffer for much longer than this.
Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer but the most common reasons include:
Nutritional deficiencies, such as low levels of magnesium and vitamin B6, may also be responsible for making nausea and discomfort during pregnancy even worse. Here are five things that may help ease morning sickness. None is a guaranteed fix, and it is worth checking with your midwife or GP before trying anything new in pregnancy.
5 Ways to Ease Morning Sickness
1. ACUPRESSURE BANDS
Research as early as 1989 has shown that wearing acupressure bands helped reduce morning sickness symptoms.
Since then, some other small studies have reported positive results for acupressure for nausea, though the evidence is not conclusive. Some studies have also looked into the effectiveness of acupressure or acupressure bands for seasickness, travel sickness and chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting.
Acupressure bands work by providing continuous pressure on an acupuncture point in your wrist (P6 – Nei-Kuan). They do this by using a plastic stud within the band.
Sea-Bands are the most commonly used acupressure bands. One small study in Italy reported that morning sickness was reduced in 70% of women who used Sea-Bands, but the evidence overall is not conclusive. Another study showed women wearing Sea-Bands also reported less anxiety, depression, and hostility.
Ginger is a popular natural remedy that may help with symptoms of morning sickness during pregnancy. One small study reported that ginger improved symptoms in women with morning sickness, though results vary.
Another study in 2003 gave participants 125 mg of ginger extract 4x a day for at least 4 days and found positive results. If you are suffering from mild pregnancy nausea and vomiting, we think it’s worth giving ginger products a try. These can include ginger extract, ginger chew, and ginger tea.
Also known as Pyridoxine, it is another supplement that may help ease morning sickness. It helps the body process certain amino acids and is thought to reduce nausea. Natural food sources of B6 include avocados, bananas, chicken, fish, whole grains and nuts.
The evidence is limited, so speak to your midwife or GP before trying remedies in pregnancy. A study with 59 participants showed that there was over a 50% improvement of condition when taking a vitamin B6 tablet orally every 8 hours for 3 days. However, it is highly recommended that you consult your midwife and physician before taking any supplements, as some supplements could have teratogenic (harmful to the fetus) effect during the first trimester of pregnancy if taken in high doses.
It’s great to get some fresh air, de-stress and release endorphins which are the “feel good hormones” to help combat stress and fatigue. Stress has been found to contribute to the symptoms of morning sickness.
Getting a good amount of exercise can help ease nausea. However, it is suggested that the exercise should be done with caution. You should perform 30 minutes of light exercise maintaining your heart rate just under 140 beats per minute. It is also best that you listen to your body and seek proper medical advice before embarking to an exercise program.
Once your doctor gives you the go signal to exercise, remember to keep your body cool. Try to stay well-hydrated to keep you and your baby safe.
5. REST
This is probably the most important of all morning sickness tips. Getting a good night sleep is going to help the body recover and rejuvenate. A maternity pillow can help support your back, neck and stomach.
Contact your midwife or GP urgently if you cannot keep any food or fluids down, are passing little urine, feel faint, or are losing weight, as these can be signs of severe pregnancy sickness. If you are pregnant and would like some more expert tips, fill in the contact form below or contact us today to see how we can help you.
Osteopathy can also help with the back and pelvic pain that often come with pregnancy. Read why osteopathy is beneficial for pregnant women.
