15 tips for managing pregnancy nausea

Here I will be sharing 15 tips for managing pregnancy nausea. As a mother of four and a pregnancy nausea/Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) survivor, I know what has helped and would love to share some tips with you!

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Pregnancy nausea can be debilitating, especially if it persists day and night. It can interfere with your work, every day menial tasks and your relationships.

I had severe pregnancy nausea in my first for all of my pregnancies and I experienced hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) when I was pregnant with my third baby. I can say that those times, while exciting, were also very low points in my life. So I understand how difficult this can be for many expecting mothers.

Because of this, I would love to share 15 tips for managing pregnancy nausea. Most of these can be tried in tandem with one another. You may need to experiment and see which works best and for which works best at certain times a day.

What will be covered:

• Facts about pregnancy nausea and sickness
• 15 tips for managing pregnancy nausea (part one)
• 15 tips for managing pregnancy nausea (part two)
• What to do if the pregnancy nausea is getting too out of hand

Let’s learn about some facts

Pregnancy nausea affects up to 80% of women to varying degrees (study). It begins from about 4-9 weeks and often eases for women from about 12-16 weeks (for 60% of women). Only 9% of women experience pregnancy nausea and sickness past 20 weeks.

There still is not much evidence as to why many women experience pregnancy nausea and sickness, however there are some factors that could contribute. One being that it may be a protective mechanism against a nutrient deficit. Another reason may be due to hormonal imbalances. However, as mentioned, there is no concrete evidence that both or either are true.

15 tips for managing pregnancy nausea (part one)

1. Vitamin B6: Vitamin B6 has been shown to help ease pregnancy nausea. Recommended dose of the active form, pyridoxal-5-phosphate, is up to 25mg every 8 hours. 100mg daily is the maximum dose to take.
2. Ginger: this medicinal root has been shown to help improve pregnancy nausea and vomiting. There are various ways you can consume it: 5g grated ginger steeped in hot tea, 2ml of liquid ginger extract, four cups prepackaged ginger tea. I don’t suggest taking crystalised ginger or ginger syrup because of the sugar content, but that is up to you of course. Recommended dose of ginger is 1000mg a day. Ginger ale does not contain enough natural ginger, so it won’t work as effectively.
3. Staying hydrated: it may seem obvious, but many women especially in the first trimester, do not drink enough water. This can make the nausea or sickness worse. If you cannot tolerate water, then sucking on coconut ice cubes (with the added benefits of electrolytes) may be better to consume.
4. Electrolytes: electrolytes like coconut water or leafy greens can help to keep you hydrated and lead to less nausea and sickness when consumed often. My favourite labour aid drink can be handy in the first trimester (lemon juice, lime juice, coconut water, water, honey and sea salt combined).
5. Bone broth: another hydrating liquid that is also nourishing and may replenish lost nutrients from vomiting or food aversions. It also has a great calming effect on the stomach. If you don’t want to make your own, you can buy it here.
6. Acupressure bands have been known to help with pregnancy nausea and sickness (I remember using them for when I was pregnant on a cruise and they did help with the nausea). You can find some acupressure bands here.
7. Magnesium: helps to relax muscles and may be helpful in calming the overactive gag reflex associated with pregnancy vomiting. Magnesium has been shown to help reduce the risk of unstable blood sugar, which can increase nausea in pregnancy.
8. Essential oils: despite common belief, studies have shown that peppermint alone or combined with lavender do not relieve nausea. However, lemon essential oil has been proven to help ease nausea (you can sniff it or pop it on the tip of your head to inhale throughout the day) (study).

15 tips for managing pregnancy nausea (part two)

9. Identifying triggers: In some of my pregnancies, whenever I would eat red meat, I would instantly feel sick. So I knew to avoid it. In the same way, you may have your own triggers that may make you feel more nauseated or trigger vomiting. Common triggers may be strongly scented foods (like garlic, onion, cruciferous vegetables, chicken or eggs), cologne, perfume or scented products.

10. Avoiding triggers: Sometimes it is not just food that is a trigger, but it may be that you are too hungry or too full. Does the nausea occur at a certain time of day? Sometimes it is a matter of not eating balanced meals that can trigger nausea, especially if they are high in carbohydrates. Maybe your prenatal vitamin is a trigger (sadly this was the case for me), so dividing them in doses and taking them at different intervals a day may help.

11. Try to avoid/minimise refined grain products: refined grain products like crackers, biscuits or bread are high in sugar and carbohydrates. These foods often trigger nausea, especially when eaten on its own. I understand how difficult this can be, as many women only crave plain foods like crackers or bread. If so, try and eat a healthier wholegrain alternative and pair it with a protein if you can tolerate it.

12. Don’t go too long without eating: Going too long without eating can lead to blood sugar imbalances, which can then lead to nausea.

13. Eat whole foods when possible: whole carbohydrates like pumpkin, sweet potato or root vegetables can help to stabilise blood sugars over refined processed carbohydrates. I remember eating roast vegetables often in my first trimester. It really helped, especially if I drizzled olive oil and sea salt over it.

14. Eat a little to eat before getting out of bed: some women find that eating something little like nuts, can help ease nausea before getting out of bed. Especially after fasting all night as blood sugar would be low. So eating something small before getting out of bed could help.

15. Eat what you feel like: it sounds simple, but some women can be hard on themselves because their appetite looks different to how it was pre-pregnancy. This is especially true for women who generally eat healthy and find that they don’t have the appetite for healthy foods as they do for the less healthy foods. You’re not alone, because this was me in all of my pregnancies. All I craved was pasta and bread in my first trimesters. I gave in and ate it most of the time. And while I felt bad at the time, it actually made me feel better physically. So tune into your body and feed it what it wants. If possible, eat the healthier versions like brown rice pasta over refined white pasta. But don’t be too hard on yourself! It’s only for a season.

If the pregnancy nausea or sickness is getting too out of hand

Then seek medical help. While many of the above remedies helped most of the time, I took medication for the nausea with my third and fourth pregnancies. The pregnancy sickness was debilitating and affecting my mental health, so it seemed wise to get some extra help.

If you feel like your pregnancy sickness is taking a toll on your physical, emotional or mental wellbeing, then I urge you to seek medical help. The remedies above are definitely useful, but there are occasions where it is absolutely okay to resort to safe pregnancy medication.

Pregnant? You need to grab my book Your Holistic Guide to Pregnancy Nutrition

The book covers all there is to know about nourishing your growing bump and baby. You can get it as an e-book or paperback version here.