Morning sickness (which should really be re-named to ‘all-day-sickness’ 🤢) is the bane of a pregnant woman’s life. Now, not every women goes through this, and if that’s you – I’m jealous!
If you have experienced morning sickness, or if you are currently going through it, my heart goes out to you. No one truly understands how difficult it can be until you’ve lived through the intense nausea that last long past the first trimester.
It’s not always just feeling a little queasy… It can be non-stop from morning to night and feel like it takes over your life for months on end.
Surviving Nausea & Morning Sickness
Of course, there are different ends of the scale. Maybe you’ve experienced some mild nausea or occasional vomiting. Or maybe it’s so intense you spend hours in bed and have to battle daily to find food that will stay down.
The good news is that for most women, morning sickness and nausea tends to end after the first trimester. If that’s you – I’m even MORE jealous 😜
In my first pregnancy, it lasted well into the second trimester and returned towards the end too. I did start to experience some relief around 24 weeks which I was very grateful for. In my current pregnancy, at 20 weeks I am still regularly nauseous and have to take daily steps to try and keep it in check (edit – my nausea started to improve at 28 weeks in this pregnancy).
Intense and lasting morning sickness can be a very isolating experience, especially in the first trimester when you may not have shared your exciting news with many people yet.
The most important thing you can do is lower your expectations of yourself at this time and accept you may not be able to do everything you usually would on a normal day. It really can feel like survival mode and some days you just need to get through and use any extra energy to rest and replenish – especially if you have other kids at home!
Morning Sickness & Ayurveda – What to Avoid
The exact cause of morning sickness isn’t known. However, it’s generally accepted that the sharp rise in hormones in the first trimester (particularly estrogen and hcg) are mostly to blame. In Ayurveda, while the first trimester is the Kapha time of pregnancy, morning sickness is usually associated with high Pitta.
It’s recommended in Ayurveda to follow some simple Pitta pacifying practices to help reduce symptoms of morning sickness. Keep reading to see all the best tips to keep it at bay! It’s also important to try and avoid certain foods that may make your symptoms worse including:
- Spicy foods
- Leftover foods
- Oily or fried foods
- Ultra-processed foods
- Excess fermented foods
Important Reminder
I do want to say, before going any further, that extreme morning sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum) can be very dangerous for both you and baby and requires medical attention. You may need to try anti-nausea medication or even get IV fluids so do not delay getting the medical care you need.
The following suggestion and home remedies may be helpful if you are on the milder end of the scale of morning sickness. If you have more challenging morning sickness, you may still experience symptoms even if you take the prescribed anti-nausea medication and these remedies may help ‘fill the gap’ so to speak, and provide some additional relief.
Every pregnancy is completely different, so always make sure to check what is appropriate for you with your care provider.
Morning Sickness Remedies
1. Keep Dry Crackers at Hand
This is probably one of the most recommended suggestions for morning sickness, and for good reason! It really does work (at least a little!). Symptoms of nausea tend to be worse on an empty stomach, so having dry crackers at hand can help you get from one meal to the next before it gets too strong.
It’s particularly helpful to have some at your bedside. If you wake up during the night feeling unwell, have a few crackers and water before trying to go back to sleep. It can also be helpful to have 1-2 crackers as soon as you wake up to ensure you can make breakfast without getting sick first.
2. Coconut Water & Lime Juice
Staying hydrated is always important, but in pregnancy it’s essential! Your water intake should increase in pregnancy to accommodate the extra blood volume, amniotic fluid, new tissue growth and keeping digestion regular. Having some coconut water and lime juice helps ensure you’re well hydrated and replenishing electrolytes. This cooling combination helps balance Pitta dosha too.
3. Eat Small Regular Meals
We’ve already talked about making sure you eat regularly to stay ahead of the nausea – it may be as close as every two hours so make sure to have lots of healthy snacks at hand. You might also find yourself naturally drawn to smaller meals, particularly as the pregnancy progresses. This can also help give your stomach a chance to digest the food, and you also can ‘see how it goes’ when you’re unsure how a food will effect your nausea.
4. Sip on Ginger or Peppermint Tea
Ginger and peppermint (and cardamom!) are often recommended to help reduce nausea in Ayurveda. You can make homemade Ginger Tea or peppermint tea, and sip with your meals. Both also help digestion which can start to get more sluggish in pregnancy. If you want a sweet treat, you can also try some ginger cookies!
Ginger and peppermint are generally considered safe to consume in moderation in pregnancy and are often recommended by doctors and midwives to provide relief from nausea. However, not all herbal teas are safe in pregnancy so if you ever feel unsure always check with your care provider.
5. Include Protein at Each Meal
Protein is an essential nutrient in pregnancy. Studies have shown that increasing your protein intake in the first trimester can actually help reduce nausea and vomiting. Protein can be difficult to digest, so try and favour slow cooked meats in soups and stews, pulses like lentils and legumes like edamame.
6. Try Light Exercise if You Can
Believe me when I say I completely understand that there are some days that exercise of any kind is just completely out of the question. However, light exercise can provide some relief (and a welcome distraction!) from your nausea. Of course, don’t over do it! Walking is usually the best exercise throughout pregnancy, so no better time to start than now! And if it’s possible in your pregnancy, you might also feel good doing some light weights or pregnancy friendly yoga.
Hang In There! But Don’t Keep Suffering
I know how disheartening it feels to try aaaaaaaall the recommendations for nausea and morning sickness and nothing seems to work 🙈 If you’re suffering, speak to your care provider and see what additional options you have for additional support.
It’s impossible to take care of yourself, and even harder when you have other kids at home, when you are so depleted. Take it one day at a time, using your energy to rest and replenish when you can. Even though it feels lonely, you’re not alone in your experience – hang in there!
I’d love to hear what’s helped you with nausea and morning sickness. Let me know in the comments below!
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