Curb morning sickness

12 Tips To Help Calm Morning Sickness – Cleveland Clinic

If you’ve had morning sickness during pregnancy, you probably know that the name is cruelly misleading. Feelings of nausea or vomiting can strike anytime — day or night. There’s good news, though. There are several things you can do to help tame your turbulent tummy.

Morning sickness is common. In fact, one study shows that up to 80% of pregnant people experience at least some symptoms of morning sickness — but that doesn’t mean you have to simply accept it.

Certified nurse-midwife Jessica Costa, MSN, APRN, CNM, explains what causes morning sickness and how you can ease it.

What causes morning sickness?

It’s not clear exactly which hormones trigger symptoms — which can range from mild nausea to frequent vomiting — but doctors suspect that surging human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and progesterone levels are the culprits.

Two pieces of good news: Though unpleasant for you, these symptoms won’t harm your baby. And pregnancy nausea is often short-lived, with symptoms typically ending early in the second trimester or sooner.

“Usually, we see an increase in morning sickness symptoms between eight and 10 weeks gestation, with many people reporting relief by week 16,” Costa says.

But not everyone who’s pregnant has morning sickness, and those who do have it don’t always have the same severity of symptoms. You may even find that your experience varies from one pregnancy to the next.

Remedies for morning sickness

If morning sickness has your stomach in knots, try one (or all!) of these tips to help ease your discomfort and start feeling like yourself again.

1. Eat often

“It may seem counterintuitive, but an empty stomach can actually make nausea worse,” Costa says. Every few hours, eat small meals or snacks that are easy to get down, like a handful of nuts or a few crackers.

Speaking of crackers — bland, starchy foods can help soak up gastric acid and settle the stomach, so keep some on hand.

2. Avoid food triggers

Pay attention to which foods seem to set off your nausea. Spicy, greasy, fatty and otherwise heavy foods are common culprits, while bland foods (like those found in the BRAT diet) are easier to stomach, literally.

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3. Prioritize protein

Studies show that protein-rich offer longer-lasting relief from nausea than foods that are high in carbohydrates or fats, so keep a supply of high-protein snacks at the ready to stave off the nausea. Costa’s favorite picks are yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, nuts and seeds.

4. Go sour for sweet relief

Fight a sour stomach with sour candies. “Sour flavors seem to help curb nausea,” Costa says. Try sucking on a piece of lemon-flavored hard candy.

You can also go straight to the source and suck on a slice of citrus fruit (think lemon, lime or orange). They’re all high in citric acid, which can help with digestion and may ease that nausea.

5.

Drink for two

This one can be a bit of a “Catch-22”: Being dehydrated can contribute to nausea, but so can being uncomfortably full after drinking a lot of water. In short, you want to do your best to stay hydrated, but you don’t want to drink so much water that you make things worse.

And you don’t have to always go the plain water route, either. Give yours a squeeze of lemon or another fruit infusion, or try sipping ginger ale, clear soda or a fruity tea.

6. Stay vertical

You may feel inclined to lie down when you’re not feeling well, but the opposite is actually best for pregnancy nausea.

Avoid lying down after eating, which can cause the gastric juices in your stomach to rise. “This hinders digestion and contributes to that queasy feeling,” Costa explains.

7. Wait awhile to brush

Brushing your teeth right after eating can trigger your gag reflex, which is the last thing you want when you’re prone to nausea. “For best results, try to hold off on brushing for 30 minutes or so after you eat,” Costa suggests.

8. Avoid strong odors

“Odors that might seem innocuous when you’re not pregnant may suddenly turn your stomach,” Costa says.

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Studies show that everything from food to perfume to body odor can lead to nausea when you’re pregnant, thanks to the surging hormones. Try to steer clear of strong or offensive smells in the meantime.

9. Embrace pleasant aromas

Lightly scented essential oil scents can help ease nausea symptoms quickly. “For the fastest results, dab a few drops on a cotton ball and sniff,” Costa advises. Try:

Chamomile.
Ginger.
Lemon.
Orange.
Peppermint.

Of course, every pregnant body is different, so if any of these scents seem to make your nausea worse, skip them and move on to the next.

10. Try a motion-sickness band

“These wristbands curb morning sickness, motion sickness and seasickness by putting pressure on the P6 pressure point on your wrists,” Costa explains. In acupressure terms, this spot is also known as the nei guan point.

If you don’t have a motion-sickness band handy, you can put light pressure on the nei guan spot on your own. Place three fingers on your wrist, just below your hand; the nei guan point is just below them, directly beneath your index finger.

11. Take your pills at night

Prenatal vitamins are an important part of a healthy pregnancy, but some people find that taking them in the morning contributes to an upset stomach. If you suspect this is the case for you, switch to taking them in the evening with a small, healthy snack.

12. Take care of yourself

Healthy lifestyle choices can go a long way toward keeping you and baby healthy — and help ward off nausea in the process. Aim to get a good night’s sleep, regular exercise and plenty of fresh air, all of which can help keep queasiness at bay.

When to see your doctor for morning sickness

Sure, pregnancy comes with its share of discomfort — but don’t ignore unusual symptoms. Talk to your doctor if you’re experiencing any of these troubling symptoms:

Abdominal pain.
Difficulty urinating.
Fever.
Inability to keep food/drinks down for 24 hours.
Vomiting blood.
Weight loss.

“It’s important to keep in mind that the hormones responsible for making you feel sick also play an important role in helping your baby develop and grow,” Costa says. “But if you’ve tried everything and your symptoms are still severely impacting your daily life, talk with your healthcare provider.”

Vomiting and morning sickness - NHS

Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, often known as morning sickness, is very common in early pregnancy.

It can affect you at any time of the day or night or you may feel sick all day long.

Morning sickness is unpleasant, and can significantly affect your day-to-day life. But it usually clears up by weeks 16 to 20 of your pregnancy and does not put your baby at any increased risk.

There is a chance of developing a severe form of pregnancy sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum. This can be serious, and there's a chance you may not get enough fluids in your body (dehydration) or not get enough nutrients from your diet (malnourishment). You may need specialist treatment, sometimes in hospital.

Sometimes urinary tract infections (UTIs) can also cause nausea and vomiting. A UTI usually affects the bladder, but can spread to the kidneys.

Non-urgent advice: Call your midwife, GP or 111 if:

you're vomiting and:

have very dark-coloured urine or have not had a pee in more than 8 hours
are unable to keep food or fluids down for 24 hours
feel severely weak, dizzy or faint when standing up
have tummy (abdominal) pain
have a high temperature
vomit blood
have lost weight

Treatments for morning sickness

Unfortunately, there's no hard and fast treatment that will work for everyone’s morning sickness. Every pregnancy will be different.

But there are some changes you can make to your diet and daily life to try to ease the symptoms.

If these do not work for you or you're having more severe symptoms, your doctor or midwife might recommend medicine.

Things you can try yourself

If your morning sickness is not too bad, your GP or midwife will initially recommend you try some lifestyle changes:

get plenty of rest (tiredness can make nausea worse)
avoid foods or smells that make you feel sick
eat something like dry toast or a plain biscuit before you get out of bed
eat small, frequent meals of plain foods that are high in carbohydrate and low in fat (such as bread, rice, crackers and pasta)
eat cold foods rather than hot ones if the smell of hot meals makes you feel sick
drink plenty of fluids, such as water (sipping them little and often may help prevent vomiting)
eat foods or drinks containing ginger – there's some evidence ginger may help reduce nausea and vomiting (check with your pharmacist before taking ginger supplements during pregnancy)
try acupressure – there's some evidence that putting pressure on your wrist, using a special band or bracelet on your forearm, may help relieve the symptoms

Find out more about vitamins and supplements in pregnancy

Anti-sickness medicine

If your nausea and vomiting is severe and does not improve after trying the above lifestyle changes, your GP may recommend a short-term course of an anti-sickness medicine, called an antiemetic, that's safe to use in pregnancy.

Often this will be a type of antihistamine, which are usually used to treat allergies but also work as medicines to stop sickness (antiemetic).

Antiemetics will usually be given as tablets for you to swallow.

But if you cannot keep these down, your doctor may suggest an injection or a type of medicine that's inserted into your bottom (suppository).

See your GP if you'd like to talk about getting anti-sickness medication.

Risk factors for morning sickness

It's thought hormonal changes in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy are probably one of the causes of morning sickness.

But you may be more at risk of it if:

you're having twins or more
you had severe sickness and vomiting in a previous pregnancy
you tend to get motion sickness (for example, car sick)
you have a history of migraine headaches
morning sickness runs in the family
you used to feel sick when taking contraceptives containing oestrogen
it's your first pregnancy
you're obese (your BMI is 30 or more)
you're experiencing stress

Visit the pregnancy sickness support site for tips for you and your partner on dealing with morning sickness.

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Video: how can I cope with morning sickness?

In this video, a midwife gives advice on how to deal with morning sickness during your pregnancy.

Media last reviewed: 25 January 2023
Media review due: 25 January 2026

Community content from HealthUnlocked

Page last reviewed: 13 April 2021
Next review due: 13 April 2024

Why do you feel sick in the morning on an empty stomach

Nausea in the morning on an empty stomach is most common in pregnant women due to intoxication, but it is not uncommon for males or even children to have this problem

Do not worry too much if you have encountered such a problem once, it is likely that this is a banal poisoning. But, if nausea in the morning on an empty stomach does not go away, you should immediately consult a doctor. Some people are used to dealing with this problem with folk remedies and medicines and they really get better, but it is worth considering that most likely the disease or pathology itself continues to develop. And as a result, it will turn into a more serious form. That is why it is so important to consult a doctor who will find out the cause of morning sickness and prescribe the most effective treatment.

Possible diseases

Most often, morning sickness on an empty stomach may indicate the presence of the following diseases: unpleasant symptoms. This is due to inflammatory processes in the duodenum 12. The patient can also be tormented by: burning, bloating during and after eating, heartburn.

Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) - also characterized by nausea in the morning, as well as after eating fatty or fried foods. This disease is easily confused with gastritis due to the similarity of symptoms, but with pancreatitis, the patient begins to have problems with stools and an unpleasant, bitter taste in the mouth.

Appendicitis - nausea is likely to fade into the background, after unbearable pain in the right side begins to appear.

Inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis) - this disease can also be accompanied by morning nausea. Accompanying symptoms are pain in the right hypochondrium and excessive gas formation.

Other causes of nausea in the morning

After excluding the above diseases from the list of causes, the following causes can be considered:

Pregnancy. Intoxication and nausea in the morning is often found in pregnant women, especially in the early stages. This is a normal reaction of the body to significant changes and hormonal changes. It is very important to completely exclude drugs for the treatment of the digestive tract during pregnancy. These funds can have an extremely negative impact on the health of the patient, the unborn child and the course of pregnancy. Therefore, you will have to endure this ailment and get by with folk remedies, but be sure to consult your doctor.
Migraine. Morning sickness on an empty stomach may precede a severe headache. You will most likely still feel a lot of noise and increased sensitivity to smells.
High blood pressure (hypertension). The problem of morning sickness can be accompanied by headache and dizziness. If you do not pay attention to these symptoms in a timely manner, you risk starting this disease, which in turn can lead to a stroke.
Cardiovascular disease - rarely, nausea on an empty stomach occurs with heart failure or developing myocardial infarction. If nausea is accompanied by pain, a feeling of heaviness and tightness behind the sternum, numbness or tingling in one half of the body, it is necessary to seek medical help as soon as possible, as this may be an incipient myocardial infarction.
Increased intracranial pressure - Nausea and regurgitation in infants can occur when pressure increases inside the ventricles of the brain.

What to do if you feel sick in the morning

It is important to understand that regular morning sickness is a signal of the presence of a pathology or disease and it is highly undesirable to self-medicate. Be sure to consult a doctor for an examination, but if you don’t have such an opportunity at the moment, there are several effective ways that will help reduce or temporarily get rid of this problem:

Medicines. You need to be very careful and you must be sure that morning sickness is not the cause of pregnancy or an intestinal disease.
Ginger root, mint and lemon drinks. You can make infusions of these products for maximum effect, simply by adding them to a glass and boiling water, after 15 minutes you will have a very effective and safe (in the absence of allergies) remedy for morning sickness. YOU can also just add them to hot tea.
Medicinal collection - if nausea relentlessly torments you in the morning, you can try a collection of mint, oak bark and celandine. To prepare the drink, take 1 tsp of mint leaves, dried oak bark and chopped celandine, pour 0.5 l of boiling water and boil in a water bath for 10 minutes. After the broth is cooled and filtered, take 1 tablespoon 3-5 times a day before meals.
During pregnancy. There are some little tricks you can use. For example, do not get out of bed quickly, drink plenty of fluids. Eliminate fatty and heavy foods from your diet. Eat small meals several times a day.

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November 4, 2022 Health

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When to call an ambulance

Almost anything can lead to nausea: problems with the digestive tract, low blood pressure, certain medications, stress, pregnancy, and more. But sometimes it can be a symptom of dangerous conditions that require urgent medical attention. Dial 103 or 112 if you have nausea and any of these symptoms:

severe acute chest pain;
pain that radiates to the arm, back, neck or jaw;
labored breathing;
coffee grounds-like vomiting of blood;
severe headache and stiff neck muscles;
swelling of the face, especially around the mouth;
blurred vision;
severe confusion in the head and drowsiness;
loss of consciousness;
severe abdominal pain;
vomiting and fever over 39degrees;
rapid breathing and pulse;
vomiting and very severe headache, especially if this has not happened before;
excessive thirst, dry mouth, infrequent or no urination, dark urine, great weakness, dizziness, blurred vision when standing up - these indicate dehydration.

These signs may indicate a heart attack, cerebrovascular accident, severe infections, including meninges, internal bleeding and other conditions.

When you need to see a doctor with nausea

Even if life is out of danger and an ambulance is not needed, in some cases with nausea it is still better to go to the doctor, and as soon as possible. Make an appointment if:

you have recently had a head injury;
vomiting lasts a day in an adult or several hours in a child under six years of age;
nausea lasts more than a week and there is a possibility of pregnancy;
nauseous for several days, but not getting better;
attacks of nausea and vomiting have been happening for more than a month;
nausea and vomiting led to unexplained weight loss.

How to get rid of nausea

Treatment for nausea will depend on the underlying cause. But in any case, you can try to alleviate the condition using simple methods.

1. Rest

Rest can help relieve nausea because activity can make you vomit. It is better to do this while sitting or half-sitting so that the head is about 40 cm above the level of the legs. This is important because lying down can cause stomach acid to travel up the esophagus and increase discomfort.

2. Get distracted

You can listen to music or watch a movie so you don't have to think about nausea. But if you get sick in transport, then it’s better not to look at the phone and not read books - it will only vomit faster.

3. Ventilate

Fresh air relieves nausea rather quickly. Therefore, you can open a window or go outside if possible. It will also help if there are strong irritating odors around.

4. Have a cold drink

Water or sips of juice or soda can also prevent vomiting. It is better that the liquid is cool. It is believed that sweetened drinks even better soothe the stomach, but it is worth observing the measure - too sweet foods only make it worse.

5. Suck on a lollipop

All lozenges and suckers can be used. They need to be sucked, not chewed. They not only help to get rid of nausea, but also distract.

6. Eat something with ginger

Ginger is often advised against nausea in toxicosis, motion sickness and even during chemotherapy. Some research confirms that it is effective, inexpensive and safe. You can try fresh ginger, dried ginger, ginger tea, candied fruits, or even gingerbread cookies.

7. Drink mint tea

Mint tea also relieves nausea. Peppermint contains natural essential oils that should help and are unlikely to aggravate the condition. The drink should not be very hot, and you need to drink it in small sips.