According to a National Center for Biotechnology Information study, approximately 80% of women experience morning sickness in the first trimester. Nausea and vomiting are the primary symptoms of morning sickness. At least 50% of pregnant women experience vomiting!
The common misconception is that morning sickness only occurs in the morning. The truth is, the feeling can strike at any time. And it’s usually accompanied by feelings of being worried, unhappy, and uncertain about things. Morning sickness can affect your work productivity!
The good news is that there are several things you can do to handle severe and mild morning sickness. Most of them are lifestyle and home remedies, which you can pull off hassle-free. But it’s recommended to seek medical attention if you experience severe morning sickness.
We got your back if you’re looking for the best morning sickness remedies. That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide! So, let’s get to it!
What is Morning Sickness?
Expecting a newborn comes with mixed feelings, whether it’s your first or subsequent pregnancy. A common characteristic of nearly all pregnancies is morning sickness. But what is morning sickness? It’s a nauseous feeling experienced during pregnancy!
Morning sickness is primarily diagnosed based on signs and symptoms. The common ones are vomiting and nausea, which starts at about week six, and pregnancy and peak at about week nine.
There are two types of morning sickness–mild and severe. Depending on what you’re currently experiencing, you can opt for home and lifestyle remedies or seek prompt medical attention. The severe morning sickness is known as hyperemesis gravidarum.
It’s characterized by severe nausea and vomiting, sometimes up to four times a day. Other signs are dehydration, constant dizziness, Lightheadedness, and alarming weight loss. Severe morning sickness is uncomfortable. The best way to handle it is by seeking medical attention!
Top 9 Morning Sickness Remedies
While morning sickness isn’t a cool experience for most pregnant women, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do about it. The good news is that there are several things you can do to ease the discomfort!
1. Acquire a Morning Sickness Survival Kit
Regardless of when it happens, puking isn’t a cool experience, especially when the urge comes in public. While there isn’t much you can do to stop the feeling; you can carry a survival kit every time you go out. The must-have items in your morning sickness survival kit are;
- Clean blouse
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Mouthwash
- Breath mints
- Plastic (barf) bag
These survival kit essentials come in handy before, during, and after a morning sickness experience. Also, don’t forget to include some snacks in the kit to munch when your stomach feels empty.
2. Do Many Small Meals throughout the day
Several small meals are better than one or two major meals. According to Healthline, an empty stomach worsens nausea, which is why it’s recommended to eat more often. This is where snacks also come in handy.
You should consider taking a small meal or snacks as a rule of thumb. Crackers, noodles, rice, potatoes, nuts, and fruits like bananas can move the needle for you. According to a Science Direct study, 88.5% of gynecologists recommend snacking on soda crackers to manage morning sickness.
3. Eat Appropriate Foods
Apart from spacing your meals accordingly, you should also pay attention to what foods you eat. One way to go about it is to identify possible foods that trigger nausea and vomiting. Typical foods to avoid are often spicy, fatty, and greasy.
But this isn’t a hard rule. While some pregnant women find these foods disgusting, they work perfectly fine for others. You may have to test different foods to find out what works and doesn’t work for you. This way, you’ll know what to avoid and what to take in.
The best food choice to manage morning sickness is high in protein, mildly salty, and easy to digest. For starters, the BRAT diet is a great place to start, according to the Familydoctor. The BRAT diet stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.
4. Get more Rest
Experts in the medical field agree sleep is one of the best ways to deal with morning sickness. Americanpregnacy.org recommends staying in bed a little longer when you wake up in the morning. Leaving the bed one hour later after waking up helps greatly.
You may also consider taking a day from work to help rejuvenate your body. You’re carrying life inside of you, which is consuming a lot of your energy. Taking rest from all the struggles and hassles of the day can help manage morning sickness.
Lastly, going away on vacation early in your first trimester also goes a long way. So, if you can, you should consider this option as well.
5. Breath Fresh Air
According to a PubMed study, the strong odor can trigger nausea and vomiting in pregnant women. Some odors are innocuous for some women before pregnancy, but the situation changes during pregnancy. It’s recommended to avoid a strong odor if it can trigger nausea ad vomiting.
But when you can’t avoid the strong odor, the best way to remedy the situation is to walk out of the room. This will work if you’re in the house or at work. You can also open the windows, doors, and other ventilation systems to let fresh air into the room.
Probably, you’re in a stuffy elevator, and there’s a strong odor in there. Sniffing a fresh scent can help when you can’t open windows or doors or leave a stuffy room. Sniffing lemon extract or fresh rosemary can help stop queasiness.
6. Tak about it
Nausea and vomiting are mostly triggered by oneself or others. This can be from some type of food, soap, or even perfume. Once you know what triggers your morning sickness, it’s best to talk about it because it’s not a good idea to suffer in silence.
Talk to your roommate or spouse and let them know what triggers your morning sickness. Also, ask them to stop any activity that triggers your nausea and vomiting. This can be the perfume they wear or the food they cook. If possible, they shouldn’t use them for a while until your condition gets better.
7. Drink a lot of Water
Drinking a lot of water helps with morning sickness. But it can be a daunting task when your stomach can’t hold anything down. You almost have no choice but to drink a lot of water when staying hydrated is the sure way to prevent nausea and vomiting.
8. Use Motion Sickness Bands
A PubMed.gov study confirms applying pressure on the P6 pressure point on your wrists can curb morning sickness. This is medically known as Acupressure. You’ll need an Acupressure wristband, which you can get hassle-free without a prescription.
The best part is that you can improvise an acupressure wristband if you don’t have one. Place your three fingers on your wrist and apply little pressure on the P6 pressure point. It’s directly below your index fingers.
9. Consider Medication
The medication goes a long way, especially when the remedies aren’t working as expected. This is why you should consider seeing a doctor if the situation is worsening instead of improving. Often doctors will recommend prenatal vitamins like vitamin B6 and Unisom sleep aid.
Stronger prescription medications like acid reflux blocker, scopolamine, and trimethobenzamide can also move the needle for you, especially if other medications aren’t kicking in.
Wrapping Up
Finding morning sickness medication by yourself can be daunting, especially when you don’t know where to look. Luckily for you, this is where Binto comes to your rescue. We help women go through their life cycles like pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause. We have high-quality ingredients and Binto supplements to ease your morning sickness discomforts. So, be sure to contact us for any inquiries!
