Morning sickness is a common symptom many pregnant women experience. The name implies that the overwhelming feeling of nausea only happens in the morning, which isn’t necessarily true. Morning sickness can happen at any time throughout the day or night. Sometimes, it’s also accompanied by vomiting. That nauseous feeling typically starts around the nine-week mark and lasts for the first three months.
For some women, morning sickness begins to wane at the back end of the first trimester. For others, though, it can last much longer, with many moms-to-be dealing with nausea and vomiting throughout the whole pregnancy. Of course, that horrible nauseousness can keep women from doing the things they want and need to do during the day. Thankfully, there are foods that fight nausea during pregnancy that can help keep morning sickness on the back burner. If you’re combatting morning sickness, give these foods a try.
Foods that fight nausea during pregnancy
For most women, morning sickness is manageable. However, a small percentage develop hyperemesis gravidarum, which is when severe nausea and vomiting cause dehydration and weight loss, resulting in a possible hospital stay. The majority of women can deal with their morning sickness with home remedies like foods and drinks, which help ease the nauseous feeling.
Before trying anything, it’s always prudent to talk to your doctor. While morning sickness is a normal part of pregnancy, it’s always a good idea to let your obstetrician know what you’re experiencing. These foods have been known to combat nausea during pregnancy.
Crackers
Your mom probably told you all about this one. Saltine crackers have long been touted as a way to keep morning sickness away. Keep some saltines by your bed and have one first thing in the morning. Doing so is a way to keep the nausea at bay. Carry some with you throughout the day, too.
Ginger
Ginger root or ginger has quite a few health benefits. One perk is fighting nausea and aiding digestion. You’ll find ginger in the spice aisle of your grocery store and ginger root where the produce is. You can use fresh ginger to make tea. Simply cut up fresh ginger and place it in a pot of boiling water. Allow the ginger to boil in the pot for about five minutes. Cool and strain before enjoying your ginger tea, iced or hot. You can even add a slice of lemon to the water while it’s boiling. Once it’s cooled, you can even make ginger ice cubes to suck on. Caffeine-free ginger ale is another way to use ginger to ease your nausea.
Bananas
This yellow fruit is packed with potassium and vitamin B6. Both of these are known to help with that yucky, nauseous feeling.
Dry foods
Remember when you were nauseous as a kid and mom would give you dry toast? Well, there’s a reason for that. Foods like dry toast and a plain bagel work to calm an upset tummy, thanks to the starch. Since dry foods are relatively bland, they aren’t very likely to ignite a wave of morning sickness. So, try starting off the day with dry toast or a bagel. Cereal without milk, pretzels, and brown rice are tummy-claiming options, too.
Peppermint
Like ginger, peppermint has long been known for its health perks. Peppermint aids in digestion, relieves gas, and yes, it helps with nausea. Peppermint tea is a caffeine-free drink that can help soothe a wave of morning sickness. Drink it warm or iced. You can also try sucking on peppermint candies.
Watermelon
This fruit is a popular summertime snack, but it’s also great for relieving nausea. Snacking on watermelon helps hydrate, too, if you’re dealing with nausea and vomiting.
Lemons
Lemons are too sour to eat, but they are a great addition to water and tea. It turns out lemons can battle morning sickness as well. If you don’t like drinking lemon water or adding a slice to your tea, try sniffing a sliced lemon. A 2014 research study found that smelling lemons actually worked to alleviate morning symptoms.
Cold foods
Sometimes, food smells can cause a wave of morning sickness to get rolling. Since most hot foods have an aroma, try sticking with cold foods. Chilled foods like salads, sorbet, and ice cream don’t necessarily have an obnoxious odor.
Protein
Adding protein to your diet is always important. During pregnancy, though, protein can help lessen morning sickness. Try snacking on Greek yogurt. It’s cold and offers a burst of protein. Nuts are another great source of protein and are dry. Two ways in one to help combat morning sickness.
Applesauce
This is another mom remedy when you had tummy troubles as a kid. Pediatricians often recommend applesauce for kids getting over a stomach bug because it’s easy on the tummy and packed with fiber. When using applesauce to ease morning sickness, stick to the unsweetened brands.
Everyone knows how awful that rolling, nauseous feeling is. Imagine dealing with that every day on top of the other pregnancy symptoms. Eating foods that fight nausea during pregnancy can help ease morning sickness and help give you the energy to tackle your day. Remember, even though morning sickness is a normal part of pregnancy, always talk to your doctor about the symptoms you’re experiencing. If morning sickness is so bad that you can’t keep anything down, call your physician.
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