Morning Sickness: A sickness during pregnancy that is supposed to be in the morning, but lasts all day.
I don’t know why they call it morning sickness.
I have never woke up sick and then felt better around noon. If I’m sick, I’m sick until it’s gone gone.
It’s all day, all night, and I’m going to be honest…it sucks.
There are varying degrees of morning sickness:
Some moms get sick from day one until week 40. There’s no relief and can sometimes end up in the hospital due to dehydration. (I’m sorry, mama).
Some moms get sick just in the first trimester, so they start to feel better after about 12-14 weeks.
For some, it comes and goes. Some days they get lucky and wake up feeling great, and other times they feel like crap.
Then there are those very lucky few who don’t get sick at all. They almost love being pregnant (I have a few friends that do!)
Morning Sickness also varies in type of sickness.
Some women throw up 1-2 times a day or 8-10 times a day.
Others don’t even throw up, they just feel sick.
But throwing up doesn’t do anything to relieve the pain, it’s just an added bonus. ;).
My morning sickness last from about 5 weeks-16 weeks and I usually throw up about 2x within that period. I don’t throw up all the time, but I feel like I’m going to throw up ALL.THE.TIME.
Why does morning sickness exist
There is a nice little hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) that causes this morning sickness.
This is also the nice little hormone that tells you you’re pregnant when you pee on a stick.
It is at its highest level during the first trimester of pregnancy, which is why the nausea can usually go away after the first trimester.
But, they say, it’s a good sign to have morning sickness because it means the placenta is most likely forming properly.
Side note: I can sometimes feel nauseous at random times throughout my pregnancy if I don’t eat or drink enough water. So even though your morning sickness might be over, you could still experience some nausea.
How do you relieve morning sickness
Morning sickness is not exactly something you can just make go away, but it is something you can probably relieve.
You just kinda have to experiment and find which one works for you. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don’t.
Several of my friends and people I know have tried these, and have very good results. I can’t ever find anything that helps me for more than a day. It’s like my body learns how to go around it.
I’ll point out the ones that worked best for me. I think it at least decreased the intensity.
Related: 10 Ways to relieve colic in your colicky baby
21 Ways to relieve Morning Sickness
Drink lots of water
Every time I’m pregnant, I carry a water bottle around with me EVERY WHERE I GO!
Someone once told me “every time I see you, you have that water bottle, now I can’t even picture you without it”.
That’s because every time I felt like I was going to throw up, I took a drink of water. It helped to settle my stomach just enough to keep going. It also kept my stomach feeling full when I didn’t want to eat.
I don’t know why, but the hungrier you are when you’re pregnant, the more nauseous you feel.
I like to carry around a water bottle that keeps my water cold all day, and Yeti really is an awesome brand for that! This one is my favorite. I don’t have to unscrew anything to use it.
Eat Whatever Sounds Good
Even though I was feeling nauseous, there was always one thing that sounded good. I could only eat that one thing. It’s crazy.
With my last pregnancy it was apples, popcorn, or wonton soup. So weird.
But try to think of something that sounds good, and eat it!
You don’t want to become malnourished or end up in the ER because you can’t eat anything. (sometimes it is avoidable, and my heart goes out to you, momma).
Eat Small Meals
Try to eat small meals throughout the day. I don’t know why this helps, but it does.
The second I feel hunger, I eat. If I let it go too long, then I get more and more nauseous until I can’t eat anything and just end up going to bed. Haha.
Always have a snack on you, and don’t stuff yourself at every meal so that you can’t eat snacks later.
I don’t know why it works, it just does.
Medication
Talk to your doctor about getting on a medication.
I know a common medication is Diclegis. These do not work for me, but I have a friend who swears by them.
Be careful though, some of those medications can be pretty pricey and aren’t always covered by insurance.
OTC Medications
You can try over the counter medications. However, don’t just try something, talk to your doctor first about it. Make sure it’s what works best for you and the baby.
My doctor recommended combining Unisom and Vitamin B6, this is the brand I used.
Apparently these combined help with nausea and are safe for you and the baby. I would take them at night since the Unisom, obviously, makes you drowsy.
I felt like these lessened the intensity of my nausea, but didn’t fully take it away.
I did sleep a little better.
Remember, talk to your doctor.
Speaking of sleep, you’ll want that Pregnancy Pillow for that 3rd Trimester. AH-MAZing. Use my promo code SLEEP101 and get $50 off your pregnancy pillow!
Tea
Chamomile tea is supposed to help with nausea. I tried it a few times.
It didn’t really relieve my nausea, but it was something I could sip on and feel like made me feel better mentally, if that makes any sense.
Another tea would be a tea that has ginger in it. This pink stork brand has a lot of different types of teas and other helpful pregnancy remedies. They can be found at Target and Amazon as well!
Avoid getting hot
When you’re over heated, it only adds to the nausea.
It’s easy to get overheated when you’re pregnant anyway, so try to avoid it.
Have someone else cook
Sometimes something sounded so good to me, but after cooking it, I couldn’t eat it.
Try having someone else cook for you, or plan to eat out more.
Related: The Ultimate Postpartum Kit
Lemon, Ginger, Cinnamon
This one didn’t really relieve my nausea, but I love the smell.
Boil a lemon, some ginger, and/or cinnamon sticks on the stove and let it fume the house.
Studies show that pregnant women were finding relief in smelling lemon. It’s something to do with toxins.
Try it, at least you can make your house smell good.
Lemon Drops
Lemon Drops helped while I was sucking on them, so we became best friends.
I bought so many bags. These are definitely worth a try, and they aren’t that expensive.
Lemon Water
Last lemon one. You could try lemon water.
Add a lemon water to your water bottle.
Fresh Air
When I was pregnant with my second, my daughter and I would spend hours at the park.
Just breathing the fresh air, and not having to smell anything, was so nice and relaxing.
Try to also go on walks, it’s hard when you’re feeling sick, but it can help.
Bands
These I haven’t tried, but will keep in mind if we get pregnant again.
They are interesting, and a lot of people say they work. It’s worth a shot.
This one is only $5.00. I can do anything for $5.00.
Ginger Suckers or Preggy Pops
You could try the ginger suckers. I absolutely can’t stand the taste of ginger, so I could not muster these.
I tried them, and just couldn’t do it. I like the lemon drops much better.
Although, the Preggie Pops have a lot more flavors, which I am willing to try.
Salty foods
Saltine crackers are your friend. They are good for the flu, and they are good for morning sickness.
Just keep a few packets by your bed for when you get up in the morning.
They didn’t really take away my nausea, but I could eat them at almost any time, so I was getting some food.
Related: 42 Funny Motherhood Quotes to Make you Laugh out Loud
Eat first thing in the morning
Don’t wait too long after you wake up to eat. Like eat within the first 5 minutes.
It helps to have something in your stomach before nausea sets in, which might help make you feel less nauseous.
Keep some saltines by your bed.
Freezer Pops
Another thing I haven’t tried, but will try the next go around.
They look tasty, and healthy AND could help with the nasty feeling on your tongue and nausea.
Honestly, if you can find something to suck on that you like, try it! A few minutes of relief is better than no relief. (don’t let your mind go to the gutter, although if you’ve got morning sickness you’re probably far from the gutter.)
Ice cubes are another thing you could try and suck on.
Ginger Ale
Really anything ginger is supposed to help.
You could sip on some Ginger Ale
Ginger Chewing Gum
This is new to me, it’s probably disgusting, but what if it’s not?
Check it out and Try it.
Watermelon
This is also supposed to help. I don’t know if it’s because it is easy to eat, or mostly made of water, but worth a try!
Magnesium Spray
I have never heard of magnesium spray, but this is another one I am willing to try. I don’t know, but you could check it out and let me know! 
Related: What is postpartum depression and when does it happen?
Final Thoughts
I know pregnancy can be hard, especially in the beginning because you don’t feel like you have a baby inside you. You aren’t feeling it yet, you’re not growing yet, and you’re just waiting for that first ultrasound.
I totally get it, so I hope you find some relief with these remedies.
Hang in there momma, it will all be worth it in the end!
If you need a pregnancy planner, check out the Oh Baby Pregnancy Planner, made by moms, for moms!
If you know of any other morning sickness remedies, I’d love to hear them!
