What helps with morning sickness?

The first three months of pregnancy are often accompanied by the typical nausea, medically called vomiting. For some pregnant women, the nausea does not occur at all, for others it lasts much longer. The extent can also vary greatly, not only from woman to woman, but also from pregnancy to pregnancy. Some women also experience vomiting. And almost everyone who has to deal with this sooner or later wonders if anything can help. I would like to give you a few tips that can help, but don't have to. My midwife also told me that there is no patent remedy for this nausea.

Eat and drink regularly

The only "remedy" that helped me somewhat was to eat small meals regularly and, of course, to drink. As soon as my blood sugar level dropped, my stomach made itself known. So I had to eat something every hour for weeks to make the nausea somewhat bearable. It was not easy to eat against the nausea, and many will agree with me, because I felt really miserable and had to overcome the disgust of eating every time. But it also quickly became clear to me that without eating it only got worse.

For many pregnant women, nausea is worst in the morning because the stomach is empty then. To be able to get up at all, it helps to have a little something to eat right at the bedside. For example, banana or a dry slice of bread helped me, as well as sweet tea.

Acupuncture

I continue with the point acupuncture, because this really helped me well. But again, not all pregnant women respond the same way to the needles. A midwife who has experience with acupuncture can certainly help you with this. By the way, the costs for acupuncture for pregnancy complaints are usually paid by the health insurance. The midwife will place different needles (for me it was always between 5 and 10) on different points of the body meridians. I usually felt a clear relief already while she was placing the needles. How long this effect lasts varies greatly from a few hours to a week.

Homeopathy

Many women also report that homeopathic remedies can provide relief. These can be taken, for example, in the form of Schüßler salts or globules. Nux vomica or magnesium carbonicum, among others, could help here. When using homeopathic remedies, however, I would always contact an experienced midwife or doctor to find the right remedy. This person can also give advice. Sometimes it happens that there is an aggravation before the nausea improves.

Aromatherapy

I have read several times that different aromas can also be very effective for pregnancy nausea. I have not tried this myself and do not know anything about it, which is why I would recommend contacting an experienced midwife or doctor. Some pregnant women find the smell of lemon helpful.

Fresh air

On some mornings, it helped me to take a relaxing walk in the fresh air, which eased the nausea somewhat. Especially in the winter months, the dry heating air can be exhausting, so getting some fresh air not only helps with nausea.

Other options

The following tips only occasionally help women or are considered pleasant. I still want to list them because I know how exhausting this nausea can be. For one, ginger tea or ginger candies can provide some relief, as can chewing gum or taking some glucose. It is often recommended to take Nausema (vitamin B6), but in my case it tended to make the nausea worse. But it is worth a try. Depending on how you react to the nausea, heat or cold could be considered pleasant. Some women swear by acupressure bands that stimulate certain points on the wrist (these points also play a role in acupuncture). You can get such a band through a pharmacy.

Theoretically, you can also take Vomex (an anti-nausea medication with the active ingredient dimenhydrinate) during pregnancy. The drug is available in tablet and suppository form. However, you should consult a doctor before taking it. If there is no other way and you are just throwing up, you can also consider with your midwife or doctor whether a stay in hospital could ease the situation somewhat.

Otherwise, unfortunately, the only thing that helps is to hang in there. It will pass eventually. I also had to learn to slow down and accept help. Calmness is really important and you should organize help if you can't do it any other way. In the end, I told myself at some point that I just have to get through this day and then the next day will come. At the same time, I'm glad that the nausea didn't last that much longer in both pregnancies.

If you have any other tips for pregnancy nausea, I'd love to read about them in the comments.

The cover image is a photo by Dominik Martin and comes from unsplash.com.