7 Ways to Ease Morning Sickness

Morning sickness is often the first sign of pregnancy, as it can start as early as 2 weeks after conception. Despite the name, you can feel ill at any time of the day, although as an empty stomach is thought to be one of the triggers then mornings are a common time for it to appear.

Not every pregnant woman will experience morning sickness, although most do to some degree, and it can vary from a feeling of mild nausea or queasiness ranging up to feeling truly dreadful and unable to keep any food or liquids down. The severity of the effects seems to be greatest in women with a history of migraine or travel sickness.

The Cause
It's not known exactly what causes it, but most doctors agree that the changes in hormone
levels that pregnancy triggers are the most major factor. One of the effects of these
hormones is to change the way your digestive system works, which can lead to higher levels
of acid.

Another possible cause is that many women experience a heightened sense of taste and smell
while pregnant, which can make nausea feel worse when unpleasant or strong odours are
around.

Finally, tiredness and stress play a part, and most pregnant women are tired and stressed a
lot of the time!

Morning sickness can occur over the full range of your pregnancy, but most women find that
it more or less disappears by around 14 weeks as hormone levels in the body stabilise.

The Cure
There are dozens and dozens of traditional 'cures' for the feelings of nausea, with every
mother having an opinion on the subject! The fact is that every woman's body is different
and so no single thing will work for everyone. However, there are some simple things to try
which can help most feel better.


1. Ask your doctor whether you can take vitamin B6. A dose of approximately 100 mg per day
has been shown to reduce the feeling of nausea. Yoghurt and whole grains are good sources
of vitamin B6.

2. Eat foods rich in the B vitamins: examples are nuts, chicken, fish, liver and advocados.

3. Take frequent sips of liquids such as water, soup, tea, and lemonade. This can help in
two ways: when you vomit you loose a lot of fluids and it is important to keep your body
hyderated at all times; and it also makes vomiting less unpleasant if you have something to
bring up.

4. Avoid foods with strong smells such as spicy or fried foods as such dishes can make you
feel queasy and induce vomiting.

5. Snack little and often. When you go to bed place biscuits or muffins at your bedside and
nibble these if you wake in the night.

6. Foods high in carbohydrates are more likely to stay down and will ward off hunger.
Recommended foods are breads, rice and pasta.

7. Another great antidote for morning sickness is ginger which comes in different forms
such as fresh ginger, ginger powder, dried ginger tablet or capsules, ginger ale, ginger
snaps, and ginger tea.

Morning sickness is the least enjoyable part of being pregnant. How long it lasts varies
from women to women. Just keep reminding yourself that it will end.