My Top 10 Easy Ways to Relieve Morning Sickness
I started having morning sickness at 3 weeks pregnant which was about a week before I found out. (Click here to read about how I found out I was pregnant!) Having emetophobia, I was TERRIFIED at the thought of this feeling lasting or potentially getting worse for the next 9+ weeks, so I basically panicked and started buying and trying everything I could get my hands on to either relieve or prevent it. I know many people struggle with this common pregnancy side effect so I wanted to share my list in case it helps at least one person out there. So, here are my top 10 easy ways to relieve morning sickness!
Motion Sickness Bands
These are the motion sickness bands I bought off Amazon. They shipped fast, (thanks, Amazon), and I put them on the instant they arrived. I will say, these didn't help ALL the time, but they did take the edge off.
DoTERRA Ginger Drops
These are very much so an acquired taste... but let's face it- I was desperate. They are SPICY in a very gingery way lol. Ginger is a known nausea tamer, so I was pretty confident these would work. As long as they aren't triggering, I'd definitely give them a try. You can find them on my doTERRA website by clicking here and searching for Ginger Drops.
Constantly eating crackers- Ritz, Saltines, Gold Fish, Triscuits, etc.
This may sound counter-intuitive, but honestly never letting yourself get hungry is a GAME CHANGER. I'm talking- constant. eating. Even when I got up to pee 12 times a night, I'd have a cracker or 2 every time.
Morning Sickness Tea
This Red Rooibos tea contains ginger and peach. Red rooibos is great for taming upset stomachs, and we've already talked about ginger-another great tummy tamer.
Morning Sickness Candy
For whatever reason, sour candies are great for helping with nausea. I'm not too clear on the science on this, but hey- worth a try, right?
Eating small, frequent meals of whatever you can stomach.
I stuck to cheese sticks, pasta, peanut butter crackers, honestly if it was a carb- it was a YES for me. I didn't let myself eat too much though, because being full brought the nausea back. Oh, and I also steered clear of ultra greasy foods and hard to digest foods.
Sprite/Ginger Ale/Gatorade/ ICE COLD Water
For the first few weeks, Ginger Ale and Sprite were my go-tos. I'm not sure if it was the carbonation or the syrup or what but they really did help. Then I went through a Gatorade phase where that's literally all I wanted to drink (specifically orange Gatorade??) I couldn't stomach water unless it was mostly ice- and this went on until halfway through my 2nd trimester. I don't hate water as much now (I'm 26 weeks while writing this), but I definitely still prefer it very very cold if not full of ice whereas before I was pregnant, I hardly ever had ice in my water.
DigestZen, Ginger Oil, Peppermint Oil
Again with the Ginger, we get it! I hear you, I hear you. BUT. It really does help. Smelling it, consuming it, wearing it, etc. I tried to get every form I could handle. Additionally, DigestZen is DoTERRA's digestive discomfort blend of essential oils (one I will scream from the rooftops about the benefits of, but I digress), so it has been a definite constant in my life really the whole time I've been pregnant. Then there's peppermint. Soothing, cooling, relieving, etc. There's not much a touch of peppermint can't help. Click here for my doTERRA website where you can search for these 3 essential oils.
Avoiding ANY and ALL triggering smells/sights/topics.
Just do it. I remember talking about a semi-yucky thing with Derek in the car on the way to dinner one night. I felt the gag before it happened so I just yelled NO NONONONO and he stopped talking long enough for me to clear my mind and get everything back under control lol. Later I told him why I had such an outburst and he just laughed. *rolls eyes*
Lots of naps.
Seriously, your body is working overtime right now. You need way more sleep and rest than you are used to getting. If you're able, take that afternoon cat nap and then roll into bed early every night on top of that. Trust me, you'll love it. If you don't have the luxury of sleeping more, make sure to take a few extra minutes so you can either do some deep breathing or some extra couch laying.
I hope you are able to find relief in some way, even if it's not from a method or product I've mentioned above! Just remember, Mama, YOU'VE GOT THIS!! You are strong and capable and built to handle this season of life. Share your own tips below- I know EVERYONE will appreciate them!
Talk to you soon!
Love, Jessica