Looking for natural morning sickness remedies to ease your queasiness? Find the best, sometimes surprising, ways to reduce pregnancy nausea naturally.
About half of pregnant women will experience vomiting during early pregnancy, and even more—up to 80 percent of women—will experience nausea to some extent along the way. So what can you do to feel better? These natural morning sickness remedies can help you get through those rough weeks (and maybe even avoid morning sickness all together).
How to avoid and treat morning sickness
First and foremost, make sure you are doing the basics… like eating a balanced diet, sleeping at least eight hours a night, and getting fresh air and exercise most days.
Here are some basic tips to eat well even when you’re feeling lousy:
- Don’t let yourself get too hungry. You may not need a lot of extra calories daily, but you will probably find that you are hungry more often than usual, so a healthy snack (or 4!) is a great idea.
- Eat nutritionally-dense foods. If you are too nauseous in the first trimester, stick to brown rice with sea salt, gelatin and avocado thrown in smoothies for extra protein, bone broth, fresh fruits (gummies may go down well), and anything else that you can stomach.
- Eat balanced meals. As best as you can, eat balanced meals with adequate protein, fat, and complex carbs for the best blood sugar regulation.
- Keep snacks handy. Keep food by your bed to nibble on before getting up in the morning. Some moms do better with carbs to help offset the nausea (think bananas and crackers), while others feel better on protein and fats.
- Don’t take prenatal supplements on an empty stomach. Consider taking these after dinner when your stomach is full and less susceptible to queasiness. Food-based prenatals are easier on the stomach, too.
- Try bubbly beverages. Fizzy beverages, like seltzer or ginger ale, may help settle the belly. Kombucha is another option and is safe for most moms.
- Avoid spicy or greasy food. A bland diet is the way to go when struggling with nausea. Spicy food may contribute to heartburn and greasy food is difficult to digest. Both of these things can lead to increased nausea.
- Chew gum. Some moms find chewing a piece of gum immediately after a meal takes away some of the nausea. Don’t chew for more than 10 minutes, as too much chewing could cause heartburn.
- Avoid strong odors. There are studies that suggest offending aromas smell twice as strong to pregnant women.
Natural morning sickness remedies
When the above steps aren’t enough to make those early weeks bearable, consider these morning sickness remedies—but always talk to your doctor before adding any of these products to your regime.
1. Vitamin B6
Natural Morning Sickness Remedies 10 Things That Really Work post by Mama Natural – Vitamin B6
This is the classic morning sickness remedy. In fact, The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recommends this over-the-counter vitamin as a remedy for nausea—just note it may not help with vomiting.
Talk to your healthcare provider about any supplementation during pregnancy to see what dosage is right for you, but your doctor of midwife will probably recommend somewhere between 10-25 milligrams every 8 hours.
This is a short-term fix and it takes a couple of days to take effect, but it really can make a difference.
2. Papaya enzymes
Natural Morning Sickness Remedies 10 Things That Really Work post by Mama Natural – Papaya enzymes
Digestive enzymes can help you break down your food for optimal digestion, which helps avoid queasiness. One of the most popular morning sickness remedies is papaya enzymes, because it contains pepsin—a compound that helps break down proteins and naturally prepare the body for digestion.
Monolaurin supplements are another option for supporting your gut health. Pink Stork makes a monolaurin supplement specifically for morning sickness.
3. Ginger
Natural Morning Sickness Remedies 10 Things That Really Work post by Mama Natural – Ginger
Numerous studies suggest ginger reduces nausea and vomiting. Because of this, it’s a one of the most popular morning sickness remedies.
Try ginger tea, ginger smoothies, natural ginger ale, and ginger chews or drops at many health food stores including Whole Foods.
4. Peppermint
Natural Morning Sickness Remedies 10 Things That Really Work post by Mama Natural – Peppermint
Peppermint is great for soothing an upset stomach. You can get relief from things like tea or natural candies. Some moms find peppermint essential oil also provides enough relief.
5. Magnesium
Natural Morning Sickness Remedies 10 Things That Really Work post by Mama Natural – Magnesium
Some studies suggest magnesium deficiency (a very common problem today!) can exacerbate morning sickness.
If you’re looking for morning sickness remedies, eat plenty of high-magnesium foods like leafy greens, nuts and seeds, and legumes. You can also Increase your magnesium stores through supplements or directly through the skin via epsom salt baths or magnesium oil.
6. Homeopathic remedies
Natural Morning Sickness Remedies 10 Things That Really Work post by Mama Natural – Homeopathic remedies
Some homeopathic options are gentle and safe morning sickness remedies, but always talk to your doctor before taking anything. Here are some popular options, as recommended by Joette Calabrese, a very well-respected homeopath:
- Pulsatilla 30c: This is a great remedy to start with and works well for general bouts of nausea.
- Nux vomica 30: This is a good remedy if you’re experiencing vomiting or constipation.
- Ipecac 30: If you’re constantly nauseas and/or vomiting, try this remedy for a quick fix.
- Sepia 30c: If you’re nauseas or vomiting, but still hungry, try this natural remedy.
- Natrum Phos. 6X: Try this if you are also experiencing acid reflux or heartburn.
- Natrum Muriaticum 6X: This is also used for morning sickness and may even help baby get into an optimal position for birth.
7. Dandelion root tea
Natural Morning Sickness Remedies 10 Things That Really Work post by Mama Natural – Dandelion root tea
The liver is under a huge strain when you’re pregnant. Not only does it need to keep up with regular maintenance, but it has to process all of the added pregnancy hormones, too. And when the liver isn’t working well, digestion doesn’t work well.
Try dandelion root tea for liver support.
8. Citrus fruits
Natural Morning Sickness Remedies 10 Things That Really Work post by Mama Natural – Citrus fruits
It may sound counterintuitive, but grapefruit neutralizes stomach acid, which may help stave off morning sickness. (source) Try eating one grapefruit after each meal — I did this with my daughter and it worked wonders! You can also try lemon water or sugar-free lemonade for similar results.
Morning sickness elixir – Combine 1 Tbs. of raw apple cider vinegar in 1 quart of water; add the juice of 2 lemons and 1 Tbs. of raw honey, and mix. Drink throughout the day. This elixir is very alkalizing and great for alleviating a sour stomach.
9. Potatoes
Natural Morning Sickness Remedies 10 Things That Really Work post by Mama Natural – Potatoes
I found that eating potatoes helped with my morning sickness. It may be because they absorb excess stomach acid or maybe because they have alkalizing properties.
10. Acupressure
Natural Morning Sickness Remedies 10 Things That Really Work post by Mama Natural – Acupressure
Pressure points can be an amazing relief for some women who are suffering from morning sickness. There are three great pressure points you can do at home. To practice acupressure, place firm pressure on the chosen point for two minutes. For maximum benefit, repeat this every two hours.
Here are some points to try:
- KID 6 – This point is one thumb width below the protruding bone on your foot.
- KID 27 – Feel your collar bone. Use your thumb to notice the depression in the middle of your breastbone. Two thumbs width to either side of that, just below the collar bone is the pressure point.
- PC 6 – Look at your inner wrist. Measure three finger widths from the hand up your wrist. This is the pressure point. This is also the pressure point that is targeted with sea bands. Sea bands can be a no-fuss way of getting acupressure benefits.
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How long does morning sickness usually last?
Morning sickness usually begins around 4–6 weeks (0–2 weeks after a missed period) and usually subsides by 12–14 weeks. However, some women have a condition, hyperemesis gravidarum, that makes morning sickness not only severe, but possibly life-threatening, and it can last throughout the entire pregnancy.
All in all, morning sickness is usually not the end of the world, and will pass in time. Actually, according to this study, morning sickness may be a good sign that your pregnancy is healthy (though lack of morning sickness doesn’t mean it’s an unhealthy pregnancy!). That’s good news for those days when morning sickness hits the hardest.
How about YOU?
Did (or do) you have morning sickness? Did any natural morning sickness remedies work for you? Share with us in the comments below!
