The Best Natural Morning Sickness Remedies To Ease The Nausea

One minute you are searching Pinterest for cute nursery ideas and the next you are sprinting to the restroom hoping to make it in time.

Pregnancy is full of lots of joys, and some miseries, that’s for sure.

If you are one of the unlucky women who experiences nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (and around 70% of women do), then you are likely hoping to find some natural morning sickness remedies to help you start enjoying these special months.

This page contains affiliate links meaning I earn a commission if you use those links. Please read my affiliate disclosure for more information.

There are a number of things you can try that can help to improve or even eliminate your symptoms but the most important thing you can do is listen to your body.

You might find that only carbs make you feel good or that sour green apples (that was me!) are the only thing to stop the sickness.

If you are just found out you are pregnant, make sure to sign up for a prenatal class as soon as you can.

Also make sure to sign up for as many baby freebies as you can, the sooner the better in case they take some time to arrive.

Check out my list here – Ultimate List of Baby Freebies For New & Expectant Moms

First of all, what is morning sickness?

In reality, the name morning sickness is a misnomer as the feeling of nausea in can actually occur at any time of day or night in the first few months of pregnancy.

Morning sickness varies from woman to woman with some only feeling faintly nauseous while others are barely able to keep any food down for weeks.

Can you be pregnant and not have morning sickness?

Absolutely. Although morning sickness is caused mainly by the increase in hCG hormones in your body, an absence of sickness does not mean that your hormone levels are low or that you are going to miscarry.

Some women, especially those who have gone through infertility treatments are often worried if their morning sickness suddenly subsides or if they never feel sick.

When does morning sickness start?

Nausea often sets in around the 4th week of pregnancy, at about the same time as your positive pregnancy test. That’s one of the reason that morning sickness is a huge sign that you might be pregnant.

What causes morning sickness?

There are a few things that are thought to cause morning sickness in women although in reality, no one knows for sure why some women get sick while others don’t.

Rising hormone levels – the flood of the hCG hormone into your body in early pregnancy is thought to be the main cause of morning sickness.
Low Blood Sugar – for me, this was the cause of all my pregnancy nausea. I found that eating small, regular meals helped keep the sickness at bay. It’s useful to always keep a granola bar in your purse for emergencies.
Electrolyte deficiency – some women find upping their electrolyte levels helps stop their nausea.

How long does morning sickness last?

For most pregnant women, morning sickness disappears by the end of the first trimester or around 12 weeks. Some unlucky ladies experience morning sickness that lasts throughout their pregnancy.

It is also relatively common for morning sickness to come and go so you might experience a lull in second trimester but more nausea as you reach the end of your pregnancy.

If your morning sickness becomes extreme to the point that you can’t keeo any food down, you might have hyperemesis gravidarum.

What is hyperemesis gravidarum?

When morning sickness becomes extreme and causes weight loss and dehydration, hyperemesis gravidarum might be diagnosed.

You might have heard of hyperemesis gravidarum as it was in the news a lot when Kate Middleton was pregnant with her first child. She had to be hospitalized with HE as it can cause extreme dehydration

How can you tell if you should contact a healthcare professional about your morning sickness?

The American Pregnancy Association has a helpful chart to determine how severe your sickness is:

morning sickness v hyperemesis gravidarum

Source: The American Pregnancy Association

10 Natural Morning Sickness Remedies

Although there are medications you can get from your doctor, most bouts of morning sickness are easily relieved with some natural remedies that you can try at home.

Foods To Eat To Avoid Morning Sickness

Although food might be the furthest thing from your mind when you are spending half your day in the bathroom, the best natural cures for morning sickness begin with your diet.

First of all let’s just run through some foods that seem to trigger nausea in a lot of women:

Raw Meat (when cooking), especially chicken
Any foods with a strong smell such as cauliflower or peanut butter
Spicy or fatty foods that can irritate your stomach

The best foods for keeping the nausea at bay include:

Ginger

Ginger has been used throughout centuries as a natural sickness tamer. Try a cup of ginger and peach tea or sip on a glass of real ginger ale.

Crackers

I kept a box of plain crackers by my bed for early morning nausea. They are plain enough to not set any sickness off and good for giving you a quick burst of food if your blood sugar is low.

Popsicles

Many women find sickness relief from eating cold foods such as freezies and popsicles. You could make your own with juice or buy natural frozen juice pops such as these organic ones.

Sour Candy

I know this sounds very weird but for some reason sour candy such as Sour Patch Kids and green apple Jolly Ranchers really help to keep the nausea at bay. It may be that the sourness detracts from the nausea but many women (including me!) swear by them.

You can even buy Preggie Pop Drops which are organic lollipops especially for pregnant women. They come in three flavours – sour raspberry, sour lemon and green apple.

Peppermint

Peppermint is great for settling a quesy stomach. You can drink peppermint tea or suck on a natural peppermint candy.

Lemon

Lemon is another great natural natural for easing your morning sickness. Try squeezing half a lemon into a cup of warm water every morning or even using a naturally scented lemon candle in your home.

Other natural morning sickness remedies to try

Vitamin B6

Research has shown that vitamin B6 can significantly decrease morning sickness and nausea levels in pregnant women. Although B6 is found in prenatal tablets, if your morning sickness is bad, you can start with 25mg of B6 three times a day.

Check with your doctor before starting this regime though and take your bottle of prenatals to your appointment.

Using Sea Bands for morning sickness

Sea Bands are bracelets that you can wear to prevent morning sickness. They work through acupressure and are a great non-medical option to try.

I’ve used Sea Bands for morning sickness as well as motion sickness while sailing and they really do work wonders!

Essential Oils For Morning Sickness

Essential oils can be used either in a diffuser or added to a warm bath to help ease your morning sickness. The best essential oils to try are:

Lemon

Fennel

Peppermint

Ginger

Orange

**It is best to check with your OB or midwife before using essential oils in pregnancy as they are not all safe to use. **

Yoga poses for morning sickness

Let’s face it, you might not be feeling up to any yoga poses if your morning sickness is bad. That being said, if you do feel like attempting some prenatal yoga, the following poses are good for morning sickness:

Legs up the wall

This is a relaxing pose that opens up your diaphragm and can help ease your nausea.

How to do legs up the wall

To get into the correct position, lie on your side with your bottom right against the wall and your legs curled up.
Gradually twist round and walk your legs up the wall until they are straight.

Child’s Pose

Relax in child’s pose whenever you feel nauseous.

How to get into child’s pose

Start on your hands and knees. Touch your big toes together and widen your knees.
Gradually ease forward until your chest and stomach are on the floor and place your hands at your sides.

Acupuncture for morning sickness

If you are interested in going a little further in your quest to stop your morning sickness, you might want to try acupuncture. A small 2014 study in Sweden reported a 90% decrease in vomiting in women undergoing acupuncture therapy compared with the control group.

Most acupuncturists will know the correct techniques to help your nausea but make sure to only go to an accredited practitioner uses sterile needles and is familiar with treating pregnant women.