19 Natural Morning Sickness Remedies
Now that I’m 6 weeks pregnant with our third baby, I am all about those natural remedies for morning sickness.
Pregnancy comes with its joys and excitements (those little kicks are the best). But the first trimester can be brutal.
Of course, by now you probably know that morning sickness is a LIE. More like all-day, all-night, any-time-it-feels-like-it sickness. With my last pregnancy, my sickness mostly came in the evenings.
This time around, it’s been all day, all night. So that’s fun.
I’ve tried several remedies with varying degrees of success. The important thing to remember is that every person and every pregnancy is a little bit different.
So even if you’ve tried one of these remedies without success in a past pregnancy, don’t feel like that means it won’t work this time. You just might be surprised!
Here are 19 tips, foods, and natural remedies for morning sickness.
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1. Eat saltine crackers
Why in the world did I put this one first? You probably know this one already, so maybe I should have skipped it.
What can I say? Just trying to be thorough here.
This is the old standby.
When you wake up after sleeping all night (or at least trying to sleep), your stomach is empty. Emptier maybe than that carton of ice cream you sent hubby out for last night.
That empty stomach is the reason that pregnancy sickness usually hits hardest in the morning.
It’s a sort of Catch-22. You’re nauseated because you’re hungry, but you can’t eat because you’re nauseated.
Keeping a sleeve of saltines next to your bed to eat before you get up can help stave off the worst of it.
Just make sure the older kids don’t see where you hide the crackers or you won’t have any left when you need them… (Ask me how I know.)
2. Vitamin B6
With my son I had almost no morning sickness. It worried me, actually, since I was afraid it meant it wasn’t a strong pregnancy.
We’d had 3 miscarriages, so it was pretty hard not to worry.
But some pregnancies just don’t come with much sickness. In my case, I think it may have been due to the fact that I had been consistently taking B6 before I got pregnant.
I’d been taking it for boosting low progesterone, and then when I got pregnant I found out that it’s also recommended for morning sickness. Win!
I’ve read that your body has a harder time absorbing B vitamins when you’re pregnant, so it’s helpful to start B6 before you’re pregnant. But that doesn’t mean it can’t help to start after you’re pregnant.
3. Magnesium
One of my mom friends told me about magnesium when I was getting muscle cramps with my second pregnancy. There’s nothing quite like being on the verge of falling asleep, only to wake up suddenly because your leg is cramped up.
Yep, pregnancy is amazing.
Being short on magnesium can contribute to those cramps, so my friend suggested I use MagCalm.
Um, guys. I took a scoop of it in water every evening. And. It. Was. Amazing.
It helped the cramps. It helped me sleep. It helped me poop. (True story.)
And apparently it can help with morning sickness too.
How can magnesium help with morning sickness? Kristen Michaelis in Beautiful Babies says that a magnesium deficiency can increase your cortisol and blood sugar.
Your body pumps out insulin to get your blood sugar back down, which has you hunting for the nearest bucket. Or sink. Or really just anywhere to empty your stomach.
The MagCalm is a super easy way to get the magnesium you need, but you can also try stocking up on healthy magnesium-rich foods.
- bone broth
- leafy greens
- sea salt
- grains
All good sources of magnesium. You can also try
- Epsom salt baths
- magnesium oil
Magnesium oil can feel a bit sticky, but rubbing it on your skin is a great way to get it into your body.
4. Milk Thistle
I’ve seen this one recommended in a few places, though I haven’t personally tried it myself. Lindsey over at Mother Rising says that sometimes morning sickness is caused by an overactive thyroid.
Your liver can’t get the excess thyroid hormones out of your system fast enough, and the result is morning sickness.
The solution: clean out your liver. Milk thistle supplements can help your liver detox and fight off morning sickness.
5. Oil Pulling
This one surprised me.
Oil pulling is one of those “cures what ails you” things, so it may sound a bit like snake oil… But Katherine over at Green Thickies said oil pulling completely took away her morning sickness when nothing else helped.
She says it may get worse before it gets better, so stick it out for a few days if it doesn’t help immediately.
Oil pulling is also pretty awesome for dental health, something very much needed during pregnancy. When you’re pregnant, the nutrients you eat go to your baby instead of to keeping your teeth healthy.
I’ve had major dental issues as a result of poor dental hygiene as a kid. So I’ve started oil pulling, along with using a natural, remineralizing toothpaste.
And it really does seem to help–though finding the time to do it when my kids aren’t vying for my attention is challenging.
The basic idea is that you swish a teaspoon to a tablespoon of coconut oil or olive oil in your mouth for 20 minutes, first thing in the morning. Then spit it out into the trash when you’re done. I will sometimes add a drop or two of Thieves or peppermint essential oil.
Try doing it in the shower if you’re having difficulty finding the time.
6. Sea Bands
When I was at the peak of nausea with my daughter, I made an emergency run to Walgreens for these. I was desperate for anything that would relieve my turning stomach.
When you wear Sea Bands on your wrists, they’re supposed to activate the Nei-Kuan acupressure point. The company claims they relieve nausea from motion sickness, cancer treatments, and pregnancy.
They did help to take the edge off, and I know lots of moms swear by them. They’re cheap, reusable, and easy to use, so I’d say they’re definitely worth a try!
7. Peppermint
Pregnancy can really mess with your digestion–and if things aren’t running smoothly in there, it can really put your stomach on edge. Peppermint relaxes your stomach so your digestive system can do its job.
Try peppermint in one of these forms:
- peppermint candy
- peppermint tea
- peppermint essential oil
If you’re using peppermint essential oil, you can take a whiff straight from the bottle. I kid you not–I have been sick all week, and after one whiff I was able to eat a normal lunch for the first time in days. It was incredible.
To make it easier to have on hand when you need it, try putting a few drops in an aromatherapy necklace.
8. Drink plenty of water
When you’re pregnant, your body needs even more water than when you’re not. I aim for at least 100 oz of water a day during pregnancy.
It helps relieve everything from pregnancy nausea to nighttime leg cramps and even helps me sleep better during pregnancy.
Just be sure to stop drinking early enough… As if you need more reasons to get up in the night to pee.
9. Lemon
Sometimes something sour can help. It sounds weird, but it’s true. Try…
- lemon tea
- lemon essential oil (smell from the bottle or in an aromatherapy necklace)
- lemonade
- lemon ice cubes
10. Preggie Pop Drops
The moms in my Facebook moms groups love these. Preggie Pop Drops have a fun name, taste good, and can really fight off nausea. Essential oils and a bit of sugar do the trick here.
11. Fruit popsicles
The problem with morning sickness is that you need to get something in your tummy to take the edge off, but nothing sounds good. Fruit popsicles are cold and soothing and pretty easy to get down.
Plus the all-fruit kinds are pretty good for you. And once you have a little something in your stomach, you may feel well enough to eat something more substantial.
Try making your own by freezing fruit juice, or just grab a box the next time you’re at the store.
Or the next time you send hubby out on a midnight run.
I know how it is.
12. Ginger
Ginger has a long history of taming upset tummies. When I was pregnant, I got these Ginger People GinGins chews from Trader Joes and ate them like they were going out of style.
They’re yummy and they really helped.
Some other ways to get ginger in your system:
- ginger tea
- ginger ale (made with real ginger)
- crystallized ginger (if you like spicy)
- ginger essential oil
- ginger cookies
13. Electrolyte ice cube
Everyday Roots has a super-simple recipe for electrolyte ice cubes that she says can help ease nausea.
And if your nausea turns into full-on vomiting, they can help restore your body’s electrolytes without making you want to throw them up too.
14. Avoid your food aversions
Even if it’s good for you, if it makes you queasy it’s not worth trying to eat it.
During my pregnancy with my son, I couldn’t handle canned tomatoes. With my daughter it was a particular salad that I normally love.
Some people say that pregnancy food aversions are there to protect our babies from things that could harm them. That may be true, but sometimes I think our bodies are just being weird.
15. Eat what sounds good
If you’re craving Doritos and haven’t felt like eating all day–just eat them.
I’m all for healthy living, but if it’s a choice between cookie dough ice cream and nothing because nothing else sounds good, eat the ice cream.
Once you’ve eaten enough to take the edge off, you may find you can stomach something healthier.
Having a hard time figuring out what to eat? See if any of these ideas sound appealing.
- Eggs
- Granola
- Banana with peanut butter
- Nuts and raisins (my favorite snack!)
- Peanut butter toast (with or without a banana)
- Cheese sandwich
- Tuna salad sandwich
- Chicken and rice
- Cheese or yogurt with a piece of fruit
- Sweet potato or baked potato
- Cheese and crackers
- Chicken noodle soup
- Fruit smoothie
- Avocado
- Almonds
- Strawberries
- String cheese
- Potato chips
- Frozen grapes
- Hummus with carrots
- Macaroni and cheese
- Ramen noodles
16. Eat something alkalizing
When I was pregnant with my son, I could not handle canned tomatoes. Like, at all. Just thinking about them made me sick to my stomach.
Now that I know that acidic foods can contribute to morning sickness, it all makes sense. So if your belly is feeling off, try eating a little something that can get your pH back to normal.
Some alkalizing foods to try:
- cucumber
- avocado
- watermelon
- lemon
- lime
- celery
- garlic
- carrots
- coconut
17. Eat frequently
Keep snacks on hand. Seriously. In your purse, in the car, hidden under your bed…
With my first pregnancy, the nausea came at me with a vengeance in the THIRD TRIMESTER. Like, I would be minding my own business when all of a sudden I just wanted to hurl.
I mean, what in the world??!?
Third trimester, folks.
Turns out I wasn’t eating often enough. (Too tired, stomach too compressed…) I started making sure I had stuff to snack on every few hours during the day and felt loads better.
Hunger (and the resulting low blood sugar) is a major contributor to pregnancy sickness, so if you can keep little filling snacks on hand, you should be able to keep a lot of it at bay.
Eat protein and healthy fats when you can stomach them since they will keep you full longer.
18. Get enough sleep
I know sometimes it feels impossible to sleep when you’re pregnant. But being overtired can make nausea worse and make it harder to deal with.
Getting a good night of sleep can make all the difference in the world.
If you’re struggling to sleep, take a look at my pregnancy sleep tips.
19. Take prenatal gummies in the evening
If you’re having a hard time swallowing your prenatal vitamins, try gummies instead. If your sickness comes mostly in the morning, try taking them in the evenings instead.
And, seriously, if you can’t take them at all… don’t. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do to survive.
What natural morning sickness remedies have you tried?
Did I miss any that were helpful for you?
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