Natural Remedies for Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy | Nausea in pregnancy is caused by high levels of pregnancy hormones flooding your body. It's very common. About eight out of 10 pregnant women experience nausea or vomiting.
Hopefully, your morning sickness will subside between about 14 weeks and 16 weeks. For some women, though, it can continue for a little longer. For a few unfortunate women, it lasts throughout pregnancy.
If you have very severe sickness, and struggle to keep down even water, see your doctor as soon as you can. You may have a serious form of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). HG can leave you dehydrated and under-nourished, and you may need treatment in hospital.
What self-help remedies can help prevent and ease nausea?
It is difficult to prevent sickness completely. It is a natural and normal part of pregnancy. However, you may be able to stop it from becoming a major problem. Here are some tips that may help:
Follow a comfortable routine
Stress and tiredness can make pregnancy sickness worse, so try not to fit in too many things in your day and keep things at an easy pace. Get plenty of rest and consider taking time off work if you're finding it difficult to cope.
Give yourself some extra time in the morning to nibble a few dry biscuits, and then rest for about 20 to 30 minutes before getting out of bed. Keep some simple snacks, such as plain biscuits or rusks, by your bedside.
If kitchen and food smells are triggering your nausea, ask your mum or mum-in-law to come and help in the kitchen for a while until you feel more settled. Hiring a cook may be another option worth exploring as it will free up some of your time.
