Foods That Stop Morning Sickness
Oh, the morning sickness. I tell you what, it’s the thorn in every pregnant woman’s side. I still don’t know why they call it “morning” sickness since it doesn’t happen just in the mornings. It’s an all-day affair for most women.
Ugh.
If you’re lucky, you’ll only have nausea. But even nausea all day is a pain in the arse. Thankfully I only had nausea, but even then, I felt like I had to throw up constantly. No joke, I kept so many snacks nearby that would settle my stomach. I’m kind of surprised that I didn’t gain a ton of weight during my first trimester due to the snacks I ate. That’s not even counting the cravings. Thank goodness for little mercies, I guess.
However, if you are an unfortunate soul suffering through morning sickness, you’re in luck! I’ve got good news! Morning sickness usually settles down around the beginning of the second trimester for most women.
Yay!
I bet you’re asking, “I’ve got weeks lefts in the first trimester. How the heck do I survive morning sickness without puking all the time?”
I have more good news!
There are remedies for morning sickness. Certain foods can help get over nausea and most of them you can normally find in your pantry.
But let’s dig into what morning sickness is, why we are burdened with it, and what triggers the beast of burden.
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What is Morning Sickness & Why Do We Get It?
Morning sickness is caused by the hormonal changes that take place so rapidly in early pregnancy. It can manifest as being mild to debilitating nauseous to full-blown vomiting.
Most women find nausea starts wearing off at the beginning of their second trimester. Sometimes it can stick around a little longer. Mine was gone by the beginning of my second trimester. But it was replaced by splitting headaches that wouldn’t go away.
Want to know what other symptoms your second trimester brings?
What Triggers Morning Sickness?
Every pregnancy is different and what triggers nausea in one woman might be a blessing to another. Here are some common triggers of morning sickness:
Heat – being pregnant in a hot climate is the complete opposite of a blessing. It sucks! Heat can increase nausea, so dress in layers so you can remove or add clothes to be more comfortable.
Hunger – if you're hungry, you may find yourself nauseous soon after. Try to eat small meals more often. And try to eat immediately after you wake up and right before bed.
Bad smells or sights – when you’re pregnant, your senses are heightened. Your sense of smell can become a true pain in the arse. Not even kidding, I could not look or smell the dirty dishes or the trash can in the kitchen. If I did, waves of nausea would roll over me.
Try to avoid car sickness and seasickness, if you get those. I get car sick, so everywhere we went, I had to drive to avoid it. If you know something that would normally make you nauseous, pregnancy will probably kick that up a notch. So watch out!
Foods That Help Morning Sickness
You may not want to eat food because anything you eat could trigger your nausea. I get it. I’ve been there. Eating was the last thing on my mind. I had to force myself to eat. And eating does help. I learned to eat small meals more often. I also ate a little snack as soon as I woke up and when I went to bed. Eating right when you wake up can help curb nausea that’s caused by your stomach being empty.
Foods that help morning sickness are usually those that are:
Plain
Salty
High in water content
Contain healthy fats
Filling
Here are some of the best foods you can try:
Ginger
Ginger is a very common home remedy for morning sickness. It helps soothe and settle your gut.
You can eat ginger as:
Gingerbread
Add to oatmeal, salad dressing, marinade, stir fry, etc.
Saltine Crackers
When I was nauseous, my go-to food was saltine crackers. Often when you can't keep anything down, saltine crackers will do the trick.
I recommend you keep saltines on your nightstand and eat one or two before bed and when you wake up. If you’re hungry, the morning sickness may be a lot worse.
Other options similar to saltine crackers that you can keep on your nightstand are:
Pretzels
Cheerios
Oatmeal cookies
Salted nuts
Popcorn
Rice cakes
You can also try peanut butter toast or toast with butter for breakfast.
Fruits and Veggies that Help with Morning Sickness
I cannot tell you enough how important fruits and veggies are while you’re pregnant. Luckily, these are the ones that will help with morning sickness.
Lemon
Did you know that lemon has mood-lifting qualities?
Simply cut a lemon, inhale the aroma, and sit back and relax while your nausea dissipates. This is super helpful if you’re reacting to a smell in your environment. I had to do this whenever I was in my kitchen. One look and sniff of dirty dishes or the trash can, and I about threw up. Smelling the lemon helped tremendously.
Squeeze and add lemons to your water
Use lemon in your salad dressing
Squeeze it in your tea
Get lemon-flavored drops to suck on
Banana
Bananas are awesome! They are full of potassium and sweet too. They are also super portable and you can easily tote one or two around in your purse, keep on at your desk, or on your nightstand.
Baked Potato
I mean, what could be plainer than potatoes. And they’re filling.
Try making these:
Loaded baked potato
Potato salad
Mashed potatoes
Grapefruit
This was amazing for my nausea! I could eat it for breakfast or snack on one throughout the day. And it has a lot of nutrients and it’s very hydrating. Bonus!
Watermelon
Another fruit that is super delicious and hydrating is watermelon. If you're struggling with water intake, then watermelon is your go-to. Eating this water-filled fruit is a great idea and will help you keep fluids down.
Olives
These are salty and healthy fats that can settle nausea down. They're great for snacks or you can add them to other dishes like pasta salad, pizza, or just a salad.
Pickles
These are my favorite, so I had no issue munching on these! Try them and see how they work for you.
Dairy that Helps Morning Sickness
Cheese
I mean, what’s not to like about cheese. It’s filling. It’s packed with a ton of healthy fats. And it usually easy on the stomach. Choose what pregnancy-safe cheese you think you can stomach. And yes, there are cheeses out there that are unsafe for pregnant women. Make sure the cheese is made with pasteurized milk.
Yogurt
Mmm yummy yogurt! No joke, I eat yogurt every day. Like cheese, it’s filling. It contains healthy fats. And it’s packed with loads of probiotics that help your gut.
Yay yogurt!
Now it’s your turn! What helped your morning sickness?
