What can you do about "morning" sickness?

Many women feel nauseous at some point in pregnancy, usually in the first trimester. "Morning" sickness can occur anytime of the day or night--not just mornings. Nausea is usually not considered a dangerous sign, in fact, it usually indicates that your pregnancy hormones are high and that you are reacting normally to them. Lack of nausea is not always a bad sign either; ask your healthcare provider if you are feeling concerned.

There are many remedies you can try to relieve your nausea before turning to prescription medication if your nausea becomes serious. Not all of these remedies will work for everyone, you may find that a few (or possibly none) of them work for you.

• Try eating smaller meals more frequently. As strange as it sounds, keeping something in your stomach usually decreases the feeling of nausea.

• Eat dry crackers in the morning before you get out of bed. Sometimes low blood sugar in the morning triggers nausea.

• Drink plenty of water. Dehydration can also cause you to feel nauseous.

• Try to get plenty of rest. Use a cold washcloth over your eyes when you feel nauseous.

• Try taking vitamin B6 (20-50mg per day).

• Ginger capsules, tea and ale are all supposed to decrease nausea and is perfectly safe in small amounts.

• Get some "Seabands," usually available for motion sickness at pharmacies. These use accupressure points on the wrist to counteract nausea and work very well for some women.

• Try stopping your prenatal vitamins for a few days to see if it helps. Sometimes certain substances in the vitamins (particularly high iron levels) can make women nauseous. It is better to be able to eat well than to take your vitamins and not be able to keep food down.

• Try preparing foods that do not have a strong odor. Try simple things that do not have to be cooked long like sandwiches over things that have to be cooked for long periods in the oven or on the stove (the scent of food sometimes makes women nauseous).

• Eat whatever you can tolerate for the time being, even if it is not the best thing nutritionally. Being able to eat something will make you feel less nauseous.

• Avoid fried or greasy foods, especially fast foods.

• Have a snack before going to bed, or even in the middle of the night, to avoid waking up with an empty stomach.

• Try drinking some peppermint or raspberry-leaf tea. Both are known to help nausea.

• Eat a high protein diet. Try things like eggs, tuna, milk and peanut butter.

• If high protein doesn't work, try a high carbohydrate diet like pasta, rice, potatoes, bananas, toast, cereals, etc.

• Try to find one food that you can tolerate well. Add one other food per day until you have a few things you can eat without making you sick.