Author: Dr. Maryam Mahanian, DTCM, RAc
Audio Broadcast of the article is available below:
1. First & Foremost: Stay Hydrated!
It’s essential to avoid dehydration as becoming even slightly dehydrated makes the nausea more intense. Some signs of dehydration are dry lips, feeling thirsty, less urinary output and dark yellow urine. It may be difficult to consume large amounts of fluids at once so just drink small amounts frequently. Soups are an excellent way to increase fluids.
2. Eat Often
Don’t miss meals!
Nausea is usually much worse when your stomach is empty. Eating small snacks often is essential to keep blood sugar levels stable. This means eating a small snack every 2 hours or more before an empty hungry feeling sets in. Some examples of snacks are raisins, nuts like almonds, a small sandwich or a piece of fruit.
3. Eat Baby Food
Eat what you would feed an 8 month old baby 🙂 No..I’m not kidding.
Foods given to babies are super easy to digest and gentle on the digestive system.
Some examples are cooked fruits like pears or apples, baked veggies, well-cooked grains, soups and gravies.
4. Don’t Overeat
Overeating can often intensify nausea.
5. Protein at Bedtime
Have a snack high in protein right before going to bed at night such as yogurt or nuts. Have a carbohydrate-based snack such as crackers or toast as soon as you wake up in the morning. If you wake up through the night with nausea, leave some crackers next to your bed to consume.
6. Avoid Sugary Foods
Avoid sugary foods (especially refined sugars) because these will quickly elevate and then drop blood sugar levels. Some slower releasing carbohydrates that you can consume are rice, fruit, pasta, potatoes and bread.
7. Avoid Greasy Fatty Foods
…especially if you’re not necessarily craving them..
8. Drink Tea
Here are my favorites:
The Infamous Ginger Tea
Grate a piece of groot and steep in boiling water for 10 minutes. Can add honey to taste. Don’t exceed more than 3 big cups per day.
Apple Cider Vinegar Tea
Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to one cup of boiling water. Add honey to taste.
Chamomile Tea
…there’s nothing like a soothing cup of chamomile tea!
9. Broth
It can be veggie, chicken or bone broth. Sip on broth throughout the day. Not only is it good at calming nausea but also amazing for your health in general, immune system, your joints, your skin..the list goes on and on. Check out this simple recipe for Bone Broth (Makes 10 to 14 cups)
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of cooked or raw beef, lamb, or pork bones (You can often buy just bones at your local market.)
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (the acid is necessary to draw out the marrow)
- 16 cups of water
- 1 medium size carrot (optional) chopped into 1-inch pieces (Can also use broccoli stems, mushrooms, or leeks)
- 1 medium-size onion chopped into 1-inch pieces
Directions:
- Place the bones, apple cider vinegar, water, and vegetables (if using) in a large pot. If the bones aren’t covered with liquid, add water until they are.
- Bring to boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes. Skim off and discard any froth that rises to the top of the stock.
- For beef bones, simmer, covered, for 8 to 10 hours; add more water if needed. For pork or lamb bones, simmer, covered, for at least 2 1/2 hours.
- Remove the bones, vegetables, and ginger from the stock, using a slotted spoon, a strainer, or piece of cheesecloth.
- Skim off any excess fat. Season the stock with salt if desired.
- If you aren’t using the stock immediately, you can store it in the fridge for a few days or freeze it in small portions for later use.
10. Some Of My Favorite Foods To Ease Nausea
- potato soup any which way you fancy…
- almonds and other nuts
- white rice
- congee (see recipe’s online)
- cracker
- dried fruit (with no sugar added)
- sandwiches
- grapefruit
- yeast extract
- miso
- noodles
- pasta
- peaches and pears
- white bread
- yogurt
11. Supplement with Vitamin B6
A typical dose per day of Vitamin B6 is 10 to 25mg twice per day
12. Acupuncture
Yes! Acupuncture all the way! The sooner you make an appointment to see a qualified acupuncturist, the better! This is important because the longer you wait, the higher the chance that the nausea gets embedded into the body’s responses and it’s harder to make the shift.
Seek acupuncture from a licensed practitioner who preferably specializes in women’s health and pregnancy. Have it once or twice per week if you’re experiencing mild to moderate nausea and even more frequently for severe morning sickness and hyperemesis gravidarum.
13. Self-Acupressure
Here is one of the most popular pressure points that you can apply at home. This point is popular because it works so well!
Apply solid pressure with your thumb or index finger for one minute as many time per day as you need.
Pericardium 6 Neiguan Pressure Point
Location: On the inner forearm, 3 inches above the wrist crease between the two tendons. When applying pressure, it should feel tender/sensitive.
You can find seasickness bands at your local pharmacy. These bands basically help to stimulate this particular pressure point!
14. Avoid Stress & Overwork
Avoid being overly stressed and overworked. Try to only plan no more than one thing to do each day.
Enough rest is so beneficial for a woman experiencing nausea! Seek support from family and friends, try to arrange to go to work an hour later every day or come home earlier, decrease your work hours if you can, arrange for extra childcare.
Seek support from friends and family – take time to rest each day at the times that you’re most prone to nausea
15. Smells
You may be very sensitive to certain smells when you’re pregnant and some smells may aggravate your morning sickness. I recommend aromatic oil burners and diffusing peppermint oil, lemon oil or vanilla essence in the kitchen.
So there we have it! My favorite 15 tips to help your morning sickness. I hope this helps and I wish you the best in your pregnancy and beyond!
With admiration,
Dr. Maryam
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