For many women, one of the most common symptoms of early pregnancy is morning sickness - nausea and vomiting that can occur during pregnancy. While morning sickness can actually occur at any time during the day or night, many women experience it most frequently or severely in the morning.
For pregnant women, feeling sick in the morning (or throughout the day) can be triggered by a number of things: New sensitivities to particular smells, eating spicy foods, feeling overheated, or for no discernable reason whatsoever.
Even if you are not pregnant, you may be experiencing nausea or vomiting in the morning. While this can sometimes be a sign of illness, such as stomach flu, or even food poisoning, more persistent nausea in the morning can be linked to other causes.
If you aren’t certain what is causing your morning nausea, it’s important to talk with your doctor about your symptoms: especially if you experience morning nausea that lasts longer than a month; vomiting for more than two days in a row (not caused by flu or illness), or morning sickness that is accompanied by head or stomach pain and extreme weight loss.
But for mild nausea and morning sickness caused by pregnancy, temporary illness, or other potential causes for feeling sick or nauseous in the morning (including inadequate sleep, skipping meals, acid reflux, or anxiety or nervousness), there are natural remedies that may offer some relief from your symptoms.
So if you’re feeling sick in the morning, try these remedies!
Remedies for Morning Nausea
The Mayo Clinic recommends following these tips if you are experiencing nausea or morning sickness:- Eat bland foods like applesauce, rice, saltine crackers, or toast. They may be easier on your stomach.
- Snack often, even if you aren’t hungry. Nibbling throughout the day instead of having larger meals may help nausea caused by a full stomach and nausea caused by an empty stomach.
- Stay hydrated by sipping on water or ginger ale throughout the day.
- Avoid foods that are greasy, spicy, or fatty. If there are any smells or tastes you know trigger your nausea or vomiting, avoid them, too.
- Aromatherapy using essential oils such as ginger, orange, peppermint, spearmint, or lemon may help reduce feelings of nausea in the morning.
- Many find that herbal ginger can reduce symptoms of morning nausea. There are many options, from candied ginger to chews, lollipops, lozenges, and teas, all made with ginger.