Reducing Nausea in Pregnancy

1) Eat before or as soon as you feel hungry to avoid an empty stomach.

2) Do not skip meals.

3) Eat slowly.

4) Snack:

• Before getting out of bed in the morning.
• In small amounts every 1 to 2 hours throughout the day.
• During the night when you get up to use the bathroom.

5) Drink fluids:

• At least 30 minutes before or after eating.
  
• In small amounts using a straw or very small cup.
  
• You can also try adding lemon.

6) If you have nausea after eating:

• Rinse your mouth with water.
  
• Brush your teeth.
  
• Suck on peppermint or ginger candies.

Avoid foods that are:

• Spicy
  
• Strong smelling
  
• High in fat
  
• Acidic
  
• Very sweet

Instead, choose meals and snacks that are:

• High in protein
  
• Bland
  
• Low in fat
  
• Dry
  
• Salty

High in protein

• Bland
  
• Low in fat
  
• Dry
  
• Salty

Good options include:

• Nuts
  
• Pretzels or crackers
  
• Cereal
  
• Toast
  
• Rice

Just be sure to pair carbs with some protein, instead of eating them on their own.

1) First, try taking 25 mg of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) by mouth every 8 hours.  This is available over the counter.

2) Adjust your prenatal vitamin.

• Take it with a snack before bed or in the morning after breakfast.
• Switch to a chewable prenatal.  It might make you feel less nauseous than tablets or capsules.
• Try an iron-free prenatal until your nausea improves.
• If you still can't tolerate prenatal vitamins with these changes, talk to your provider about taking only folic acid (400 to 800 mcg daily) until your nausea gets better.

3) Try ginger products, such as:

• Foods or drinks (ginger lollipops or anything made with ginger root or syrup)
• Tea (store-bought or make your own by boiling an inch of ginger root in water)
• Avoid concentrated ginger.  It's too strong for pregnancy.
• Keep in mind it can take up to 3 days for ginger to help.

4) Or take a ginger supplement, such as:

• Nature's Way green-top ginger product - 1 to 2 tablets daily
• Mountain Rose Herbs Ginger Root - 1 capsule 2 times a day
• Spring Valley Ginger Root 550 mg (sold at Walmart) - 1 capsule 2 times a day

If you've tried the above and still feel nauseated, try using acupressure wristbands like Sea-Band or talk to your doctor about other medications.

Go to the emergency room right away if you:

• Have signs of dehydration (urinating less often, dark-colored urine, dizziness upon standing, rapid heart rate, etc.).
• Have been unable to keep any food or drinks down for over 12 hours.
• Vomit repeatedly throughout the day, especially if there's blood in your vomit.
• Have pain or cramping in your abdomen or pelvis.
• Have a fever or diarrhea in addition to nausea and vomiting.
• Feel hopeless, want to end the pregnancy, or have suicidal thoughts because of the severity of the nausea or vomiting.