Morning sickness actually means vomiting and nausea during pregnancy. Around 50 to 80 % pregnant women experience morning sickness during their pregnancy period.
The incidence remains higher during the morning but can be experienced at any time during the day. Most of the women face morning sickness during the first trimester of their pregnancy; seldom may it last till the last trimesters.
Causes of morning sickness
Pregnant women hardly can avoid morning sickness. It is commonly caused due to various chemical changes occurring within the body of a pregnant woman or mostly due to hormonal imbalance or Hormonal changes. Some women suffer from lack of Vitamin B, some have weak gastrointestinal tract or some simply cannot tolerate stinky odors. So it is very difficult for them to avoid morning sickness. However the good news is that you have plenty of natural home remedies that help a lot to ease morning sickness.
Symptoms of Morning Sickness
Morning sickness can be severe in certain cases. It may cause weight loss drastically, dehydration, ‘hypokalemia’ which decreases the level of potassium in body, and also ‘alkalosis’ which lowers the concentration of hydrogen ion in the blood plasma. A more serious type of morning sickness known as ‘hyperemesis gravidarum’ occurs in merely 1% pregnant women when the patient may also need to be hospitalized.
Apart from the symptoms of vomiting and nausea, pregnant women may also face extreme fatigue, backaches, sleepiness, constipation, food cravings, frequent urination, abdominal cramps, sensitivity and darkening of breasts and excessive sensitivity to odor or smells.
Home remedies for morning sickness are as follows:
Ginger Tea
Ginger is a trusted and proven remedy for morning sickness. Ginger contains chemicals known as shogaols and gingerols that help to soothe intestinal tract, thus relieving vomiting and nausea. Take a cup of boiling water and add half teaspoon of powdered ginger (spice) to it.
Cover the water and let it steep for 10 minutes. Strain and take slow sip. You need to take ginger tea only 3 times daily and not more than that. You may also sweeten the tea by adding little honey. This is one of the age-old and trusted natural remedy for morning sickness. You can also try ginger candy for same benefits.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Take a glass of cold water and add 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon of honey. Take this concoction before bed time. This is a very effective home remedy for morning sickness.
Lime Juice, Mint Juice and Sugar
Prepare a mixture of one teaspoon limejuice, one tablespoon of sugar and one teaspoon of mint juice. Take this mixture 3 times a day to prevent morning sickness.
Wheat Germ And Milk
Take a glass of warm milk and dissolve wheat germ in it. You need to take few teaspoons of milk after each hour. This will help to prevent nausea.
Lavender And Peppermint Oil
Put one drop of peppermint oil and three drops lavender oil in a humidifier or diffuser. Take the smell of these oils in the air.
Oranges
Take 2 oranges once in morning and then in evening. Oranges helps to keep you healthy during pregnancy. However you should not take oranges if susceptible to common cold.
Citrus Fruits
Squeeze a slice of lime or lemon to your herbal tea or water and take it. You can also squeeze an orange to your tea or water to help lessen the nausea.
Crackers
Crackers are inexpensive, easily digestible and very helpful to treat nausea from the root. Plain, soda crackers with very low salt content, pretzels, plain popcorn and crackers made of whole wheat are best for pregnant ladies. You can chew crackers the entire day and before bed time.
If you get morning sickness in full force during the day, nibble some crackers before touching the floor. It will be better if you stay at bed and chew some crackers for few minutes. Go easy in morning as sudden transitions may trigger morning sickness.
Mint
Mint posses’ anesthetic constituents that help to reduce nausea by lessening gag reflux in the stomach. Take one pint jar boiling water and add one tablespoon of mint leaves to it. Allow it to steep for twenty to thirty minutes. Shake it occasionally. Strain the water and take sips as often as needed. Mint is one of the trusted natural treatments of morning sickness.
Peppermint Oil
Add 3 to 4 drops peppermint oil in 500 ml water. Store the water in a jar and place it close to your bed. The soothing aroma of the peppermint oil works tremendous during morning sickness. This is a very simple herbal remedy for morning sickness.
Fennel
Like mint, fennel seeds also contain anesthetic constituents that help to reduce queasiness or vomiting tendency. Crush one tablespoon of fennel seeds in a grinder. Put it in a cup and add boiling water to the seeds. Let it steep for 10 minutes. Take slow sips of the tea to effectively treat nausea.
Diet To Follow
Avoid foods that are not easily digestible. Spicy and greasy foods should be avoided. Fatty and fried foods should be consumed as little as possible.Include foods that are rich in complex carbohydrates and proteins in your diet. You should also incorporate higher amount of B vitamin in your diet. Rich sources of proteins are peanut butter, nuts and all dairy products which help to relieve morning sickness.
Never keep your stomach empty. Instead of consuming 3 large meals take 6 small meals. It is recommended to take smaller meals at proper intervals rather than taking heavy meals.Water consumption is vital during pregnancy. You need to consume foods that have high water content. Such foods work faster in preventing dehydration and also constipation, which eventually helps in eliminating nausea. Include melons, celery, carrots, grapes, pears, apples and fruit bars (frozen).
Tips
Take good amount of rest at night. Avoid weather conditions that are not comfortable to you. Avoid heat strictly as it may trigger nausea. Breathe fresh air as it diminishes morning sickness.Besides these stick to proper diet, smaller meals and follow the home remedies as they are natural and will never cause any harm to you or your baby. Have a safe pregnancy.
Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.