How to Help Morning Sickness

Written by Kevin McCurry, MD in Women's Health Last Updated September 22, 2022

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

How to treat morning sickness

Congratulations, you have the Egyptian flu! You’re going to be a Mummy! Hopefully you don’t have morning sickness. Being a man, I have no idea what this feels like, but as the father of 5 and Grandad of 13 going on 14 and having delivered many babies early in my career, I have gleaned a few tips. What works for you may not work for another, so trial and error, and patience are called for. Some suggestions are obvious; likely, you have already tried most of them. You have my sympathy if you have severe morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum. If you have mild symptoms, you also have my sympathy. I hope you find this helpful.

Table of contents

What causes morning sickness?

Morning sickness can occur any time, it doesn’t just confine itself to the morning, but that is a typical time. So what causes morning sickness? It is caused by hCG, human chorionic gonadotropin, produced by the placenta. hCG promotes progesterone production, the main pregnancy supporting hormone. Morning sickness is a sign of a healthy pregnancy usually. Rarely it can be caused by severe problems like a hydatidiform mole, and twin pregnancies have more hCG than singletons.

Home Remedies for Nausea During Pregnancy

Have dry cereal or crackers by your bedside to eat on the first awakening to fend off morning sickness. Eat multiple small meals. Progesterone, a hormone that supports your pregnancy, slows down everything, including your stomach’s ability to digest food. Drink plenty of liquids by sipping, not guzzling. Ice may be soothing, as might clear soda like ginger ale. Eat blandly and avoid greasy, spicy foods. Avoid nauseating smells if possible. I have daughters that found Preggie Pops worked better than anything else.

Foods that Fight Nausea During Pregnancy

lemons as a treatment for morning sickness

Eating lemons can help, even if you just suck on them, or for some people smelling them helps. Any foods with ginger can bring relief. Try ginger ale, ginger tea, toast with ginger jam, ginger snaps, etc. Jell-O may not be your typical go to snack, but might help with morning sickness, as can flavored popsicles. Like crackers, some find eating pretzels to be helpful.

Do supplements or medicines help?

Supplements can indeed help with morning sickness, and many women like to use ginger and vitamin B6 or pyridoxine. Randomized controlled trials show that Unisom/doxylamine helps nausea, especially in combination with B6. Unisom is a category A drug, an older classification system, but it means it’s been shown to be safe in pregnancy. If needed, prescriptions for Zofran/ondansetron can be beneficial. Zofran safety hasn’t been proven in pregnancy but is presumed to be safe and is widely used for women who need more help. Talk to your obstetrician about these medicines.

Do alternative therapies help?

Some women find acupressure bands placed at the wrist helpful; others not so much. Essential oil diffusers with lavender may bring some benefit. Others may try acupuncture. If these tips don’t help, please see your obstetrician.

Here’s what the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology has to say. See also American PregnancyOpens in a new tab.. Also see parents site hereOpens in a new tab..

To Your Good Health,

Kevin McCurry, MD

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Kevin McCurry, MD

I’ve spent the last 30 + years helping my own patients navigate complex medical issues. Now, I hope to help you better understand your medical problems.

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