Skip to Content

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

Five Pregnancy Nausea Tips

Sharing is caring!

We all know each woman, and therefore each pregnancy, is unique and different, but perhaps the most common “side effect” of pregnancy (especially in the early months) is nausea. I am most definitely feeling sicker this pregnancy compared to my last. I’m just starting my second trimester now, so I’m slowly feeling better, but it’s certainly been a rough few months for me!

pregnancy nausea tips

Knock on wood, I have not thrown up at all this pregnancy, even though I’ve wanted to! I pride myself on a strong stomach. Whether or not that’s a good thing, I’m not sure. I really don’t like vomiting though, so I’m happy to report I haven’t.

From week seven of my pregnancy on, I’ve felt nauseous all day long- it actually gets worse as the day progresses. There are five things that have helped me get through each day and handle the pregnancy nausea that are listed below, and I hope they help you too. 🙂

1. Grazing all day. I found that I needed to snack throughout the day to keep nausea at bay. I was still eating three meals a day, but I needed to have small snacks in between or else I felt sick.  Bland carbohydrates worked well, such as crackers and pretzels. However, I’d often be in the mood for something specific, so there were many occasions where I needed dry cereal, tortilla chips, or trail mix.

2. Eating protein. I read somewhere that while carbohydrates may help, eating more protein will actually rid your body of the nausea. I don’t know that I believe that, but I DO know that it’s recommended for a pregnant woman to increase their protein intake for their sake (and the baby’s sake). I didn’t have many food aversions throughout my first trimester, so I was able to eat mostly anything. But some easy ways to up your protein- add plain greek yogurt to a smoothie, scrambled eggs, cooking with quinoa, or adding ground chicken or turkey to a dinner casserole.

3. Drinking a lot. It’s recommended to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day to help with pregnancy nausea. I personally had a tough time with plain water – which is so strange, considering it’s so plain and ….well, water. I didn’t want to load up on sugary juice full of empty calories. I found a few different things worked well for me. First, I enjoyed sparkling water often. The carbonation helped soothe my stomach and I liked the various flavors. Second, I would add a splash of juice (grapefruit for me please) to plain water- very little calories but a bit of added flavor. And third, and probably my biggest tip- I had a glass of coconut water every afternoon when my nausea starting kicking in. It helped tremendously. I would drink coconut water all day, if it weren’t for the calories! (I mention calories because I tend to put on weight quickly. Pregnant women only need an additional 300 calories per day, which really isn’t much, and I try to get them from nutritious foods. That said, I’m not calorie counting or dieting while pregnant- just trying to be aware of what I put in my body.)

4. Resting often. I was so exhausted for the first three months of this pregnancy. Actually, I don’t know a single woman who hasn’t been wiped out during the first trimester! When you realize how hard your body is working to care for the rapidly growing baby, it’s obviously understandable- but it doesn’t make you feel any better. For me, I was fortunate enough to nap while my son napped on the days where I was extra tired. When I was working, I took some cat naps whenever possible. I also made a solid effort to get in bed as early as I could. My husband was very good about helping with my son when I was too tired, which made a great difference.

5. Listen to your body. A pregnant body is doing incredible, amazing things- and quickly, at that. That said, lots of weird and unusual side effects seem to pop up. I very much believe that your body tells you things all day long, and it’s up to you to listen. I try to “listen” to what my body has to say and then do it. For example, I tried to feed my body what I was in the mood for, even if it was surprising. Who craves salads?? But I made it a point to eat them any time I was in the mood, because I assumed it was my body’s way of telling me I needed more vegetables and nutrients. When my body was wiped out, I laid on the couch and shut my eyes for a few minutes, even if it meant I was unable to accomplish what I had intended to.

What else would you add to this list to help with pregnancy nausea? Please share your tips in the comments below!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Stacy

Saturday 18th of April 2015

I ate Oatmeal with fruit first thing in the morning. . That really helped me ! Then for sure the grazing all day and of course plenty of water and rest. I also went to acupuncture for this first trimester. Acupuncture helps with blood flow to the uterus so that help if you have issues with Miscarriage and nausea.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.