15 Ways to Relieve Morning Sickness

Why am I so nauseated? Is there anything I can do to relieve my morning sickness?

A couple of things could be happening to make you feel so queasy. A vomiting center in your brain (didn't know you had one, huh?) is more sensitive, and your digestive tract is more relaxed, making it more likely that foods travel up as well as down. These factors, plus the heightened sense of smell you have during pregnancy, create a swirling GI storm that can make you sickened by the mere mention of food.

A lot of things can help you feel better, but that doesn't mean they all will. So, unfortunately, this is one of those areas in which you may have to experiment a bit to see what therapy may be best for your body.

Here are 15 things that have been shown to relieve the misery:

• Keep 100 percent whole grain crackers by your bed. Eat a few as soon as you wake to get something in your stomach before you start moving around.
• Eat a diet high in protein and complex carbohydrates.
• Sip chicken broth to help you get some calories in along with the liquid.
• Stick with cold foods—hot foods have a stronger smell, which can trigger queasiness.
• Take a 6 mg vitamin of B6.
• Eat leafy greens because they're rich in vitamin K, which seems to help.
• Eat brown rice— try this RealAge recipe.
• Try acupuncture.
• Wear acupressure wristbands to stimulate pressure points.
• Brew fresh ginger root in a cup of tea, or take a 300 mg capsule.
• Get light exercise.
• Use a mouth rinse after vomiting and after each meal to keep your mouth fresh, reduce nausea and reduce the amount of tooth decay that can occur from the interaction of stomach acid with enamel.
• Meditate to help control stress. Morning sickness is more common in women under a lot of stress.
• Explore homeopathic remedies. They are hotly debated within the medical community but are unlikely to cause harm. Nux Vomica seems to help with nausea and irritability.
• Consider meds. If your morning sickness is really bad, talk to your doc about prescription medications like scopolamine, promethazine, prochlorperazine and trimethobenzamide.

Find more pregnancy answers.

Do you have more questions about pregnancy health? Get even more answers from RealAge's YOU: Having a Baby Center.