Morning Sickness Survival Guide
ways to soothe your morning sickness symptoms
Just because a morning sickness cure worked for your cousin, doesn't mean it will work for you. Maltepe recommends giving each potential remedy a couple of days and, if it doesn't help, trying something else until you find what works for you. Here are 10 things to try:
- Cold foods and fluids: Things like ice chips, watermelon and Popsicles may be easier to tolerate than liquids and can decrease the metallic taste in your mouth.
- Mouthwash: Rinsing with mouthwash helps dry up excess saliva.
- Sniffing citrus: Just as the wrong odor can make you queasy, the right one could soothe your symptoms. Whether it's mint, cinnamon or lavender, try whatever is most soothing to you.
- Ginger: Grate fresh ginger into hot water for a calming tea.
- Iron-free multivitamins: Your prenatal vitamins may make your nausea worse because of the iron content. In the first trimester, try taking them later in the day or take folic acid alone or try a multivitamin that does not contain iron.
- Acupressure wristbands: Used for sea sickness, acupressure bands (as well as acupuncture at acupoint P6) may relieve nausea and vomiting.
- Antacids: These can help relieve heartburn and acid reflux.
- Bland foods: Try rice cakes, crackers, dry cereal or whole grain toast.
- Vitamin B6: Ask your doctor about supplements.
- Prescription drugs: Diclectin–the delayed-release combination of doxylamine and vitamin B6–is the only medication labeled for pregnancy in Canada and you can start taking it as early as the first day of nausea, says Maltepe.
Meet our expert:
Caroline Maltepe is the coordinator of Motherisk's NVP Hotline at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. The Motherisk Program is a counseling service for women, their families and health professionals on the safety/risk of drugs, chemicals, radiation and infections during pregnancy and lactation. In 1996 it established an NVP-Healthline to counsel women from both Canada and the United States on the management of symptoms of NVP. www.motherisk.org
