If you’re suffering from morning sickness, you know how terrible it can be. Studies show that 70 to 85 percent of pregnant women experience morning sickness and nausea, usually around the sixth week of pregnancy.^1,2

I’m sure you’ve tried everything to find some relief. I’ve had many clients and friends ask for tips and tricks on how to survive and cure morning sickness, so I wanted to share my list of things that can help. Hopefully, you haven’t tried all of my tips yet, and you’ll find a few new things that will help you get back to feeling good. Here are my 22 tips for relieving morning sickness.

Tips for Relieving Morning Sickness

Morning sickness can feel relentless, but there are small things you can do each day to ease nausea and find relief.

1. Eat Small Meals Throughout the Day

An empty stomach can worsen nausea. Eating little and often helps balance your sugar levels, which is what you need. Try eating up to six small meals a day rather than three large meals. Think small but frequent amounts. Some women find that carbohydrates are most appealing when they feel nauseated. Whatever you decide to eat, be sure to eat it slowly.

Related: Foods to Help With Morning Sickness

2. Lie Down, but Not Right After You Eat

If you’re feeling nauseous or dizzy, rest and elevate your feet. Nausea can worsen when you’re stressed and tired, so give yourself time to relax and take naps when possible. It’s important to prioritize sleep during pregnancy. You are growing a human, after all! Just be sure not to lie down right after eating something. This can cause things to come back up. Try to sit up, but if you need to sit back because you’re not feeling well, recline slightly in a well-supported chair, couch, or bed.

3. Get Up Slowly in the Morning

Sitting on your bed for a few minutes rather than jumping right out of bed may also be helpful.

4. Keep Snacks Around

Stash food everywhere you go throughout the day, such as your bedroom, car, office, and so on. This helps remind you to lightly graze throughout the day. You’ll want to find foods or drinks that ease nausea. Snacks like crackers or dry-roasted nuts, along with drinks like flat Coke, 7UP, or seltzer with a slice of lemon, lime, or orange, are said to help. Just make sure to keep bland snacks handy for nibbling.

I also recommend keeping crackers by your bed. When you first wake up, nibble a few crackers and rest for 20 minutes before getting up. Snacking on crackers may also help alleviate nausea if you wake up feeling unwell in the middle of the night.

Related: Best Pregnancy Snacks

5. Eat Protein-Rich Foods

Studies show that simple, high-protein foods and those rich in vitamin B, such as nuts, can help relieve morning sickness/nausea.³

6. Steer Clear of Spicy, Acidic, and Fried Foods

Spicy, acidic, and fried foods can irritate your digestive system, causing it to take longer to break down and digest. Stick to bland foods and avoid those that are spicy, fried, or acidic.¹³

7. Eat Food That Is Cold or at Room Temperature

Food tends to have a stronger aroma when it’s hot, and those aromas can bring on feelings of nausea when you’re cooking. I recommend sticking to cold meals or room-temperature meals until your morning sickness subsides.

8. Try To Avoid Foods and Smells That Trigger Your Nausea

If almost everything seems nauseating to you, it’s okay to eat the few things that do appeal to you for this part of your pregnancy, even if they don’t add up to a perfectly balanced diet.

9. Brush Your Teeth and Rinse Out Your Mouth After Eating

The fresh scent, taste, and a clean mouth can help.

10. Keep Yourself Hydrated

Aim to drink about a quart and a half (48 oz) daily. Keeping bottles or pitchers on hand throughout your home is smart because they serve as a reminder and provide relief. If you’ve been vomiting frequently, try a sports drink that contains glucose, salt, and potassium to help replace lost electrolytes. I just want to remind you to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day, as staying hydrated is crucial during pregnancy.

11. Try Mainly Drinking Between Meals

If you’re having trouble keeping fluids down, limit your fluid intake while eating. You might find cold, carbonated beverages easiest to keep down. Try ginger ale, Sprite, 7 UP, or soda water. Some women also find sour drinks, such as lemonade, easier to handle. Drinking tea is also a good option for alleviating nausea. I recommend trying Earth Mama’s Ginger Nausea Tea and/or Yogi’s Ginger Tea. You can also add lemon slices to iced tea or sparkling water and take sips as needed.

12. Don’t Drink So Much at Once

You don’t want to drink so much that your stomach feels full. A good strategy is to sip fluids throughout the day. If sipping isn’t going well, try using a straw.

13. Watch for Non-Food Triggers, Too

A warm or stuffy room, the smell of heavy perfume, a car ride, or even changing positions too quickly might trigger your nausea. Additionally, reducing the brightness on your computer can be beneficial, as strobing can be distracting and cause nausea. Try it with your phone, too. Plus, it saves battery life! Avoidance of triggers can become an important part of helping you feel better.

Related: Morning Sickness: Myths and Facts

14. Get Fresh Air

Going for a walk or opening a window might help ease your nausea by bringing in some fresh air.¹⁴

15. Sniff a Fresh Scent

When you can’t pop open a window, take a whiff of some fresh scents. Some women find scents such as lemon, mint, and/or orange helpful. You can use a diffuser to dispense an essential oil or carry a drop or two on a towel or hanky to smell when you start to feel queasy. Note: Essential oils are powerful, so use only one or two drops.

Related: Best Essential Oils for the First Trimester

16. Vitamin B-6

Vitamin B6, at 50 milligrams per day, has been proven to be beneficial.^4,5 Consult with your doctor first before trying this option.

17. Try Taking Your Prenatal Vitamins With Food or Just Before Bed

Taking your prenatal vitamin by itself in the morning can trigger those feelings of nausea. Taking it with food or right before bed can help alleviate the symptoms. You might also want to ask your healthcare provider whether you should switch to a prenatal vitamin with a low dose of iron or no iron for the first trimester, since this mineral can be hard on your digestive system.⁶ If the prenatal vitamin still makes you nauseous, ask if you can stop taking it until your nausea improves.

18. Try Ginger (I Know You Already Have)

Ginger is an alternative remedy believed to settle the stomach and alleviate nausea.⁷ See if you can find ginger ale made with real ginger. Most supermarket ginger ales aren’t made with real ginger. You can grate some fresh ginger into hot water to make ginger tea, or try using ginger candies or crystallized ginger for a similar effect. Ginger is your friend. Whether cooked, spiced, candied, raw, or in ale form, ginger is beneficial.

Research suggests that taking powdered ginger root in capsule form may also offer some relief.⁸ Unfortunately, you cannot be sure how much active ingredient is in these ginger supplements, so talk to your doctor before taking them.

19. Try Peppermint

Some women find similar relief from sipping peppermint tea or from sucking peppermint candies, especially after eating, or even just the scent of peppermint can be helpful.

20. Try Preggie Pops/Drops

These candies are naturally flavored and specially formulated lollipops and lozenges for pregnant women experiencing morning sickness. Preggie Pops & Drops offer relief by combining essential oils and aromatherapy. It’s definitely something you should check out!

21. Try an Acupressure Band

These soft cotton Sea-Band wristbands are sold at almost all drugstores. You strap it on so that the plastic button pushes against an acupressure point on the underside of your wrist. This simple and inexpensive device, designed to ward off seasickness, has helped some pregnant women through morning sickness. It doesn’t hurt to give it a shot!

22. Consider Seeing an Acupuncturist

Some therapies, such as reflexology, may help you cope with sickness.^9,10 You probably already have looked into this, but make sure you go to a qualified therapist who has experience treating nausea during pregnancy.

23. Carry a Survival Kit

Make a survival kit that includes water, vitamins, acid reflux meds, sour candies, peppermints, oils, and even bowel stimulants.

If your nausea and vomiting are so severe that you can’t keep anything down, including water, juice, food, prenatal vitamins, or medications, you may have hyperemesis gravidarum. This complication is highlighted by nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and dehydration. Mild cases are treated with dietary changes, rest, and antacids. More severe cases may require a hospital stay to receive fluids and nutrition through an IV.^11,12 Consult your doctor if you fall into this category. Hopefully, you’re not at that point, though.

Video: Ways to Relieve Morning Sickness

Watch this quick video where I share my favorite tips to calm nausea and make early pregnancy more manageable.

Morning sickness can test your patience and your strength, but remember — it’s temporary. Be gentle with yourself, rest when you can, and try different remedies until you find what works best for you.

I hope this information helps, and you start feeling better soon! Feel well, mamas!