There are many home remedies for morning sickness. The most popular ones are ginger tea, vitamin B6, and peppermint oil. Studies have shown that all three of these home remedies for morning sickness do offer some relief. Other home remedies include chewing gum, saltine crackers and simple dietary changes, but some of these have less extensive medical testing.
Ginger is a spice commonly used in cooking, and it is considered safe by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For hundreds of years, it has also been used for various ailments, including morning sickness, colds, and infections. Taking two teaspoons of ginger per day is considered to be one of the more effective home remedies for morning sickness. Most experts say that this dose is usually more effective if it is divided into four half teaspoons spread out over a 24-hour period. There is some concern that ginger could have adverse effects in the fetal brain, but there is no absolute medical confirmation of this.
Peppermint oil dissolved in boiling water creates an aroma that may counteract nausea, especially if the nausea is triggered by smell. Many pregnant women say that their morning sickness often follows exposure to specific odors. The smell that triggers the nausea varies from woman to woman and is usually something they were not bothered by before becoming pregnant. Peppermint works by creating an aroma that can usually cover or diminish other odors.
Small changes in diet can often be a simple and effective means of controlling morning sickness. Having several small meals per day is considered better than eating three large ones. Large meals may cause the stomach to be overfull, which can lead to indigestion. There also appears to be a link between high fat foods and the severity and duration of morning sickness, so avoiding high-fat meals is one of the simplest home remedies for morning sickness.
Morning sickness can occur at any time of day or night, or in extreme cases, may last all day long. It usually begins at about six weeks of pregnancy and is over by the fourth month. Apparently, more than half of all pregnant women have reported suffering from morning sickness during the first three months of pregnancy. It generally appears without warning and results in vomiting or prolonged nausea. Though the exact cause of morning sickness is still unknown, doctors believe it could be caused by raised hormone levels during pregnancy.