The anticipation of a new bundle of joy in your family is an exciting time of baby names, cute clothes and decorating their nursery. During these first few trimesters, as plans begin to fall into place, you may experience a bit of morning sickness or continued nausea throughout your pregnancy. Not to worry! With a few foods and drinks in your pantry that help fight nausea, you can focus on preparing for your baby’s arrival.
Take a look at the following suggestions for what to eat for morning sickness to stay feeling your best.
Jump Ahead:
- What Is Morning Sickness Like?
- What Causes Morning Sickness?
- When Does Nausea Start in Pregnancy?
- How to Manage Morning Sickness
- Ease Morning Sickness With Mobile IV Medics
Foods That Fight Nausea During Pregnancy
During your pregnancy, your body needs as many essential nutrients as possible to keep you and your baby healthy as they develop. The nutrients your body uses during this time can cause the typical foods and drinks to only provide a small fraction of what you truly need. The food options below can help supply your body and growing baby with more nutrients and may prevent feelings of nausea through each trimester. It also helps to eat small, frequent meals throughout the day and avoid over-eating.
Check out the following best foods for morning sickness.
Protein-Rich Foods
Protein is an essential nutrient for mothers to consume during their pregnancy. Protein supports the baby’s growth each trimester so they can reach their peak height and weight by the time that final crucial month is close.
High protein can be slightly heavier than bland foods, but in moderation, this nutrient can relieve pressure on your stomach and are typically easier to digest.
Foods with healthy protein levels that can help prevent morning sickness include:
- Lentils
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Low-fat cottage cheese
- Peanut butter
- Skinless chicken breast
BRAT Foods
When morning sickness takes over your start to the day, adopting the BRAT diet during these first few hours in the morning may prevent an empty stomach from becoming nauseous. BRAT stands for bananas, rice, applesauce and toast, high-starch foods that are lightweight and still filling.
These foods have higher starch levels than other breakfast foods that soak up excess stomach acid that can form throughout the day. You can have these lightweight foods as snacks or sides with your daily meals for lower chances of morning sickness throughout your pregnancy.
Whole-Wheats and Grains
Other high-starch and lightweight food options mothers can try during pregnancy are whole-wheat and whole-grain ingredients. As your baby grows, your body uses consumed carbohydrates to provide higher energy levels so you can feel productive throughout your pregnancy. Whole wheat and grains can also soak up excess stomach acid that might be causing nausea and vomiting.
Starchy whole-wheat and grain foods you can consume to prevent morning sickness include:
- Brown rice
- Whole wheat pasta
- Potatoes
- Oats
Bland Diet Foods
Although a bland diet might not sound like much fun during pregnancy, these simple foods are tasty options you can add to each meal for lower chances of morning sickness. Similar to whole wheat and grains, bland diet ingredients are excellent for soaking up stomach acid and making you feel full without putting too much heaviness in your stomach.
A few bland diet foods that you can try during your pregnancy that prevent morning sickness includes:
- Crackers
- Bread
- Pasta
- Canned fruits
- Hot cereals
- Pudding or custard
- Vanilla wafers or graham crackers
Cold Foods
Having a hot cup of soup may be tempting to ease your morning sickness. However, warm temperatures and the smell of cooking can trigger your gag reflex easier than cold foods, increasing the chances of nausea throughout the day.
To start your mornings off right without the need to cook, try a few delicious low-sugar cold foods that can make you feel full without putting pressure on your stomach. Cold foods to eat with morning sickness that you can enjoy during your pregnancy include:
- Low-fat yogurt
- Low-sugar pudding
- Fat-free ice cream
- Popsicles
- Sorbet
- Chilled fruits
Three Drinks That Help With Nausea During Pregnancy
When you feel nausea from morning sickness and don’t feel like eating more food, hydrating your body with essential nutrients from common drinks you can find at home or the grocery store helps minimize these symptoms. While drinking water is still necessary throughout your pregnancy, try incorporating the following drinks into your diet for less nausea, vomiting and morning sickness.
Sports Drinks
One surprisingly impressive candidate for one of the best drinks to have during pregnancy is sports drinks. When you feel sick from vomiting due to morning sickness, your body loses electrolytes faster than usual. Luckily, with the help of sports drinks with higher electrolyte levels, you can replenish your body and may feel less nauseous in the mornings.
Stick with sports drinks that have low sugar levels or no sugar at all. Gatorade’s G Zero drink has zero calories and zero grams of sugar, so your body can get the hydration and electrolytes it needs to feel refreshed during each trimester.
Lemon Juice
Citrus fruits are excellent to eat as foods or use in your drinks during pregnancy to alleviate morning sickness. One of the best drinks to relieve your stomach from heavy foods and nausea is lemon juice. This citrus concoction, in moderation, can offer fast relief from morning sickness while providing numerous other health benefits, including:
- Keeps your body hydrated and refreshed.
- Provides potassium for your baby to aid in bone growth.
- Full of antioxidants.
- Boosts your immunity with Vitamin C.
- Improves digestion.
Ginger Tea
This tasty and versatile ingredient makes a great addition to your early morning tea, or you can take it as a pill capsule. Tea made from fresh or dried ginger may have nausea-fighting compounds, and one study found that six pregnant women who took ginger early in their first trimester were five times more likely to experience less vomiting and nausea symptoms.
Ginger tea appears to be safe for pregnant women within a reasonable amount — up to 1 gram daily — but talk to your doctor before you start making ginger tea a regular part of your day. Women close to labor should avoid ginger and ginger tea, which could cause complications. Those with a history of miscarriages, bleeding or blood clots shouldn’t consume ginger tea or capsules without consulting their physician.
While ginger may help alleviate your nausea and suppress the urge to vomit, even otherwise healthy women have reported occasional side effects like gas and heartburn. You can reduce the chance of these discomforts by sipping your ginger tea slowly and staying within the recommended daily range.
Soothe Morning Sickness With an IV Drip
Treat yourself to relief from morning sickness with the help of Mobile IV Medics! Our fast-acting Morning Sickness IV therapy supplies Vitamin B complex, IV fluid and anti-nausea and vomiting medication right into your bloodstream to prevent the feelings of morning sickness throughout your pregnancy.
Make your IV drip appointment as comfortable as possible by choosing the at-home treatment option. One of our registered nurses can make their way to your home so you can relax while they administer the morning sickness IV therapy. They can walk you through the process and answer any questions about IV drip therapies.
Book your appointment today!