Morning sickness can be difficult for moms-to-be when they can’t seem to keep down anything. Following a BRAT diet is good to keep nausea at bay as bland food is easier to digest and healthy for the mom. There’re other food items such as ginger, lemon, cold beverages, protein-rich snacks, veggies, broths, soups, smoothies, and citrus fruits to eat during this time. Making an active change in your lifestyle is also needed to help you during this crucial time. Getting better sleep, staying hydrated, eating smaller and frequent meals, exercising, and never skipping meals are beneficial.
One of the hardest things for pregnant moms to handle is their morning sickness. About 70% of pregnant women suffer from it, and for about 3% of women, it ends up being severe.
Though for a short while, it can make things unbearable for the mom-to-be, especially when eating. Symptoms usually improve by the second trimester, but the goal is to find something you can eat during that hell of a first trimester.
Nausea and vomiting don’t allow you to keep down anything, which can risk getting the proper nutrition for the baby and the mom.
Thinking about food or even its smell might make you wish to throw up. So, what type of food can you consume to ensure a healthy pregnancy? Let’s take a look!
The wrath of morning sickness
It’s more common than one might think and makes it difficult for the pregnant mom to get through that first trimester as nothing appeases her.
It starts when you’re into 6 weeks of your pregnancy and peaks at the 9 weeks into it.
Nausea during pregnancy may differ for each woman, and one might experience vomiting twice daily. Still, others might not be able to eat anything in the morning but may feel fine otherwise.
The cause is still unknown, but it can worsen by skipping meals, being stressed, dehydrated, eating certain foods, being overtired, or being affected by motion sickness.
What to eat for morning sickness?
Deciding on what to eat during this horrible time is the most challenging decision for moms. Nothing appeases your stomach anymore, and you might feel nauseated most of the time.
Pregnancy can be a child’s play for some women but incredibly difficult for others.
Not even liquids might make you feel better, and keeping down anything can seem like an impossible option. But to have a healthy pregnancy having meals with proper nutrition is necessary.
The best thing you can do to start is making necessary lifestyle changes.
Some changes in your meals, sleep, and what you eat can totally transform this period of struggle into something you can handle.
According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, certain foods can help you survive this period of nausea.
Trying out the BRAT diet has helped many women suffering from morning nausea and gotten them to eat something when nothing else sounds good.
This diet is low in fat and easy to digest, which pregnant moms need when they can’t keep anything else down.
Although the goal is to find the food you can eat by trying out different things. This particular diet can help you when you’re unable to find anything to eat.
BRAT diet for morning sickness
The BRAT diet consists of bland food which is easily digestible and mainly required for nauseated pregnant moms.
This consists of bananas, rice, applesauce, toast, and tea.
While some types of teas might not be suitable for some women, finding a particular kind of tea that works for you can add one more food item.
These food items provide a good base for the rest of the day when you suffer from nausea in the early morning. But not all can be solved by just eating these four food items.
Morning sickness doesn’t limit itself to the morning hours but for some makes them suffer from specific smell of food or the food itself might not seem appealing to eat.
Eggs and certain kinds of meat might be some common aversions to women during this time.
Foods for morning sickness
During the first trimester of your pregnancy, your body starts pumping out hormones that slow down your digestive system muscles.
This impacts the digestive system, and you can no longer digest big, heavy, or greasy meals.
Keeping your meals smaller in proportion and frequent can help you get through this sluggish time.
The food you should be eating during this time includes:
- Protein-rich snacks include Greek yogurt, roaster chickpeas, cheese, and crackers. This also includes eggs and different kinds of meat, but women usually have aversions to these food items during morning sickness.
- Veggies include sweet potatoes, green beans, baby carrots, and raw spinach salad.
- Fresh berries, oatmeal, dried fruits, and cold dairy products.
- Different types of soups
- Simple broths and healthy smoothies.
These are just a few options, but they might not work for each pregnant mom. Still, some women might not be able to keep this kind of food down and feel nauseated all the time.
Ginger and vitamin B6 for morning sickness
A few other options to help you would include ginger and vitamin B6.
Ginger is one of the best foods for morning sickness, and a dosage of 450 mg per day can significantly reduce nausea and vomiting or help you get through it.
You can include ginger in food items you eat and prep meals by making it an ingredient for your meals during the day. You can even add it to beverages and make ginger tea or tonic, and Smoothies with ginger as a component can be a healthy meal for one time.
Taking vitamin B6 can also be beneficial for nausea. You can either take supplements or include foods in your diet rich in this vitamin, including fish, potatoes, and bananas.
It’s best to consult with your physician before taking any supplements.
Also, watch out for any heartburn symptoms you might experience from taking ginger.
Snacks for morning sickness
Eating smaller and frequent meals is one way to ensure your nausea and vomiting are kept under control.
Though difficult, here is a list of food items you can include to make your day better and some snacks you can include between meals to help you out:
- Lemons
- Cold foods such as smoothies, yogurt, sandwiches, raw vegetables, or salads
- High protein foods
- Pretzel and chips
- Cereal
- Peppermint
Here are a few snack ideas to include:
- A handful of crackers with cheese
- Fruits such as berries, oranges, watermelons, or grapes
- Sliced apple with almond butter or peanut butter
- Celery, cucumbers, or carrot sticks with hummus
- Steamed vegetables
- Pureed soups
- Pretzels or lightly flavored crackers
- Hard candies
- Ice cream
Even if you’re not averted to the smell of those french fried or donuts eating such food will only worsen your situation.
Keeping away from fried and fatty foods is the best decision for this sensitive time. Keep your choices limited to healthy foods.
Other tips for managing morning sickness
Nausea can be taxing on any pregnant woman, and it can be pretty tricky for first-time moms to know how to manage their sickness and the better way of handling things.
Changing your lifestyle can better your current situation and help you eat more things during this sensitive time.
- Getting a night of good long sleep is essential for your body at this time. Being overtired can kick in nausea more often and make you feel worse during the day, and it can help eliminate the sluggish feeling and make you feel better.
- Eating frequent meals with snacks in between is another way to deal with it. Having smaller portions throughout the day is helpful. Try eating every 2 hours, and whatever you eat should be a healthy, nutritious food item.
- Try including protein in your breakfast to give you a kickstart for the day. It will keep you fuller for a long time. You’ll have to figure out how early before bed or after waking up you need to eat your meals.
- Never skip any meal, and it will only make things worse as hunger can worsen nausea.
- Take your prenatal vitamin during the time of the day when you’re least nauseous. Though it’s said to help take prenatal vitamins right after having dinner.
- Include some activity or exercise in your routine. This can help you keep distracted.
- Drink plenty of water or fluids during the day. Being dehydrated can also worsen nausea.
- Avoid being overheated. It can trigger nausea.
FAQs
Does sprite help with morning sickness?
Drinking cold beverages does help with keeping down nausea.
Sprite could be one of the options, amongst others, such as soda, lime water, yogurt, ginger ale, or ice tea.
But drinking carbonated drinks might not be so beneficial for the baby. Try keeping food items and beverages you consume healthily.
Explore healthier beverage options.
What should I eat on an empty stomach when pregnant?
If you suffer from morning sickness, eating your breakfast as soon as you wake up is recommended. If you wait for longer, you might suffer from nausea and vomiting.
Try to eat protein-packed food items to keep a fuller stomach for long. You can also follow the BRAT diet, which is easier to digest and healthier for the body.
What fruit is good for morning sickness?
Citrus fruits are suitable for women suffering from nausea in the morning.
Anything from lemons to oranges is a good source of vitamin C and keeps nausea under control.
You can drink it as a juice, even smelling lemon or licking it a few times can eliminate nausea.
Are scrambled eggs good for morning sickness?
Eggs are a tremendous protein-based food item for nauseated moms.
Eating eggs in any form, be it hard-boiled, scrambled, or omelet can be good.
But some women can’t handle the smell of meat and eggs during their period of nausea and tend to avoid eating them altogether.
You should find out what food items are tolerable to you.
To summarise
This time can be challenging for new moms as they don’t know where to start when dealing with their morning sickness. When everything repulses you, it can be tricky to find the food items that don’t.
Though a bit hard, it’s not impossible to find things you can digest.
Following a BRAT diet is helpful, but you still need to keep in mind the list of food items that can benefit you in this condition.
Trying out different things can make it easier to understand what’s good and what’s not. Making lifestyle changes is also a necessity at this point to help control your nausea.
The first pregnancy is more of a trial-and-error situation, but you come to know what works best for you as time passes.
