Food may be the last thing you want to think about if you experience morning sickness during your pregnancy. But to minimize nausea, try eating foods that will alleviate your symptoms and also provide nutritional value. Vitamin B-6 may also help alleviate morning sickness, but consult your doctor before taking this or any other supplement during your pregnancy.
Ginger
Ginger has been proven to reduce the symptoms of morning sickness. Suck on ginger-flavored candies or sip ginger ale to fight nausea. You can also prepare ginger tea to settle your stomach. Add about five slices of fresh ginger to a cup of water and boil for about 15 minutes. Add lemon and honey if desired. You can increase or decrease the amount of ginger to your taste.
Fruit
Some fruits may also reduce nausea while also helping to keep you hydrated throughout the day. Watermelon, for example, has a high water content and mild taste. Fruit also provides fiber, which will help ease any constipation you may be experiencing during your pregnancy. You might want to avoid eating acidic fruits, such as oranges and grapefruit, since they may be too hard on your stomach. However, citrus fruits do make refreshing additions to water or tea.
Carbohydrates
Foods that contain simple carbohydrates provide energy and are easy on the stomach. The American Pregnancy Association recommends keeping crackers by your bed to eat in the night and before you get out of bed in the morning. This practice may stop nausea before it begins, since it will help regulate your blood sugar. White rice, a plain baked potato, toast and plain pasta are other examples of carbohydrate foods that are easy to digest.
Foods to Avoid
Knowing what foods to avoid during pregnancy is a crucial element of preventing nausea. Although specific aversions vary from woman to woman, fatty, spicy and greasy foods often cause nausea and other discomforts. Eating habits also play an important role in nausea prevention. Avoid eating a large meal right before going to bed, although a small snack may be beneficial. Eat small meals four or five times a day, rather than three large meals.
