The beautiful nine months that we are gifted to enjoy, can often turn into a journey with potholes in the road. Nausea, migraines, acidity, mood swings, and fatigue are common symptoms experienced during pregnancy. In this article, I discuss how to tide over pregnancy nausea naturally & regain your confidence in a healthy pregnancy.

What Is Pregnancy Nausea And Why Does It Happen?

There is constant irritation and continuous feeling of vomiting, especially while eating or sometimes due to the smell of food. It is mostly observed during the first trimester of pregnancy.

When the egg is fertilized by sperm, the cells that become the placenta produce a hormone called the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG). The hCG levels in the body quickly rise during the first few weeks of pregnancy. This can cause one to feel nauseous. But this is a completely natural process & not one that women need to worry about. 

The Complication

Nausea often makes the ‘would-be mother’ anxious - if the baby is getting sufficient nourishment or not. If there is a constant ejection of food from the body, it can lead to Electrolyte imbalance, Dehydration & Decreased Urination in the mother.

Do note that if you regularly follow a healthy diet and lifestyle, you can definitely reap the benefits of a healthy pregnancy. Combine this with a few home remedies and care, you can tide over pregnancy nausea in the most effective way.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum

This is the most concern-worthy condition in nausea as during this, your body is not able to accept even water. It becomes very weak & this can lead to a miscarriage. Hospitalization becomes mandatory in this situation.

Natural Remedies For Pregnancy Nausea 

A medication may help you deal with nausea momentarily, but it can affect you in the long term because of synthetic contents. It is time to choose simple remedies which will help you to take your pregnancy to a happy state where you can wait for your baby happily rather than just limit yourself to bed.

1. Green Leafy Vegetables

They are a healthy source of sodium, which plays a key role in maintaining the body's electrolyte balance. Include green leafy vegetables in your everyday diet for meeting your body’s need for sodium.  You can eat leafy greens as vegetable juices, salads, cooked sabji, soup or knead them into your dough while making rotis. 

2. Lemon

It is a rich source of Vitamin C which controls the feeling of nausea, it will help you in dealing with gagging as well as prevent your body from getting dehydrated. Squeeze half a lemon in half glass of water and drink half an hour before any of your meals like lunch or dinner.

3. Ginger

Sip on ginger tea. Boil an inch of ginger in water, pour it into a cup. You can also add lemon juice to it.

4. Essential Aroma Oils

Aromatherapy is the most ancient and reliable method everybody can depend on. With usages of essential oils like peppermint, lavender, or ylang-ylang, you can deal with Pregnancy mood swings and nausea both effectively. These oils will have positive effects on your nervous system, which controls both gag reflex and mood changes in pregnancy. Steaming is the best way to use these essential oils. Take a  steamer, put a few drops of oil in it (5-6) and then slowly inhale it for 10-15 minutes. You will see the effects soon.

5. Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises help in treating nausea. Count from 10 to 0, i.e counting in reverse order and concentrate on your breath while inhaling for 10 seconds. Hold for 3 seconds and then exhale slowly for 5 seconds. Sit in a comfortable position, at a calm place and do this every morning for 15 minutes. Morning breathing exercises will also help you in calming down surge of pregnancy hormones and will help you in treating pregnancy issues. 

Precaution: There are some breathing exercises that can be harmful in pregnancy. For example, rapid breathing moves the abdomen very fast and can have a negative effect on your body. Hence keep your breathing slow and relaxing.

6. Fruits

Increase fruits intake, fruits being alkaline in nature will balance the pH of the body. When the body is in balance, all pregnancy hormones are able to work efficiently & pregnancy nausea will soon be a thing of the past. Go for a mono fruit diet, i.e. only one type of fruit in one serving.

7. Dry Fruits

Soak a fistful of dry fruits like raisins, dates, figs, etc at night in a glass of water. When you wake up in the morning, on an empty stomach, eat these dry fruits chewing well & drink the water as well. 

These remedies will surely help you to curb down nausea and enjoy your pregnancy in the most beautiful way. Do remember your body is hard at work to bring your little bundle of joy into this world. Keep stress at bay & be in gratitude to Mother Nature for giving you an opportunity to experience motherhood. 

Picture courtesy: Freepik.com