Ugh....Morning Sickness Is the Worst!!!

Updated on May 18, 2009
S.J. asks from Farmington, NM
35 answers

I'm pregnant with my second child, and I'm having MAJOR morning sickness. I didn't have it at all with my first, so I didn't know what to expect. And it's not only "morning" sickness, it starts in the morning, goes on until around lunch. About 2 hours after lunch it starts all over again. It has gotten so bad, I have to carry a bucket around in my car with me. (Just in case) Does anyone have any advice on how to get rid of morning sickness?

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S.G.

answers from Albuquerque on

Try a seaband. I hear they work wonders. Haven't tried one but will with the next if the sickness is too bad. You can get them online and I think at target.

Good luck! I was a pull over on the side of the road person, the bucket is a good idea! LOL

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C.A.

answers from Phoenix on

i found that i felt better once i stopped taking my pre-natals. I just got some folic acid pills and started taking those. hope you find some relief soon.

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M.S.

answers from Phoenix on

Try ginger candy that you can get from a health food store. Maybe even ginger ale they now have in sugar free and it's tasty. Hope you start getting better.

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E.K.

answers from Flagstaff on

I'm so sorry you're going through that right now! Morning sickness IS the worst!! I had it throughout my entire first pregnancy (lost 7 lbs in the first trimester). There's the natural things you can try, such as ginger and fennel. There are also some Homeopathic nausea pills that are totally safe during pregnancy. There are also wrist bands you can get that push into a pressure point in your wrist for nausea. You can find them at Rite Aid. They are usually promoted for motion sickness, but really it's for any kind of nausea. I wore those my whole pregnancy. Oh, a note about prenatal vitamins - the best ones for a queasy stomach are New Chapter's Organics (best to buy them online, Vitaglo.com is a good source). They include things that are good for your stomach. Still don't take them on an emtpy stomach, though. You can also take some good pro-biotics to help your digestive system.

Keep crackers (Saltines - but get the wheat ones, they don't have HFCS) around ALL THE TIME. Try to stay hydrated (hard, I know). If you start feeling spasming in your abdomen, light-headed, or a racing pulse (and you're not really peeing), go to the hospital and have them give you an IV of fluids.
You can try 1/2 a Unisom and 25mg of B6, that worked for me at night, but made me too tired during the day. Helped a little with the nausea at night, though. The usual prescription if nothing else works is Phenegren. That just made it worse for me, but for most people it's fine.

My doctor eventually just put me on Zofran because nothing else worked. Zofran has only been used on pregnant women for about 14 years (Phenegren has been used for 30), but it worked wonders for me! Good luck! Hopefully you'll be one of those lucky ones that the nausea stops after the first trimester. (You'll probably hear that there's usually more morning sickness for girls, and that the sicker you are, the healthier your baby is...doesn't make the throwing up stop though!)

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S.C.

answers from Phoenix on

I had this "morning sickness" with all 3 of my children. I saw around everywhere that ginger helps, so I would drink ginger ale and eat ginger snaps. That helped a bit. I know there's some anti-nausea pills your OB can prescribe, they do help too. Just remember- it will all be over soon and you will have your little one in your arms. I never thought it would end, but it always did by the 4th or 5th month. Good luck Mama.

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A.T.

answers from Phoenix on

I had morning sickness w/ all but one of my pregnancies. It lasted until about 15 or 16 weeks. Make sure you have something in your stomach....some people even put crackers by their bed to nibble on before their feet hit the floor in the mornings. Having something high protein before bedtime helps your stomach from being sooo empty in the morning, because it takes longer to break down. Caffeine also tended to aggravate my morning sickness as did spicy and greasy foods. Yes, my morning sickness was all day sickness, not just morning. It was also worse the second time around becuase I was up chasing my oldest daughter and couldn't rest as much. If it gets too bad, call your ob/gyn you don't want to end up dehydrated. My gyn prescribed some suppositories the last time and they helped immensely. I don't know if this helps or not, but I was always told that morning sickness was a good sign that baby was doing well, so that was a positive motivator, for me anyway.

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S.L.

answers from Tucson on

Morning sickness is worst in the morning because you have an empty stomach and the bile is upsetting it. After lunch you are digesting and producing bile/acid again. Make sure you are hydrating yourself with lots of WATER. Eat a few soda crackers when you wake up to help absorb the bile and give your body something to digest. You could try a pinch of salt on your tongue as well - especially when it's really bad. Salt helps balance the acids in your stomach and tells your body to absorb water and circulate it through your system. There is a great book called "The Body's Many Cries For Water" that explains in easy to understand terminology how most people are dehydrated and the problems that arise from that condition. Good luck!

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S.C.

answers from Phoenix on

S. i had tried many different remedies, including medication from my doctor until i found either eating or drinking ginger. I still get upset stomachs all these years later and have crystallised ginger always in the fridge. Or you can drink ginger ale or find a store that stocks a ginger concentrate that you can make into a drink the way you like it. I used to like making my own drink with the ginger concentrate and a small slice of lemon and loads of ice, but only sip it. Alternatively you can make your own ginger tea. NOT the tea bag kind as you don't know exactly what is in it. I peel and slice and slightly crush a good one and a half inch of root ginger. I put it into a pot with a couple of litres of water and bring it to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes, again a couple of slices of lemon go into the pot too. You can drink it hot or cold. I used to put honey in mine to sweeten it or it is too bitter. You can experiment with the strength of it just by adding more water. I keep the rest in the fridge and drink it as needed.

Good luck.
S.

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V.W.

answers from Albuquerque on

I know the feeling! ughh, lol! I had "morning sickness" while in labor! Anyway, had I known or thought to ask, there is a pill your doctor can prescribe. Discuss with your doctor to see if this best fits you.

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M.P.

answers from Phoenix on

I know you've had a ton of responses to this, but I wanted to add my voice to encourage you. I had TERRIBLE all day sickness with my second too and cannot count the times I had to pull the over to be sick.

I tried every typical remedy, including c-bands, raspberry leaf tea etc. Nothing worked. Everything smelled and tasted terrible. The very thought of food made me sick.

My midwife made a few suggestions that really helped!

1. Eat small meals all day - to help keep blood sugar even. It sounded terrible since food seemed disgusting at the time but it really did help. I still threw up but not as much. Things that didn't stink, nuts and stuff, helped. On the plus side, I lost weight - not from throwing up - but from my metabolism speeding up significantly.

2. Don't drink just water - add Emergen-c or something like it for nutrients you're losing. That was much harder. Everything tasted terrible.

My own two cents
- eat what you can to get through it. Only you can know what that is. Usually excessive sugar and grease make it worse.
- Try cinnamon toothpaste instead of peppermint. That helped a ton! Peppermint can be too strong when you're sick.

The truth is, time is on your side. Eventually it'll pass - usually by the second trimester. If not, by the end! :)

Not trying to gross you out. Just want you to know, you're not alone.

Persevere! You get a fabulous reward at the end!

M.

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A.T.

answers from Phoenix on

If you can handle sweets, you can try preggie pops, or sucking on jolly ranchers or some other sour candy. I found that the sugar ones help more than the sugar-free ones...

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D.H.

answers from Phoenix on

I gave birth five times. The first one, I felt a little queasy for a short time. THe 2nd one, I never felt better. The 3rd and 5th times I threw up several times a day for five months. The 4th time I threw up several times a day for six months. I was going to a School of Medicine for my care for the last three and I asked the head of the school what could be done. They had a few things to try, but none of them worked on me. Then he told me the reason this has not been fixed: it is not terminal and is generally over in nine months at the very longest and it is hard to experiment when unborn babies are involved. But when you're going through it, it seems eternal! The doctor and I had a theory about why the last three were harder on me, and that is because they had a different father (my current husband - we are about to celebrate our 34th anniversary), and his blood and mine don't mix well (though they produced WONDERFUL children). His was almost pure European Jewish blood, while I am a "mutt". My 1st husband was also a "mutt". I don't know how much research has been done in the last several years, but they just said, "too bad" to me. Good luck!

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S.D.

answers from Phoenix on

There really isn't a way to get rid of it. You just have to ride it out. Try to increase your protein. Than can help. I also drank lots of gingerale, put ginger oil on my wrists etc. (I bought it at my OB's office www.trurharmonywellness.com), drink/eat peppermint, and go buy yourself some sea bands at the drug store. I lived with those on my wrists for about 14 weeks. Even though I still felt sick, when I took them off to shower etc. I felt even worse so they were absolutely helping me.

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D.W.

answers from Phoenix on

For me it was worse with #2 as well. What made the most differnce for me was starting to take my pre-natal vitamins in the evening after dinner and no longer first thing in the morning on empty stomach.
I read during that time that severe cases can be caused by a B vitamin deficiency. Mine really was not that bad, but I asked my Dr if a B complex supplement might help me anyway and he thought it was worth trying, at least it would do no harm.
In the end it got better after the 5th month, if I remember correctly.

Hope you feel better soon so you can enjoy your baby already!

D.

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K.G.

answers from Phoenix on

I never had "morning sickness" with my first 3 (daughters) but when I was pregnant with my last (son) I was soooo sick. It didn't let up until about week 18. Nothing really helped, but I wanted to give you advice about dinners. I was so sick in the late afternoons that I couldn't possibly cook so I started cooking in the crockpot in the early morning (when I felt the best) and then by dinner I could just pass out when my husband got home. He would take over and dish up the crockpot meal. God Bless You girl....it will get better soon :)

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T.G.

answers from Albuquerque on

Awww that's not fun!! Sorry! :( But here is what worked for me....Seabands. They are basically wrist cuffs you wear that have acu-pressuer points that press on your wrists. And they honestly worked wonders for me! It may not make it completely go away...but it definitely cut my nausea back so I didn't feel so horrible and I didn't throw up. When it would get really bad...I would press on the accu-pressure points and it would help. Also, what might work when you are at home..for a temp fix...run your wrists on cold water. I learned this from a policeman years and years ago..and it actually curbs the nausea for a bit. Seabands are at travel stores and Babies R Us even carries them. Good luck!!!! I hope you get a chance to try them!!

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D.J.

answers from Phoenix on

You are welcome to check out my morning sickness blog:

www.whiningpuker.blogspot.com

There are tons of remedies for morning sickness, and the remedy really seems to vary by individual. Here are some things to try:

- Chiropractic care
- Acupuncture
- Herbs
- Homeopathics
- Seabands

Eat whatever you can, and most importantly, never let your stomach get empty.

If it gets severe, see your doctor for a prescription - preferably Zofran.

You can also make a homemade anti-nausea drug from vitamin B6 and Unisom (see instructions on my blog). Research this first to make sure you're comfortable with it, as it's somewhat controversial. However, it's commonly given out by OB's around the world, and I'm using it with no problems.

Good luck! Feel free to email me if you have questions.

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A.H.

answers from Phoenix on

I am sorry....I have 3 now but with my first I had it just a little nothing major. Then with my second I had it like you are describing! So many times I actually had to pull the car over just to throw up and it lasted well into the 5th month for me! There is no way to get rid of it I am afraid and everyone is different like with me I had to eat very small amounts of feed often. I believe they have medication if its severe but I never even asked...LOL That baby is 4 now so been a while for me! LOL GOOD LUCK!!!

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T.J.

answers from Flagstaff on

I fully understand. With my first, I was sick like that til about 9 weeks, and now, with our second one. I'm still sick like that and occasionally still need to bring the bucket with me to work in the car. My dr. started having me take Zofran in the mornings to make it better, and it doesn't take it completly away, but it helps a ton. I had lost 20 lbs in my first trimester. Nothing else was working for me. Good luck!

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L.M.

answers from Phoenix on

you have lots of responses to weed through. Most of what I skimmed thru didn't help me at all (ginger, etc). The only thing that made a dent in my morn. sickness was liquid bentonite clay. You can get it at iherb.com. It's by Sonne. Clay absorbs anything which is in excess in your body (ie hormones). It can make you constipated, so have a plan for that (lots of Magnesium Malate helped me, and it comes in handy later if you get leg cramps).

So I think the liquid clay is the best.

oh yes, and do drink lots of water and electrolytes. I ended up passing out at one time b/c of all the fluids I lost throwing up so much.

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T.S.

answers from Phoenix on

I am so sorry! I know how you feel. I was more sick with my second pregnancy. It was trial and error to find what worked. Anything ginger didn't work the second time around. I found that sea bands helped. Not a cure, but definately some relief. You can get them at drug stores and I think I have seen them at walmart. I also found that sipping an ice cold coke helped. Also, just kind of listen to your body. If it doesn't sound, smell or taste good, it will probably come back up. Congrats on your pregnancy. I hope you feel better soon. Good Luck.

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L.L.

answers from Tucson on

I tried natural ginger ale, it sorta worked haha. I think all I ate my first trimester was crackers and ginger ale haha. I once read in a book somewhere one lady only ate starbursts so when she threw up it would at least be fruity! lol. It'll pass,eventually :) Enjoy your pregnancy!

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A.

answers from Albuquerque on

I so sympathize. With my three I was sick all day long and vomited throughout the day, in the car, too. Sleep was my only relief. I tried EVERYTHING. I mean everything. My midwife made suggestions but said she does not think there's one reason, one type or one answer. The only thing that even touched my morning sickness was acupuncture. It did not cure it, but it gave me a little relief. I went into it with not much hope and was pleasantly surprised. The person I used is a midwife, too, so she was very knowledgeable about pregnancy.

Other than that, I lost weight, looked horrible, ate horribly for awhile, but went on to have very healthy kids. So don't add worry to your plate. Your baby is getting what it needs. Just at your expense!

F.H.

answers from Phoenix on

Girl, I feel for you! I had morning, afternoon, evening sickness with both of mine thru the whole NINE months and even after they INSISTED I would not throw up during my C-Section...I still did! I even kept plastic throw away cups in my van so I could just throw up and throw away, I know...gross...but what can you do? I gained 22-28 with both kids and lost over 50 at delivery (I'm a big girl). I figured if I had 9 or 10 kids I would end up skinny! hahahaha!! Anyway, all that just to say, I tried everything too, nothing worked, so I just accepted that is the price to pay for my wonderful babies! I hope you find something that works for you and congrats on your pregnancy!

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E.M.

answers from Phoenix on

You might try a higher quality pre natal (Before Baby Boost...actually has day and night division of the nutrients that compete with each other) to see if the digestability is an issue.
I have used ginger (sparingly) to ease the nausea. I found ginger candy (taffy-like) in some asian markets, but ginger tea might be just as good. There are also capsules.
I have heard that grazing is helpful...not to let blood sugar drop too much.
But sometimes it just has to pass in its own. Good luck.
By the way "Morning sickness" is in no way an accurate term...it can go on all day..like you now know.

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N.N.

answers from Albuquerque on

Morning sickness is the worst! I lost 30 pounds during the first 3 months of my pregnancy (of course, I had some extra pounds to shed, but that's not a fun way to do it!) Some things the helped for me:

Taking my prenantal vitamin at night with a little food (crackers or something absorbent)

I did not find the "prego pops" candy to be helpful and I thought they tasted nasty.

I always kept crackers by my bedside. Anytime I woke up in the night I would eat one or two so my stomach was never just full of acid. Always eating a couple before getting out of bed in the morning.

I wasn't very hungry because of the nausea, but I did try to eat bland foods like toast, mashed potatoes, or plain pasta.

Sipping ginger ale throughout the day.

Finally I ended up taking Unisom and B-12 (per my doctor's orders). This helped, but it did make me sleepy most of the day. If you have to work, this may not work for you. I was working part-time and didn't have to be there until 2pm. I usually felt better by then, although I did have a few occassions where I ended up pulling over to get sick on the way. It's yucky and I'm sorry you're going through it!

I kept trying different foods and found a few things that my stomach tolerated. There was a salad at Chili's that I loved and of course they don't make it anymore!

Good luck! It's a few months of discomfort and a lifetime of happiness. :)

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M.L.

answers from Phoenix on

Ginger ale was a big help to me, and mint gum.

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S.C.

answers from Albuquerque on

Just a few thoughts....

Whole grains -- WHOLE wheat is HIGH in Vitamin B which will help you keep from getting quite so nauseated.
NO SUGAR - this depletes vitamin B, thereby increasing nausea
No processed foods if you can at all help it (these just mess you up)
Eat what you can, make sure you are getting plenty of liquids. If you are taking prenatal vits....you may want to rethink that at least temporarily...those ALWAYS made me throw up. I gave up.

7 pregnancies and 8 babies later (i had twins).....EVERY pregnancy is different. Things i mentioned above are things that helped me. Sometimes something as simple as a little bit of mashed potatoes with butter or cream helped me feel better.

Oh - one reason to be thankful.....the more the body complains (i.e. nausea and vomiting) the stronger the implant....that's a good thing!(Yes i know it doesn't feel so good right now:( )

Peace to you and your tummy and congrats on your baby:)

S.

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D.H.

answers from Phoenix on

Bless your heart, S.! But I've been there, done that. Same thing - I was fine with my first, but sooooo sick with my second. And it started in the morning and pretty much lasted all day. My doctor eventually had to put me on medication so I could at least eat. But the meds made me feel so bloated and gassy, I couldn't take them either. So, I just had to suffer through. But thankfully, it does pass.

I would usually have some saltine crackers with me all the time. I'd nibble on them constantly, and it seemed to help the queasiness. You might also want to talk to your doctor. Especially if you start losing weight instead of gaining. But eat sort of like you have the flu - lots of broth, crackers and anything that you think won't make you sick. And drink TONS of fluids! That's a HUGE thing - don't let yourself get dehydrated.

Good luck! Again, this too shall pass!!

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J.N.

answers from Phoenix on

I'm so sorry. Morning sickness is the worst! I had it with my first son and am expecting my second child in November. I had the same symptoms with this pregnancy until a friend suggested that I wear sea bands. You can find them with the motion sickness medicines. You wear them on your wrists and it requires no medication. It takes a day or two for them to become really effective because they are cumulative-so don't take them off once they start working :) I bought a couple pairs so I can shower, clean, etc with one pair and put another pair on quickly after I am finished with that. They have been a lifesaver fro me this time around. I hope they work for you too. Good luck!!

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M.J.

answers from Tucson on

Mine was so bad the doctor had to put me on reglan. I couldnt keep anything down and was loosing too much weight. Mine was all through both my pregnancies. Not as bad after the first 20weeks with my son. My Daughter was til about 18weeks. Had a hard time eating many things through the pregnancies, texture, smell, looks, taste were all factors. If it sounded good though I would try because I was having a hard time eating anything.

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E.M.

answers from Phoenix on

So sorry!!! Morning sickness is the biggest thing scaring me about getting pregnant again. I'd rather go through labor twice!! There are some good suggestions below- it's really individual. The thing that worked best for me was keeping something in my stomach all day long. I put a little lemon juice in my water, that made it taste better so I could get it down. Also, a great trick- if you feel like you are going to puke when you really can't, like while driving or in a restaurant, try smelling a lemon wedge. It only works for a few seconds after you smell it, but it can hold off the worst nausea until you can get to a bathroom! I kept a couple in a ziplock with me all the time. I have heard that alcohol wipes work the same way. Hang in there- I felt better around week 17, hopefully you will too, or sooner!!

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N.F.

answers from Albuquerque on

protien helped me. Protein before bed (and sometimes first thing) I had cheese or yogurt before bed and oatmeal first thing in the a.m. for about 3 months.

Ginger also helps. Ginger snap cookies and real ginger ale.

I had to get new vitamins, too. The cheap ones made me sick all day.

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J.C.

answers from Tucson on

Sorry you're feeling so bad! I never threw up with my either of my kids but felt worse with my second. What worked for me was lemon heads and lemonade. I don't really like to take any meds when I'm pregnant or nursing and this is what the nurse at my ob's office recommended. It worked pretty well. Good luck! As awful as it is, just remember that in the end when you're holding your new little one that it will have been worth it!

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T.B.

answers from Flagstaff on

Hi there honey, i agree with Cypress. i had to stop taking my prenatals also. i told the Dr and he confered but he told me to take the flinstones childrens vitamins and that totally worked and my babies came out fine. i also ate one handfull of cheese it crackers every hour on the hour and that helped too. sorry honey, this too shall pass.

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