Severe Nausea During pregnancy...PLEASE HELP!!

Updated on October 23, 2016
D.B. asks from Warfordsburg, PA
49 answers

I am experiencing extreme nausea as I did with my first two pregnancies and I would much rather be in labor the rest of the nine months than to continue being this sick. All my favorite foods taste like garbage and I can't even wear my favorite perfume for fear I will ruin the fragrance for after the pregnancy. (I can't wear Glow by J. Lo because even when I'm not pregnant it makes me nauseous now) I've tried all the crackers I can stand, I'm really close to setting up a special doctors appt. specifically for the nausea. Anyone have any suggestions that worked for them??

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So What Happened?

Thanks to everyone with all the wonderful responses! What I found to be working is sucking on a lemon half and then squeezing some lemon juice into a tall glass of water and sipping on that throughout the day. I thought I had tried everything. Food still doesn't taste the same and I still have spells where I just feel like laying around all day, but the lemon seems to suppress it somewhat. Thanks to all!!

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J.S.

answers from Washington DC on

I read that protein helps with nausea, and my husband eats two boiled eggs every morning, so I started eating one with him, first thing in the morning. It totally helped. I also had to have a full stomach before I took my vitamins.

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K.B.

answers from Washington DC on

I can't help by personal experience, but my good friend has severe nausea with both of her pregnancies and her doc prescribed her some anti-nausea medicine - the same stuff the chemo patients take for nausea.

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A.W.

answers from Washington DC on

Hi -- Sorry you're going through this. Things that helped me: taking my prenatal vitamin at night rather than in the morning, ginger ale, peppermints, popsicles, and eating small amounts more frequently. Good luck, and congratulations!

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T.E.

answers from Boston on

I have ended up my severe morning sickness/nausea with the help of No to morning sickness tea.

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C.B.

answers from Washington DC on

I had terrible nausea throughout my pregnancy. I took a ginger pill every night (at my dr recommendation, they are available in the vitamin section at drug stores) which alleviated it to some degree and sucked on preggie pops (they sell them at Motherhood Maternity Stores) for immediate relief.

Good luck!

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M.M.

answers from Washington DC on

I would talk to your ob/gyn. My friend had to be put on a special medication for her severe sickness, but she said it made an extreme difference.

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D.D.

answers from Washington DC on

I had horrible nausea all day long until around my 15th week of pregnancy. I found that eating something every hour helped. Also mints and candy were like lifesavers. I would have hard candy on had and suck on it when I felt sick. You can get organic lollipops by yummy earth and not feel like you are eating too bad. I would also just smell mint tea or mints and that would help. Good luck.

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V.S.

answers from Charlottesville on

Hey D.,

I'm so sorry you are so sick. I do agree that it should lighten up after your 1st trimester, but who has time to be sick when you already have 2 little ones!! When I was sick, I tried everything ginger I could find. Ginger is supposed to help (according to the old wives' tales), so I had ginger snaps which weren't bad and ginger cubes which were awful, but they worked much better. If there is some ginger tea that you can find that is caffeine free, you should try that too. Tea always settles a stomach too. Last, my mother swore that Diet Coke settled her stomach when she was pregnant with us, but I would be afraid of the aspartame in the sweetener. You could try other sodas to see if the carbonation helps. I drank so much sprite when I was pregnant that I don't even want to smell it now. Ginger Ale was helpful too, but you won't even want to be in the same room with it after your pregnancy--not always a bad thing though.
I hope this has been helpful. Good luck to you now and when the baby comes. You will have lots of littles to chase after to get your figure back!!

All My Best,
V. :)

V. Slinkman
Regional Sales Director
I work at home next to my kids!! You should too--check it out at www.MyWorkAtHomeFreedom.com
800-964-2380

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T.S.

answers from Washington DC on

I'm so sorry to hear you are so sick! My friend had very bad nausea and her doctor prescribed a medicine, that worked, but made her extremely tired.

My friend's son gets really car sick, so they buy him a nausea bracelet. I've seen them at Rite-Aid, but probably most drugstores or Wal-Mart would sell them. Maybe that would be safe for you to take also? I'd definitely ask your doctor to try and help.

Hope you are feeling better soon!

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W.T.

answers from Jacksonville on

I lost a wonderful perfume the same way and it breaks my heart!

Here's what eased the nausea for me during my second pregnancy...

cold water with lots of ice and a splash of lemon juice, in a glass glass, with a straw. Very specific, I know, but change any one factor and it just wasn't the same.

During my first pregnancy...honey nut cheerios - at least 5 times a day. Only a few spoonfulls at a time but it did the trick.

You just have to find what eases your stomach. I'm sure it's different for us all. My dad swears that he worked with a lady who liked to smell tires during her pregnancy. Yes car tires!

Good luck, I hope it eases up soon!

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T.B.

answers from Norfolk on

Traditional Medicanals (spelling) Tea makes tea's for everything from head achs to nausia...
I used their childrens tummy tea and it worked wonders for me... it's all natural and my Midwife said it was fine. I would probably still check with my OB before I drank any. They make an adult version if you can't find the childrens and my Midwife said that one would be ok too.
I use to get sick off of smells, tastes... I couldn't even brush my teeth without getting sick. On more than one occasion the thought of eating made me sick. So I understand what your going thru and wish you the best!

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J.M.

answers from Washington DC on

You can try to take Dramamine the motion sickness medicine or the doctor can prescribe you something. I was very sick with both of my pregnancies and not able to keep anything down for 18-20 weeks. The medicine did help except during the peak weeks of hormone surge which is like weeks 9-13.

Good Luck

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N.S.

answers from Richmond on

I was very sick for pretty much my entire pregnancy, and I could hardly keep anything down for the first 17 weeks or so. The only thing that worked for me was taking half of a Unisom tablet before bet (use the tablets, not the geltabs, as there is a different drug in those). This worked way better than the prescription anti-nausea meds I was given. I did this every single day of my pregnancy, up to the day I delivered. BUT, you will want to run it by your Dr first.

Hope you get some relief soon...

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J.S.

answers from Washington DC on

I am currently expecting and have also had two previous pregnancies.

This pregnancy has given me worse nausea than my first two, but I can't say that it's been "severe". Still, it has been unpleasant.

Here are some of the things that helped me:
1) toast
2) saltine crackers (I've read suggestions to eat a couple before you actually get out of bed).
3) Ginger ale
4) Sprite

If your condition is serious, I know that a doctor can prescribe prescription strength anti-nausea medication.

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N.F.

answers from Washington DC on

I went through the same thing with my first two babies, and I lost a LOT of weight...30 pounds with the first and 20 with the second. The doctor with the second started giving me B6 shots, and the weight loss and nausea stopped within a day! You can take mega doses of B6 in pill form, but it takes a bit longer to get into your system than the injections do. Look it up on the internet, you'll find a lot about how it can help. I started shots with my third as soon as I found out I was pregnant, and I never got sick at all. Good luck.

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N.C.

answers from Washington DC on

I feel for you! I am I the same position. I was hoping the 2nd pregnancy would be different but it is worse. I know different things work for different people. I find that if I suck on wint-o-green mints it helps. I keep a big bag with me all the time. I can't drink water so I mix it with gatoraid. I have had friends that swear by the ginger chews found at natural food stores. I didn't like them but you might. I also find that I get sicker the more tired I am. It is hard with 2 other little ones but if you can squeeze a nap in, it might help.
Good luck. Hopefully you will be in your 2nd trimester soon and feeling better.

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B.B.

answers from Washington DC on

I was SO sick with my second child for months. My friends mother told me to chew on a little chunk of cornstarch--gross, but helpful. And I just read an article that sniffing a newspaper takes nausea away (something about newspaper ink) and sniffing lemons. I also sucked on a lot of Lifesavers to help with the taste in my mouth and drank ginger tea. One day it just completely went away and I ate everything in sight. Good luck!

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C.G.

answers from Washington DC on

I sucked on lots and lots of honey lemon drops and other hard candy. If it's the entire pregnancy as mine was, generally this is because the baby is sitting on the vena cava vein (sp?). I also did yoga which helped a little.

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S.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Drinking peppermint tea or peppermint candy can sometimes help with nausea. The most important thing I would recommend is to eat. I suggest going to bradleybirth.com and looking at the diet information. You need to eat to get past the nausea. You need to eat probably 6 small meals a day and try for 80-100 grams of protein per day. This may not sound realistic to you but I have seen it work over and over again. If you make yourself it you will feel better. sometimes a little Sprite or something to sip will make eating easier to start. Once you start eating more and more often you will be amazed at how much better you feel.

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L.G.

answers from Washington DC on

I always suffer with nausea and it was especially bad during pregnancy. I drank so much ginger ale that I gained 50lbs- way too much. I treat nausea with smelling a bottle of ginger essential oil, you could also try regular ginger from the store or Ning Xia Red juice, or spearmint essential oil - also helps increase appetite- you need your nutrition! You can order it at www.youngliving.org/amoreyr.

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L.S.

answers from Dover on

Motion sickness wristbands. Ask your Dr. but they do work for nausea. They have little balls that press a pressure point in the front of your wrist. You can get them at a pharmacy usually.

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L.S.

answers from Washington DC on

Acupuncture...worked for me :)

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E.V.

answers from Roanoke on

First of all, Congrats on the pregnancy, and I hope you all the best w/those 2 VERY young ones and all you are dealing with. If you have experienced lots of nauseousness before, your Dr. can give you something for the nausea. My friend was nauseous her entire pregancy, and even though the meds didn't make it go completely away, she could manage much better. Some Dr.s just don't want to prescribe before you are 4 months along, in case its just normal first 3 months stuff, but if it is that severe and you really fuss to your dr. enough, they should help you! You need to be OK enough to take care of those little ones! They need Mommy too...and Mommy needs her sanity to keep up w/2 that close together! Best of Luck!

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A.C.

answers from Washington DC on

D.,
I was also having severe nausea with my current pregnancy, far worse than with my son. My doctor prescribed me a prenatal viatmin (Premisis) with additional B vitamins and that cleared things up very quickly.
Good luck!

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W.S.

answers from Washington DC on

Try Nux Vomica you can buy it at The Vitamin Shoppe or other homeopathic drug stores.

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C.J.

answers from Washington DC on

I guess it depends on how bad it is. I was getting sick every day and couldn't go to work because I couldn't make the 5 minute drive without getting sick in the car. I tried several times. Gross, I know. I forgot the name of the medicine they tried first but it is a commonly prescribed one for morning sickness. It didn't work for me but it did for my friend. She also liked an herbal tea that they market just for preg nausea. Ginger ale and Ginger snaps work well as well as flat coke. For me it was so bad and the reg meds didn't work so they put me on Zofran which was originally used in Chemo patients. It is VERY expensive and my insurance did not cover it for every day so I had to be creative in how and when I took it. It was, however, very effective, and the only thing that worked for me.

Here is an article you may be interested in...

http://www.babycenter.com/404_are-there-safe-medications-...

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G.B.

answers from Boise on

Vitamin B deficency!!!!! B vitamins are water souluable and not stored in our bodies (same with Vit A, C) so we have to keep ingesting enough for our daily needs

pregnancy w/ Nausea - B6 or Vit K deficency
Pregnancy w/ vomiting - B3 and B5 deficency.

Ps...ingesting sugar kills vit B. The more sugar you eat the more depleted you will be.

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P.K.

answers from Norfolk on

Stick to higher protein, and giner tea.
Look up morning sickness and food you will find diferent food to stay away from and what to move toward!
Congratulations!!!
I have 5!!!

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C.M.

answers from Washington DC on

I'm going to second Lyn's rec about B6 plus 1/2 a unisom tab. It replicates a drug they took off the market in the US but is still available elsewhere, and it was designed precisely for nausea in pregnant women. It worked when none of the other ridiculous non-med tricks people were offering were helping. An you don't need to go to your doc. HOWEVER -- if it is very bad, you SHOULD talk to your doc and cut to the chase and say none of the regular ideas are working. I think there may be things like Reglan that can be prescribed when things are dire and women are not gaining weight appropriately due to the nausea, etc.

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J.S.

answers from Washington DC on

Make a doctor appt.

I had bad nausea during my pregnancy and the doctor gave me a prescription to help...it was like night and day!

I can't remember the name of the medication, but it was a tablet that dissolved under my tongue. I think it was called "Zofran"...or something with a "Z". LOL

Good luck!!!

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E.S.

answers from Richmond on

D.,
I feel your pain, I was this way with my second pregnancy, I lived on lemon drop candies (these are hard candies that have a light sugar coating on them), I also drank gallons of lemon water, either store bought premade or I put lemon juice in a glass of water. I am not sure why the lemon works but it does and thank God it does. I also kept the frozen icee pops in the house and when nothing else would work I could eat these. I was sick from the day I conceived until my daughter was born, I was even sick during delivery! You can also ask your doctor for a script for suppositories that are for nausesness. They are not fun but it is worth it! Good luck.

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T.M.

answers from Washington DC on

The only thing that helped me with my nausea during my first pregnancy was Lemonade - not just any kind of lemonade - the really tart tasting kind. Nantucket Necters was what I used to get when I couldn't find an old fashioned Lemonade Stand (I used to work in DC and would stop every morning to get the biggest glass they had!)

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S.B.

answers from Washington DC on

I had 3 pregnancies, all of which I suffered from morning sickness until the 15th - 18th week or so. I would highly recommend "Morning Sickness Majic." It comes in pill form and liquid. You can find it a random health food stores or you can google it and find a place that delivers it. I would go to Leesburg and buy 6 bottles at a time. I also got a perscription for Zofran - an antinausea medicine that is safe for pregnancy. I have 3 very healthy children.
GOOD LUCK!!!

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L.M.

answers from Washington DC on

D.,
I hear this many times from moms in my natural childbirth classes. I find that acupuncture is the best way to get rid of the nausea and bring the body back into balance. I also suggest making sure that you are drinking enough water each day and getting enough protein(80-90 grams/day). You can try ginger candies or tea or peppermint tea.
There are homeopathic remedies as well that can help. If you want more details and a referral to an acupuncturist who is very skilled at working with pregnant women, please feel free to contact me.
Good luck,
L.
Birthbliss
HypnoBirthing childbirth education and doula services in MD, DC and Northern VA

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C.C.

answers from Washington DC on

Sorry to tell you but I had the same problem w my now 3 month old daughter..........sick for 3 straight months.every day all day. Nothing helped for me either. You just have to deal with it. Sorry :(

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D.M.

answers from Washington DC on

Hi D.,

I was the same way, so I completely understand what your going through. I was sick and suffered from migraines for 4 months when I was pregnant with my second. It was so bad that I had to ask for some medical intervention. They originally prescribed Zofran (sp?), unfortunately, that caused cluster migraines and made me worse. Then they prescribed Finergan (sp?). That was my wonder drug. I am sooo not one to take meds, but I had a 2 year old that required my attention. It sounds like your in the same situation. I would certainly speak with your doctor and see what they can do to alleviate your nausea.

Hope you feel better soon!

Take care,
D.

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K.B.

answers from Roanoke on

My niece took Vitamin B and a sleep aid - it was prescribed by her MD, so it's safe. Ask your MD and see if it helps!
K. B

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M.P.

answers from Washington DC on

Have u tried the ginger snap cookies? Keep a few in an airtight container on your nightstand. When u wake up in the morning, even before you get out of bed, you nibble on one cookie. That helped me.

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Z.B.

answers from Richmond on

Zofran helped me but I still had a lot of pain. I also had to take something for the stomach acid. I believe that was a prescription form of Zantac. Nothing really, really worked. I am lucky in that I feel better after the 5th month. My sister stays sick the entire time. We both have had 3 children. With her 3rd they treated her thyroid which helped her some. This type of severe morning sickness is called hypernemesis (way off on the spelling I am sure.) Look it up on the internet. People have a lot of ideas and some have really had to deal with a lot.

Good luck and God bless you and your family.

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L.A.

answers from Charlottesville on

Ask your doc if you can take vitamin B6 3 times a day (don't remember exact dosage) and 1/2 a unisom at night (not for sleep, it helps the nausea). It really helped me a lot.

Best Wishes!

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M.S.

answers from Washington DC on

D. - I assume you are taking prenatal vitamins.. One of my friends had severe nausea due to her prenatal vitamins. Her OBGYN took her off the normal prenatals and had her on another concoction of vitamins minus one or two things (not sure which ones - sorry!). Its worth asking your doctor is if this could be a cause.

I had bad nausea just the first trimester but I found I had to keep eating every hour to keep it in check.

Good luck.

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B.G.

answers from Washington DC on

I had really severe nausea too until 20 weeks. I tried EVERY remedy out there and the only thing that kept me out of the hospital for dehydration was Zophran. It's a drug that's totally safe for pregnant women, but started out as a way to help chemo patients with their nausea. Doctors don't seem to offer it at first because it's expensive, but if you have insurance, GET IT. It will help you drastically!

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J.W.

answers from Norfolk on

Ask your doctor, they may have medicine you can take. Mysister-in-law got medicine when she was pregnant because she was so nauseus

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J.L.

answers from Washington DC on

Hi I am also a mother of 2 with one on the way. I'm also feeling nauseas but it sounds like yours is worse. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law both got VERY sick with thier pregnancies. My mother-in-law went to her doctor and got vitamin B shots and said it worked wonders and she was able to eat again and keep it down. I think you can also take Vitamin B suppliments orally but might mess with your stomach. Ask your doc about vit. B shots.
Hope it helps!
J. :)

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M.L.

answers from Washington DC on

Try wearing the wtisbands that prevent motion sickness. They go on your wrist at a certain pressure point. They worked great for me. Other cures: eat a little bit every hour to keep something in your stomach; minty things; ginger ale. Good luck! It won't last forever!
M.

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K.W.

answers from Washington DC on

The drug Zofran (prescription) was very helpful to me!

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S.S.

answers from Washington DC on

I am not sure if someone already wrote this but you can try motion sickness wrist bands. they have a plastic button in the middle of them the triggers an acupunture point on the wrists. they are usually made for motion sickness but I found that they took the edge off of the nausea. I wore them all of the time for a while and helped when I slept because I wouldn't wake up and feel like throwing up!
I also found that eating a lot of snacks almost constantly helped me the most.
anyway, I know it is hard but it will pass. And hopefully the rest of your pregnancy will be much easier!
good luck!

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M.G.

answers from Washington DC on

I've used Ritz, saltines, grape nuts, shredded wheat, and my recent favorite - boiled potatoes with a bit of butter and salt. All of them are super bland, and work well for me. Good luck.

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A.F.

answers from Washington DC on

The nausea is your body's reaction to your hormone change. I had it with my pregnancies also. Fortunately it let up after the first three months. I took no drugs. I found that the more rest in bed I got the less the nausea would be. I couldn't stand the smell of food especially in the morning. So my husband had to eat cold cereal for breakfast. What did you do in your other pregnancies? AF

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