5 Nutrition tips for managing morning sickness

Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy is incredibly common, affecting around 80 percent of pregnancies. While it is often called morning sickness, it can strike at any time of day. The good news is that there are some practical strategies that can help make it more manageable. Here are five to try.

1. Eat little and often

An empty stomach can make nausea worse. Keeping something in your stomach throughout the day can help settle it.

• Aim for 6 to 8 small meals or snacks across the day rather than three large meals.
• Try to eat before getting up in the morning. Keeping plain crackers or dry toast on your bedside table can help.
• Do not skip meals, even if your appetite is low.

2. Choose bland, easy to tolerate foods

During nausea, the focus is simply on eating what you can. Highly flavoured or rich foods can make symptoms worse.

• Opt for plain, carbohydrate rich foods such as toast, crackers, rice, and plain pasta.
• Avoid spicy, fried, or fatty foods, which tend to be harder to tolerate.
• Room temperature foods are often better tolerated than hot meals, as they have less aroma.

3. Stay hydrated

Keeping fluids up is important, particularly if vomiting is occurring. Sipping slowly tends to be easier on the stomach than drinking large amounts at once.

• Sip fluids between meals rather than with meals.
• Sometimes other fluids are better tolerated than water. Options to try include Hydralyte, flat lemonade, smoothies, milky drinks, yoghurt drinks, or protein drinks.
• Avoid acidic drinks such as orange juice, which can aggravate nausea.
• Cold or icy drinks are often better tolerated than warm ones.

4. Try ginger

Ginger has good evidence behind it for reducing nausea in pregnancy and is a simple, accessible strategy worth trying.

• Add ginger to meals or drinks, try ginger tea, ginger biscuits, or ginger chews.
• Fresh, dried, or crystallised ginger can all work. Find the form that suits you best.

5. Manage your environment

Strong smells are a common trigger. A few simple adjustments can make mealtimes more manageable.

• Avoid being in the kitchen while food is being cooked. Ask for help where you can, or prepare meals in advance and freeze them.
• Sit upright when eating and avoid lying flat straight after meals.
• Get fresh air when you can, and wear loose, comfortable clothing.

If nausea and vomiting are severe, persistent, or affecting your ability to keep food and fluids down, please speak with your GP or primary care provider for further management options.

Need personalised support during pregnancy?

Navigating nutrition during pregnancy, especially when nausea is making eating feel impossible, is so much easier with support. Nula Nutrition offers registered dietitian consultations for pregnancy and women's health in Calgary and online across Alberta, including Canmore, Banff, Edmonton, and Cochrane.

Ready to get support with pregnancy nutrition?

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Please note: This post is intended for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised medical or dietetic advice. If you are experiencing severe nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, please speak with your GP or midwife for individualised assessment and support.

Written by Madison Hows RD APD