I’ve always been a – forgive the term – “puker.” As a child I would get sick whenever I was too nervous, scared, happy or excited, but none of it prepared me for terrible pregnancy morning sickness!

This is why I want to share with you  the tips that worked best for my morning all-day sickness and nausea in the first trimester. There will be not so diplomatic terms in this post which comes with the territory when talking about anything pregnancy and baby related. You’ve been warned!

1. Order your Sea Bands early.

You may or may not get morning sickness, but when it happens, you want to have Sea Bands on hand. My OB prescribed pregnancy-safe nausea medicines, but they did not work on me. Even if they did, I wanted to avoid medicines, because I was already taking several medicines for hereditary conditions. Sea Bands use acupressure on the wrist to control nausea.

DiploTips: If you don’t get morning sickness, keep the sea bands for controlling nausea when you travel. Also there are no sizes, so it started out too tight for me. I put it around a jar for a day or two to loosen, before I could use it daily.

Where to buy: USA | Germany 1 & 2

2. Try to eat fresh-tasting and healthier food.

I thought pregnancy would be a chance to indulge in some of my guilty pleasures, but believe it or not I couldn’t eat chocolates, Cheetos and my favorite instant noodles (Japanese beef ramen and Lucky Me instant pancit canton), because they made me vomit after. It was my body telling me that these were not good for me and the baby. 

I ended up craving Bolognese pasta, pesto, strawberries and oranges. And these flavors didn’t make me sick. Sometimes I would have my favorite bolognese 3 times a day. Variety is overrated, when it comes to morning sickness. Stick with things that you know don’t make you sick and the higher in nutrients the better. 

DiploTips: Not only is bolognese sauce delicious, but it’s one of those things that tastes better the next day and freeze well. Cook a big batch, freeze in smaller bags and defrost for a quick and easy meal. Bolognese doesn’t always have to be eaten with pasta, you can also make sloppy joes, tacos, use it as a dip for nachos or top it on baked potatoes or pizza.

3. Eat many small meals instead of 3 big ones.

Start with some some saltines and water before getting up from bed. Place by your bedside at night and have a small nibble before getting out of bed. Getting up immediately after waking, without this pre-breakfast snack can cause dizziness.

Then have small plates of not-so-rich foods throughout the day – I had 5 small meals. Try not to eat until you are completely full, because this can also lead to getting sick. Because of these smaller (and healthy cravings) I was actually slimmer during my pregnancy than before or after. Breastfeeding makes me SO hungry!

4. Peppermint Essential Oil is your best friend.

Carry a bottle in your bag to sniff, when there are nauseating smells or you are feeling dizzy. I also had a mini diffuser like below in my bag and it was useful in hotel rooms when we travelled or in the car.

My BFF Jenn taught me another trick with Peppermint essential oil, which I never heard of before, but was really helpful for me. Put a drop or two into the toilet water right before you hurl. Taking a few seconds to do this before you hurl is worth the effort because the strong fresh smell makes this unpleasant deed just a little more bearable.

DiploTips: Not all essential oils are made equal and I learned this by trying different ones. When buying any type of the essential oil, keep in mind that many products out there aren’t actually pure. If you can apply the “essential oil” directly on skin, then it’s not pure. Pure essential oil is too strong to put directly on skin, so it usually comes with instructions to mix 1-2 drops with another oil, like almond oil, before applying on skin. My personal favorite is this brand.

5. Diffuse water with natural flavors to make hydrating more pleasurable!

It’s common sense to increase fluid intake when pregnant, but even for someone who loves water like me, I got “sick” of plain water after 2 months. So I had to find ways to make water more pleasant and refreshing to drink. For people who don’t like water, this can be a lifesaver during pregnancy.  Staying hydrated is especially important when you have morning sickness because you lose a lot of water. 

My favorite was to add around 2 tbsps of Apfelschorle to a big cold glass of sparkling water (my favorite is this brand). Apfelschorle is a popular sparkly apple drink here in Germany and it is made with natural apple juice, not artificial flavors. No Apfelschorle? No problem! Just add a little of your favorite juice to sparkling water too make it taste more refreshing, minus all the unhealthy sugar that comes with drinking pure juice.

Another thing you can do is put slices of lemon or cucumber in your water carafe. You can also use slices of orange, strawberries, etc. and even some fresh herbs, like mint. Prepare and leave in the chiller overnight and the water will be nice and flavorful the next day. You can refill multiple times – feel free to muddle it – a until there is no more flavor. Doesn’t this flavored water recipe look refreshing? I didn’t even like cucumbers before!

What other tips can you add? What helped you with pregnancy nausea and morning sickness?  If you are pregnant and you need these tips, the good news is that, statistically, it is a good sign for your pregnancy. YAY! source: Expecting Better 

Here are more comprehensive advice on pregnancy nausea & sickness:

12 ways to ease morning sickness in photos

Natural remedies for morning sickness

Help and treatment for morning sickness and nausea

images: sea bands | bolognese | saltines | mini duftstein | lemon water