10 things that actually helped with pregnancy nausea

10 things that actually helped with pregnancy nausea

Morning sickness doesn’t always stick to the morning, and for some people, it’s way more than a mild queasy feeling. Nausea in pregnancy can hit like a wave, linger all day, or sneak up right when you think you’ve found relief. And while there’s no one-size-fits-all fix, some things actually do make a noticeable difference.

These aren’t miracle cures—they’re small, real things that helped me (and plenty of others) feel more human during those rough stretches.

Eating Before Getting Out of Bed

That empty-stomach nausea first thing in the morning is brutal. One of the biggest game-changers was keeping crackers or dry cereal by the bed and eating a few before even sitting up. It sounds too easy, but it made a noticeable difference.

Getting something in your stomach before standing up helps balance blood sugar and calms that sudden wave of dizziness and nausea. You’re not solving everything, but you’re setting the tone for a better start to the day.

Protein Right Before Bed

Late-night nausea or waking up nauseous can sometimes be traced back to blood sugar crashing overnight. Eating a little protein before bed helped keep things more level while I slept.

Things like a boiled egg, a piece of cheese, or even a spoonful of peanut butter gave my body something to work with so I didn’t wake up on the verge of vomiting. It’s not a cure, but it took the edge off in a real way.

Cold Drinks With a Straw

For whatever reason, ice-cold drinks hit different when you’re nauseous—and using a straw somehow made it easier to sip slowly without making it worse. I kept water, lemon water, or Gatorade in a cup with a straw on hand all day.

Sipping instead of gulping helped avoid triggering the gag reflex, and the cold seemed to calm my stomach more than room temp drinks ever could. It’s small, but it made a big difference during those long queasy hours.

B6 and Unisom Combo

This one is backed by OBs (and my midwife!) and actually recommended by many for nausea relief. Vitamin B6 and doxylamine (Unisom SleepTabs—not the gels) taken together, in proper doses, helped regulate the worst of my nausea without knocking me out completely.

It’s not something to start without talking to your doctor, but it’s worth asking about. For many people, this combo takes the edge off the all-day sickness enough to function again.

Avoiding Smells That Trigger It

You might not be able to control what smells you’ll suddenly hate, but once you figure it out, avoid them like the plague. I had to stop using certain soaps, switch laundry detergents, and ban specific foods from the house.

Once those triggers were out of the way, I noticed a huge drop in random nausea spells. It’s not always convenient, but it made life feel a little more manageable—and helped me eat again without gagging.

Chewing Gum or Mints

Sometimes you don’t have time to lie down or drink tea or take a supplement. Chewing gum or sucking on mints gave fast relief when I was out or in the car and nausea crept in.

It distracted my brain and helped settle my stomach enough to keep going. Peppermint worked best for me, but ginger and citrus flavors are good options too depending on what you can tolerate.

Carbonated Water or Soda

I’m not a big soda person, but certain fizzy drinks really helped settle my stomach during the worst weeks. I kept cans of sparkling water in the fridge, and sometimes even a small Sprite would help me reset.

It’s not about sugar or caffeine—just the bubbles and how they break up that sick feeling long enough to get through the moment. Flat drinks never did that for me, but cold carbonation actually helped more than once.

Not Letting Myself Get Hungry

Letting your stomach go too long without food is a recipe for disaster when you’re pregnant and nauseous. I started eating small snacks every hour or two even if I wasn’t hungry, and it kept things from spiraling.

Grapes, crackers, cheese, and trail mix were staples. Once I figured out that staying slightly full helped me avoid the worst waves, I kept snacks everywhere—in my purse, car, and nightstand.

Ginger in Small Doses

Ginger didn’t work miracles for me, but in small doses it did help take the edge off. Ginger tea was too strong, but ginger chews or ginger ale with actual ginger extract were tolerable and occasionally effective.

If you’re sensitive to strong flavors or smells, this one might be hit or miss. But when nothing else worked, ginger was something I could at least try without making things worse.

Lying Still With a Fan On

When the nausea was bad and nothing else helped, lying flat on my side with a cold fan blowing on my face was weirdly effective. I don’t know if it was temperature, distraction, or stillness, but it helped stop the spiral.

Sometimes you just need to pause and let your body reset. No scrolling, no movement—just still, cool air and quiet. It’s not high-tech, but it gave me relief when nothing else would.

*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.