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Nausea & Vomiting

Managing Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy

For many women, “morning sickness” can happen at any time of the day. While it is often self-limiting, dietary changes can help manage symptoms. 

  • Eat Little and Often: Aim for 6–7 small snacks or mini-meals throughout the day rather than three large meals. An empty stomach can often make nausea worse.
  • Dry Carbohydrates: Keep plain crackers or dry biscuits by your bed. Eating something small 15–20 minutes before getting out of bed in the morning can help.
  • Separate Solids and Liquids: Some women find it helpful to avoid drinking while they are eating. Try to sip fluids between your small meals instead.
  • Identify Triggers: Avoid strong cooking smells or specific foods that trigger your nausea. Cold foods (like sandwiches or salads) often have less aroma than hot foods and may be better tolerated.
  • Ginger and Peppermint: Sipping ginger tea or peppermint tea, or eating ginger-based biscuits, may provide relief for mild symptoms. 

Staying Hydrated

Dehydration is a significant risk, especially if you are vomiting frequently. 

  • Small Sips: Drink 100–200ml of fluid every hour. Use a straw or sip very small amounts continuously rather than gulping large volumes. Consider an isotonic sports drink.
  • Cold Options: Very cold drinks, ice cubes, or homemade fruit-juice ice lollies can be easier to keep down than room-temperature water. Use a flask and add ice to your fluids.
  • High-Water Content Foods: If drinking is difficult, try eating foods like melon, oranges, grapes, or yogurt. 

Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG)

HG is a severe form of pregnancy sickness that requires medical attention. 

  • Prioritize Calories: If you have HG, “healthy eating” takes a backseat to simply maintaining your weight and hydration. Eat whatever food appeals to you, regardless of its nutritional value, until you feel better.
  • Medication: Anti-sickness medication is often necessary and can be safely prescribed by your GP or hospital team.
  • Supplement Timing: If your pregnancy multivitamin makes you feel sick, try taking it at a different time of day when you feel slightly better, or switch to a liquid or gummy version. 

3. Other helpful tips

  • Continue to take your folic acid every day until you are 12 weeks pregnant. After that, a complete vitamin and mineral supplement made for pregnant women may be best.
  • Avoid having to rush in the morning, when symptoms are often worse. Prepare your clothes and shower before bedtime rather than in the morning if it makes the start of the day easier.
  • Avoid strong smells — perfumes, cooking odours, smoke.
  • Get extra rest. You need more sleep during the first three months of pregnancy, and becoming overly tired can make the nausea worse.

When to Contact UHG Maternity Services

You should contact your GP or the UHG Maternity Unit urgently if you: 

  • Cannot keep any fluids down for 24 hours.
  • Are losing weight.
  • Have very dark-coloured urine or are peeing significantly less than usual.
  • Feel dizzy, faint, or have severe abdominal pain. 

Frequently asked questions

Is it okay that I’m not eating a "healthy" diet right now?

Yes. When you are experiencing severe nausea or HG, the priority is staying hydrated and preventing weight loss. A balanced diet can wait until your symptoms improve.

Long gaps between eating can make nausea worse because an empty stomach is a major trigger. Aim to nibble something small every 1–2 hours.

Try sucking on ice cubes, fruit-juice ice lollies, or taking tiny sips through a straw. If you cannot keep any fluids down for 24 hours, contact the UHG Maternity Assessment Unit immediately.

Sometimes. Iron in multivitamins can aggravate nausea. Try taking your supplements at the time of day you feel best, or talk to your team about using a liquid multivitamin or pausing them temporarily. You may still be able to take your folic acid and vitamin D tablet as these are smaller and easy to tolerate.

Most pregnancy sickness eases by 16–20 weeks. However, for those with HG, symptoms can sometimes persist longer. 

"Safe" Foods Shopping List

Focus on bland, high-energy, and high-water-content items that require little to no cooking. 

Category
Examples of Better-Tolerated Foods
Dry & Bland
Plain cracker, pretzels, rice cakes dry toast or breadsticks
Cold & Fresh
Sliced apples (highly rated for tolerability), watermelon, grapes, or cold melon.
High-Energy Snacks
Plain yogurt, cheese cubes hummus or avocado (if smells aren’t a trigger), Cereal with milk
Simple Carbs
Plain pasta, white rice, noodles or baked potatoes (served cold if heat smells are an issue).
Hydrating Options
Ice lollies, fruit jelly, sorbet or frozen fruit segments like grapefruit or cherries.
Ginger Products
Ginger nut biscuits, ginger ale (flat), or ginger tea
Quick Drinks
Diluted fruit juice, isotonic sports drinks or milkshakes