Morning sickness (wrongly named, because you can actually experience nausea or vomit at anytime of the day or night during pregnancy) affects about 90% of women by about 8 weeks gestation. Luckily, most women start to feel better between 16 and 20 weeks, but for an unlucky few, it can persist for the entire pregnancy. Basically, it’s safe to say that you’ll experience it at some point, and here are a few things that you can try when you experience nausea. Number 1, avoid things that trigger nausea. For some women, this may be certain foods or smells. Maybe it’s heat, or humidity, or a feeling of claustrophobia. Sometimes it’s excessive lights or excessive movement, and other times, it’s just not getting enough sleep. Number 2 is brush your teeth after each meal to clear your palette of any lingering tastes from your last snack or meal. Number 3 is take your prenatal vitamin before bed with a snack instead of in the morning or on an empty stomach. If you’re doing this and still finding you’re not getting much relief, then consider a chewable form. Number 4 is determine what actually sounds good to you and stocking your house with those items so that you have some go-to’s. Generally speaking, most women find that salty, bland snacks are best, so things like crackers, pretzels, and toast go over well. Research has actually shown that adding in protein-rich foods can also help with nausea, so you may want to consider eating those crackers with some peanut butter or cheese. And you can also have some nuts for a snack. Those might help too. Number 5 is avoiding an empty stomach. Eat something every 1 to 2 hours while you’re awake, and start the day, set the tone for the day, by having some crackers at your bedside and eating a few before getting up in the morning and even going to the bathroom. If you’re getting up frequently at night with nausea, you may also find that eating a few crackers in the middle of the night is helpful. Number 6 is avoid overeating and eating too quickly, and that will be easier to do if you eat something every 1 to 2 hours. If you get extremely hungry and you eat really fast, then you’re likely to get sick afterwards. Number 7 is to make sure you stay well-hydrated, and you might find a little relief from the nausea by drinking fluids before and after meals. Most pregnant women find that cold, clear, carbonated, and sour beverages sound the best, so turn to things like ginger ale or lemonade. Popsicles are also good to suck on in between meals if you need something to keep a good taste in your mouth. And Number 8 goes back to ginger. Our grandmas were actually onto something. Ginger can help with nausea, so look for ginger lollypops, drinks, and candies. If these interventions aren’t making a difference, talk with your OB provider about vitamin B6 and diclegis. These are frontline medications with minimal side effects that help most women with nausea during pregnancy. Your OB provider will determine if these are warranted for you. In more serious cases, nausea and vomiting can cause dehydration and weight loss. This condition is called hyperemesis gravidarum and will require intervention. This may include medication, supplementation, and IV therapy. Definitely call your OB provider if you can’t keep food or fluids down or if you’re losing weight, and they’ll determine what intervention is best for you. If you have non-urgent questions during your pregnancy, check out Intermountain Moms on Facebook or Instagram where you can ask me your questions. And you can also look up our YouTube channel, Intermountain Moms, where we have a video library containing thousands of videos about pregnancy, labor and delivery, and newborn care.