Tips For Coping With Morning Sickness

Reviewed by The Mom Store editorial team, October 2026. See our editorial policy.

Morning sickness is the nausea and vomiting many women get in early pregnancy. Despite the name, it can come at any time of day or night, and some women feel sick all day. According to the NHS page on severe vomiting in pregnancy, around 8 in 10 pregnant women have it, and for most it eases or stops somewhere between weeks 12 and 20.

It can make the first few months hard going, especially if you are working, looking after an older child or living with family who keep offering you food. The reassuring part is that, in the NHS guidance on vomiting and morning sickness, ordinary morning sickness does not put your baby at any increased risk.

Why it happens

The hormonal changes of the first 12 weeks are thought to be one cause. The NHS lists a few things that make it more likely: expecting twins or more, a first pregnancy, severe sickness in an earlier pregnancy, a tendency to motion sickness or migraine, a family history of morning sickness, and a BMI of 30 or more. A urine infection can also cause nausea and vomiting, which is one reason to mention new or worsening sickness to your doctor.

Tips that can help

No single remedy works for everyone, so try a few and keep what suits you. These are the measures the NHS suggests trying first.

1. Eat something plain before you get up. A piece of dry toast or a plain biscuit kept by the bed is an easy first thing to eat in the morning.
2. Have small meals often. Plain, high carbohydrate, low fat foods tend to sit better: rice, chapati, bread, crackers, pasta, idli or plain poha.
3. Choose cold food if cooking smells set you off. Curd rice, fruit or a cold sandwich may be easier than a hot meal, and it may help if someone else does the cooking for a while, especially tadkas and frying.
4. Stay away from your triggers. Notice which smells and foods make you feel worse and avoid them for now. A quick note of times and triggers can help you plan your day.
5. Sip fluids little and often. Small sips of water through the day are easier to keep down than a large glass at once.
6. Try ginger. There is some evidence that foods or drinks containing ginger reduce nausea, so ginger tea or a little fresh ginger in food is worth trying. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking ginger supplements.
7. Try wrist acupressure. Pressing on a point on the inside of the wrist, with your fingers or an acupressure band, has some evidence behind it.
8. Rest when you can. Tiredness can make nausea worse. If you work, it is worth talking to your manager about breaks or flexible hours in these weeks.
9. Ask about medicine if it is not getting better. If these changes are not enough, your doctor can prescribe a short course of anti sickness medicine that is safe in pregnancy. Check with your doctor before taking any medicine for vomiting.

Things often suggested by relatives, such as a citrus fruit every day or drinking a set number of glasses of water to control body temperature, have no evidence behind them for morning sickness. If something helps you and is a normal food, there is no harm in it, but you do not need to force it.

When sickness is more than morning sickness

A small number of women, around 1 to 3 in 100, develop hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of pregnancy sickness that can cause dehydration and weight loss and often needs hospital treatment. It is unlikely to harm the baby when it is treated well, which is why early help matters. It can be very draining, so please do not try to push through it on your own.

When to call your doctor

Contact your gynaecologist promptly if you are vomiting and:

• your urine is very dark, or you have not passed urine for more than 8 hours
• you cannot keep food or fluids down for 24 hours
• you feel very weak, dizzy or faint when you stand up
• you have pain in your tummy
• you have a high temperature
• you vomit blood
• you are losing weight

These signs come from the NHS guidance linked above. Your doctor can check for dehydration, rule out other causes such as a urine infection, and give fluids or medicine if you need them.

This article is general information and does not replace advice from your doctor.