How to Beat Pregnancy Nausea During the Holidays

The holidays are an exciting time to be pregnant. You get to see all your close family and friends and celebrate the season and the upcoming little addition. The cold weather brings everyone inside, snuggled under blankets and naps abound.

On paper, the holidays seem like an ideal time for pregnancy — that is, until morning sickness rears its ugly head. All those delicious smells you usually crave now make your stomach turn and the warmth inside the house isn’t helping.

Luckily, you have everything you need to turn your holiday season around and have a great time despite your morning sickness. These tips will give you a head start on your happy holiday preparation.

1. Snack Through the Day

Too much in your stomach at one time can make it turn uncomfortably. Yet, no one said you must eat the whole big meal at once — instead, snack on finished items throughout the day. Early on, you could have some crackers or appetizers. Then, you could ask for small portions of each food as it finishes cooking. With this method, you never get too hungry or full, but you get to try every item your loved ones make.

2. Try Some Ginger

Ginger is commonly known to settle the stomach, so it’s an ideal addition to your morning sickness toolkit. You can find ginger lozenges, tea, supplements, soda and many other options. When shopping for these products, you just need to ensure they have natural ginger — ginger flavoring won’t do any good.

3. Skip Highly Seasoned Foods

Candied yams and oven-roasted ham are ordinarily delicious, but their smells and tastes can quickly overwhelm pregnant moms. If your senses have been touchy lately, it may be best to skip these foods as much as possible. Stick to foods that smell good or that you can tolerate. Right now, it’s more important for you and your baby to get nourishment than to end up sick over a smelly dish.

4. Wear Layers

Heat is one of many things that can make morning sickness worse, which may seem easy to avoid in the winter. However, holiday parties may prove challenging for you. Between the stove running for hours and many bodies packed into a home, the heat will likely rise to uncomfortable levels.

Your best bet when attending holiday festivities is to dress in layers. Then, you’ll always be prepared to withstand the temperature. You can also duck outside for some fresh, cool air whenever you need.

5. Change Up the Menu

Holiday foods weren’t established with pregnant women in mind — that’s for sure. They’re full of spices, seasonings and rich flavors. To the average Joe, these are delectable treats, but for moms-to-be, they’re a nauseating nightmare.

If you’re really struggling with what to eat, stick to turkey and mashed potatoes. Both of these foods are high in vitamin B6, which can lower the risk of nausea and vomiting associated with morning sickness.

6. Prepare for Car Rides

Most women enter pregnancy aware they may have morning sickness, but far fewer know their chances of experiencing motion sickness also increase. If you’ve always been a bit motion sick, you can expect your symptoms to amplify. Even those who’ve never had a problem in cars may have symptoms while pregnant.

Prepare yourself by getting some motion sickness bands or taking over-the-counter medications. Dramamine and Benedryl are both considered safe for pregnant women. Although, you should still check with your doctor before trying either of them.

Celebrate the Holidays With Less Nausea

You have the power to keep morning sickness at bay this holiday. These tips will help you create the perfect Christmas for connecting with loved ones and celebrating the holidays with less nausea.

Though you may still want to host, your best bet is to take a step back and let others take over hosting and prepping all the important meals and details. You should relax and focus on your far more crucial job — helping your baby grow big and strong.