Nausea is an uneasy feeling in the belly. It may make a person want to vomit. It is common in women who are pregnant. It often happens in the morning during the first trimester.

Diet and healthy habits can help ease this nausea. Natural therapies have also been used. They should not be used in place of standard care. Women who are pregnant should also tell their doctors about any herbs or supplements they are taking.

Natural Therapies

Likely Effective

  • Ginger is a root that can be taken as a supplement or made into a tea. It is likely to ease morning sickness. B2, B3, B7, B8, B10

May Be Effective

  • Quince is a fruit that may ease symptoms of nausea and vomiting.C3
  • Vitamin B6 is used by the body to make cells for blood flow. It may ease morning sickness. (Note: It should not be taken with other anti-nausea medicine for pregnancy. Vitamin B6 should also not be taken by those taking medicine for cancer, anxiety, or narcolepsy.)B1, B4-B7, B9, B10

May Not Be Effective

  • Acupressure wristbands may not ease nausea and vomiting during labor and delivery.C1

Not Enough Data to Assess

Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.

Herbs and Supplements to Be Used With Caution

Talk to your doctor about any supplements or therapy you would like to use. Some may get in the way of treatment. They can also make illness worse or cause new problems. Examples include:

  • Vitamin B6 should not be taken with other anti-nausea medicine for pregnancy.
  • Vitamin B6 should also not be taken by those taking medicine for cancer, anxiety, or narcolepsy.
 

References

A. Acupuncture

A1. Buchberger B, Krabbe L. Evaluation of outpatient acupuncture for relief of pregnancy-related conditions. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2018;141(2):151-158.

Bergamo TR, Latorraca COC, et al. Findings and methodological quality of systematic reviews focusing on acupuncture for pregnancy-related acute conditions. Acupunct Med. 2018 Jun;36(3):146-152.

B. Herbs and Supplements

B1. Wibowo N, Purwosunu Y, et al. Vitamin B₆ supplementation in pregnant women with nausea and vomiting. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2012 Mar;116(3):206-210.

B2. Thomson M, Corbin R, et al. Effects of ginger for nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy: a meta-analysis. J Am Board Fam Med. 2014;27(1):115-122.

B3. Viljoen E, Visser J, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect and safety of ginger in the treatment of pregnancy-associated nausea and vomiting. Nutr J. 2014 Mar 19;13:20.

B4. Koren G, Clark S, et al. Maternal safety of the delayed-release doxylamine and pyridoxine combination for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy; a randomized placebo controlled trial. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2015;15:59.

B5. Koren G, Clark S, et al. Demonstration of early efficacy results of the delayed-release combination of doxylamine-pyridoxine for the treatment of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2016;16(1):371.

B6. Matthews A, Haas DM, et al. Interventions for nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Sep 8;(9):CD007575.

B7. McParlin C, O'Donnell A, et al. Treatments for Hyperemesis Gravidarum and Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review. JAMA. 2016 Oct 4;316(13):1392-1401.

B8. Sridharan K, Sivaramakrishnan G, et al. Interventions for treating nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: a network meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of randomized clinical trials. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol. 2018;11(11):1143-1150.

B9. Persaud N, Meaney C, et al. Doxylamine-pyridoxine for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy randomized placebo controlled trial: Prespecified analyses and reanalysis. PLoS One. 2018 Jan 17;13(1):e0189978.

B10. Sharifzadeh F, Kasabian M, et al. A comparison between the effects of ginger, pyridoxine (vitamin B6) and placebo for the treatment of the first trimester nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP). J Matter Fetal Neonatal Med. 2018 Oct;31(19):2509-2514.

C. Other Therapies

C1. Sinha A, Parch MJ, et al. A randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study of acupressure wristbands for the prevention of nausea and vomiting during labour and delivery. Int J Obstet Anesth. 2011 Apr;20(2):110-117.

C2. Van den Heuvel E, Goossens M, et al. Effect of acustimulation on nausea and vomiting and on hyperemesis in pregnancy: a systematic review of Western and Chinese literature. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2016 Jan 13;16:13.

C3. Jafari-Dehkordi E, Hashem-Dabaghian F, et al. Comparison of quince with vitamin B6 for treatment of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: a randomised clinical trial. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2017 Nov;37(8):1048-1052.

Last reviewed May 2019 by EBSCO NAT Review Board Eric Hurwitz, DC