Coping with Pregnancy Sickness

When you're deep in pregnancy sickness, advice can feel useless — especially the cheerful "have you tried ginger?" variety. This page focuses on realistic, practical strategies from women who've been there. Not everything will work for you, and that's okay. Take what helps and ignore the rest.

Surviving at Home

Your Environment

• Keep sick bowls everywhere: By the bed, sofa, car, bathroom. Lined with carrier bags for quick disposal. The panic of not having one nearby makes nausea worse.
• Control smells: Open windows when possible. Avoid cooking smells — ask someone else to cook, or stick to cold foods. Some women find a specific "safe" scent (like lemon or peppermint) on a tissue helps mask triggers.
• Keep your bedroom cool: Heat makes nausea worse. A fan by the bed can help, and the white noise can be soothing.
• Have water and snacks within arm's reach: Dry crackers, breadsticks, rice cakes — whatever you can tolerate. Keep them on your bedside table so you can eat before sitting up.
• Lower your standards: The house does not need to be clean. Washing can wait. Dishes can wait. Surviving is enough.

Food and Drink

Forget "healthy eating" for now. The goal is to eat anything and stay hydrated.

• Eat what you can, when you can. If all you can manage is plain pasta and ice lollies, that's fine. Your body has stores. Nutrition can be improved once the sickness passes.
• Graze constantly. An empty stomach makes nausea worse. Small amounts every 30-60 minutes is better than attempting meals.
• Cold foods are often better tolerated than hot foods because they have less smell. Sandwiches, salads, fruit, yoghurt, cereal.
• Sip fluids between meals, not with meals. Filling your stomach with food and liquid together can trigger vomiting.
• Ice lollies and frozen fruit are excellent for hydration when drinking feels impossible.
• Flat lemonade, diluted squash, or water with a slice of lemon may be easier to tolerate than plain water.
• Don't force prenatal vitamins if they make you sick. Speak to your midwife about alternatives. Folic acid on its own (without iron) is often better tolerated.

If You Have Other Children

This is one of the hardest aspects of pregnancy sickness. Some practical suggestions:

• Accept every offer of help. This is not the time for independence.
• Screen time is not going to damage your children. Use it liberally.
• Set up "stations" — a box of toys, colouring, or activities within reach of where you're resting.
• Picnic-style meals on the floor require less preparation and cleaning.
• If your children are old enough to understand, explain that "Mummy's tummy is poorly because of the baby" — they handle it better than you'd expect.
• Ask family, friends, neighbours for help with school runs, play dates, or simply keeping the children entertained for a few hours.
• Paid help (even a mother's help or teenager from the neighbourhood) can be a lifeline if you can afford it.

Coping at Work

Working through pregnancy sickness is brutal. Here's what you need to know:

Your Rights

• Pregnancy-related sickness cannot be counted against you in attendance records or disciplinary procedures under the Equality Act 2010.
• Your employer has a legal duty to carry out a risk assessment once they know you're pregnant.
• You may be entitled to reasonable adjustments — flexible hours, working from home, a desk near a toilet, access to fresh air, modified duties.
• You can self-certify sickness for up to 7 days. After that, you'll need a fit note from your GP.
• Sick pay for pregnancy-related illness should be treated the same as any other illness absence.
• You do not have to disclose your pregnancy before you're ready, but telling your employer (or at least your manager) may help you access support sooner.

Practical Work Strategies

• Keep emergency supplies at work: sick bags, crackers, spare clothes, mouthwash, wet wipes.
• Know the nearest toilet to your desk and to any meeting rooms.
• Schedule important meetings for your "best" time of day if you have one.
• Keep snacks in your desk and eat frequently.
• If commuting triggers sickness, discuss flexible start times or remote working.
• Be honest with your manager if you feel comfortable — most are understanding when they know you're pregnant and unwell.
• If your workplace is unsupportive, speak to HR, your union, or contact ACAS (0300 123 1100) for advice.

Mental Health and Emotional Coping

Pregnancy sickness can be profoundly isolating and demoralising. These feelings are not weakness — they are a normal response to a genuinely awful experience.

Common Feelings

• Guilt: "I should be happy I'm pregnant." You can be grateful for the pregnancy and devastated by the sickness at the same time. Both feelings are valid.
• Isolation: When you can't leave the house, socialise, or even look at a phone screen, loneliness sets in quickly.
• Resentment: Towards the pregnancy, your partner, women who have "easy" pregnancies. This is normal and does not make you a bad parent.
• Anxiety: About the baby, about when the sickness will end, about work, about money. Uncertainty is deeply stressful.
• Loss of identity: When sickness consumes every waking moment, you can feel like you've lost yourself.
• Grief: For the pregnancy experience you expected. For the joy you thought you'd feel.

Things That May Help

• Take it one day at a time. Sometimes one hour at a time. Don't think about weeks or months ahead.
• Count down. Many women find marking off days on a calendar helpful. Each day is one day closer to feeling better.
• Stay connected. Even if you can't see people, a text conversation or voice note can reduce isolation. Tell people how you're feeling — the real version, not the polite one.
• Allow yourself to grieve. This is not the pregnancy you imagined. It's okay to feel sad about that.
• Limit exposure to "enjoy every moment" messaging. Social media pregnancy content can be painful. Mute or unfollow without guilt.
• Speak to a professional. If you're experiencing depression, anxiety, or thoughts of self-harm, tell your midwife or GP. Perinatal mental health support is available and important.
• Join a support community. The Pregnancy Sickness Support forum and social media groups connect you with women who truly understand. Being believed and validated is powerful.

What Not to Say (And What to Do Instead)

If you're sharing this page with someone who wants to help, here's what women with pregnancy sickness actually need:

Don't Say	Say Instead
"Have you tried ginger?"	"I'm sorry you're going through this. What can I do to help?"
"It's just morning sickness, everyone gets it."	"That sounds really hard. I can see you're struggling."
"At least it means the baby is healthy."	"How are you feeling today — honestly?"
"My friend ate crackers and was fine."	"I don't fully understand what you're going through, but I believe you."
"Enjoy the pregnancy!"	"What would make today a little easier?"
"Think positive!"	"You don't have to pretend you're okay."

Practical Essentials Kit

Things worth having ready before and during pregnancy sickness:

• Sick bags/bowls: Several, strategically placed. Travel sickness bags for the car and handbag.
• Straws: Sipping through a straw can make drinking easier.
• Ice lolly moulds: Freeze diluted squash, juice, or even flat lemonade.
• Dry snacks: Crackers, breadsticks, plain biscuits — always accessible.
• Mouthwash: Rinse after vomiting instead of brushing immediately (stomach acid softens enamel).
• Lip balm: Dehydration causes dry, cracked lips.
• A "sick day" basket: Phone charger, TV remote, water bottle, snacks, sick bowl, medication — all within reach.
• Comfortable clothing: Anything tight around the waist can make nausea worse.
• Ketone testing strips: Available from pharmacies. Testing your own ketones can help you decide when to seek medical help.

When Coping Isn't Enough

Coping strategies help, but they have limits. If you're doing all of this and still:

• Unable to keep fluids down for more than 12 hours
• Losing weight significantly
• Unable to function, care for yourself, or get out of bed
• Experiencing dark thoughts or despair
• Your urine is very dark or you're urinating very infrequently

Then you need medical treatment, not more coping tips. Please contact your GP, midwife, call 111, or attend A&E. Read our treatments page for information about what medications are available.