Harold B. Lee Library

Morning Sickness

Morning Sickness:

All but a lucky few pregnant women experience some kind of morning sickness. It’s not the sort of thing that can really be prevented, but for some women it becomes so bad that they’ll try almost anything to get past it.

The Lore of Pregnancy (FA 01 229)

Blood sugar may have an effect on morning sickness, one woman justified as she ate another candy bar as medicine.

Sleeping through morning sickness is a viable cure.

Everything You Should Know About Pregnancy??? (FA 01 456)

There is no cure for morning sickness, but some people say that dry popcorn, hard candy, soda crackers, avoiding smells, or dancing while doing the dishes will help.

Other cures include, sleeping with crackers under the pillow, drinking 7-up, taking vitamin B shots, chewing ice, eating carrots and celery.

Some men get sympathetic morning sickness.

Wives’ Tales About Pregnancy (FA 01 910)

One doctor told his patients that excessive morning sickness indicates a baby that won’t miscarry.  In general, morning sickness can be a good sign for the health of an unborn baby.

Pregnancy and Birth Folklore (FA 01 1283)

Three sprigs of fresh mint leaves boiled in sixteen ounces of water served warm with soda crackers will relax a roiling belly. Taking a vitamin B pill and a sleeping pill before bed will help with morning sickness.

PREGNANCY FOLK BELIEFS (FA 01 1442)

One woman brought peanut butter and raspberry jam sandwiches to work, cut up in little squares, and she would eat bits of them during the day to stave off nausea.

Another woman’s mother suggested putting fresh roses under her pillow while she slept to prevent morning sickness. She said it worked for her mother’s four pregnancies, but it did not work for her own.

Drinking a Coke every morning was the cure all for one pregnant woman.

The Folk Beliefs of Pregnancy Sickness Remedies (FA 01 1681)

Morning sickness is better if the stomach isn’t completely empty in the morning, so one midwife encouraged her patient to place a can of peanuts on the back of the toilet so that if she had to get up in the middle of the night, she could eat a few and not wake up sick.

Some women wear copper bracelets on pressure points to attempt to get rid of morning sickness. Another option is terry cloth bands for the wrists that were made for sea sickness. Most women at least try soda crackers, ginger, or raspberry tea.

Pregnancy Folklore (FA 01 1807)

Wearing a blinder at night could possibly keep nausea down.

Prenatal vitamins should be taken at night to prevent morning sickness and keep the woman from throwing up her vitamins.

Pregnancy-Related Cures:  Folk Beliefs in Female Mormonism (FA 01 2013)

Women with morning sickness may try lemon wedges with salt on them and small sips of lemon-lime soda, chewing mint leaves through the day, putting an open paper sack on the belly, or drinking pickle juice before eating or riding in a car.