– Dietary recommendations include eating small protein-rich meals every two hours and taking prenatal vitamins with dinner instead of in the morning. Anti-emetics, such as promethazine are safe and effective for NVP, though drowsiness is a common side effect that can be troublesome, especially since symptoms most often occur in the early part of the day. Other interventions may be more appropriate if she must drive, work or is responsible for the care of other children.
– Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 25 mg orally every 8 hours can be considered a first-line therapy for NVP. It may be more effective if taken intermittently. Pyridoxine can be taken alone or in combination with doxylamine. Alternatively, a single 25 mg doxylamine tablet (Unisom®) can be taken at night as a monotherapy or in combination with 10-25 mg pyridoxine taken 2-3 times daily. The most frequently prescribed dosage of pyridoxine or vitamin B6 is 25 mg orally three times daily.
– Dried ginger taken at doses up to 1500 mg per day in divided doses has been proven effective in treating NVP. Ginger is a prokinetic agent and increases transit through the gastrointestinal tract; this may be in part how it helps to relieve nausea and vomiting. Ginger tea is a very safe and effective remedy for gas and bloating and may also reduce heartburn.
Adapted from Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine – IMR – Family Medicine 2018