Beating morning sickness with common scents

Scents for morning sickness relief

• Mandarin Avoiding stress is easier said than done if you're feeling sick a lot of the time, especially if you are in early pregnancy and don't want to share the reasons for your nausea with those around you. However, while there are some essential oils which you definitely avoid during pregnancy, some, like mandarin, are good for many things including relieving stress. Burn it or massage it into your feet to help bring you back to a relaxed state and to remind you that you deserve to take it easy with time for yourself.

• Ginger and lemon Everything from ginger ale to ginger biscuits have been known to help relieve nausea. It's a strong smell and one you might need to avoid if you're not usually a fan, but otherwise, try sipping some ginger tea.
  Cut a lemon in half and either inhale it fresh or add it to hot water as a simple drink.

• Peppermint It's a strong aroma but for some reason, many women find that sucking on a peppermint or drinking peppermint tea alleviates the feeling of morning sickness.

• Melon and cucumber You need to make sure you are keeping your fluids up, especially if you have actually been sick. However, filling up on drinking water might be putting you off. Instead, watery fruits and vegetables are freshing and will help keep you hydrated.

• Fresh air Smoky rooms and indeed any strong odours are common triggers for those susceptible to morning sickness. If your journey to work takes you along a busy road, you will probably be a lot more conscious of the traffic fumes already, so where you can, try to change your route to a safe but less busy one. Even in winter months, try to get outdoors to places where you can fill your lungs with some good quality air rather than sitting in air-conditioned or stuffy environments all through the day. If you are inside, place your head by (not under!) a running cold water tap can help revive yourself.