Q&A: What can I take for motion sickness during pregnancy?

Boats are so big these days, that many travelers actually feel less queasy than they expect, but it is always good to be prepared. Motion sickness and pregnancy nausea are very similar, and may respond to the same treatments.

In general, it is usually best to start with non-medical remedies: avoid spicy and rich foods, consider "sea bands" on your wrists for acupressure, and bring ginger candies and ginger tea (I just discovered Stash brand Lemon Ginger tea, which is very gingery and delicious). Vitamin B6 (maximum dose 200 mg per day) and the antihistamine in the sleep medication Unisom® have been shown to be safe in pregnancy and can be extremely helpful for nausea. In Canada, they can be purchased in one medication called Diclectin®, marketed for nausea in pregnancy. Dramamine® and Bonine®, over-the-counter medications sold specifically for motion sickness are FDA category B, indicating that they are probably safe in pregnancy. The scopolamine patch may be safe in pregnancy but there is less known about it and it falls into category C.

Other recommendations for cruising: be careful about sun exposure! Pregnancy hormones (and for that matter, birth control pills) make you particularly sensitive to the sun. Chloasma, a dark freckle-like pigmentation, can form on the face from sun exposure and may be long lasting. It isn't clear that sunblock prevents chloasma, so bring a big hat, and keep your face in the shade. Darker skin types are at greatest risk for chloasma. Also, stay well hydrated, and be careful not to overheat. And in preparation for the unlikely event of a pregnancy complication while traveling, it is never a bad idea to bring a copy of your prenatal records with you. I think of it like bringing an umbrella to prevent rain.

Bon Voyage!

Learn how to create an anti-nausea kit!