Odds are that if you’re pregnant at some point you’ll experience some form of morning sickness. But don’t let the name fool you. While some women experience the nausea and vomiting only after waking up, it can happen any time of the day.

The good news, the symptoms usually start to fade around 12-14 weeks as you transition into your second trimester. We know those first dozen or so weeks can seem like they last forever, so here are three ways to manage your morning sickness and make the first trimester fly by a little less yucky.

1. Go Slow in the Mornings

Try giving yourself more time to wake up and get into your morning routine. Rushing out of bed as soon as your alarm gets off and jumping in the shower may cause nausea to rear it’s ugly head first thing. Lie in bed for a few extra minutes. Think positive thoughts about your upcoming day. Give your mind and stomach time to wake up. Try eating a few crackers in bed to keep the acid in your stomach down. If it helps, prop yourself up with pillows to ease into an upright position. You’ve got this! Slow down and give your body a chance to fully wake up.

2. Eating Right

Everything you’ve probably come across in your reading says you should be eating right. But the last thing you want to do is put anything in your mouth! The first few weeks your body is making so many changes and nutrition is important. You may want to try to keep your diet bland. Try rice, baked potatoes, chicken broth, and plain fruits and veggies. Another trick to eating during this stage is eating small, frequent meals instead of three full meals a day. This helps you with the hormone changes and baby development as well. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and if you can’t keep it down plain, try to flavor it. You want to avoid dehydration especially if you’re throwing up regularly. Avoid too much sugar as well as greasy and spicy foods. And don’t lay down right after you’ve eaten a meal. It could make the nausea worse. Give yourself at least an hour after a meal before you take a nap or go to bed. This also helps if you’re experiencing heart burn.

3. Rest and Relax

Easier said than done right? Well it’s true. Your body is gearing up for a major event! Sleep. Go to bed early. Rest throughout the day. Put your feet up and don’t forget to breath. All of the extra work your body is doing to make a human is exhausting. Give in when you feel tired. Put on relaxing music if that helps you unwind. Take a cool bath if that feels good. Use calm smelling scents like mint or jasmine if you can stand them. We have some great suggestions for you to do to stay cool in the Summer heat that could also help you relax during this stage of your pregnancy. Check them out and see if any of those suggestions help you rest. Before you know it morning sickness should be gone or at least be less frequent. If you’re still experiencing it regularly by your second trimester, be sure to talk with your doctor. She or he may be able to provide you with Vitamin B6 to help you get over the nausea so that you can rest. Do you have some other ideas we did not list for helping you get over morning sickness? If so, be sure to leave them in our comment section for others to see.

The good news, the symptoms usually start to fade around 12-14 weeks as you transition into your second trimester. We know those first dozen or so weeks can seem like they last forever, so here are three ways to manage your morning sickness and make the first trimester a little less yucky.