Are you newly pregnant and experiencing nausea? If you’re like millions of other moms-to-be, you probably are. It’s called Morning Sickness and it affects approximately 80 percent of pregnant women. It is caused by the sudden increase in hormones during pregnancy.
Most Morning Sickness nausea and vomiting is mild and treatable*. And, despite the fact that you feel like you can’t get out of bed most days, there are conservative and natural measures you can use today to feel better.
Diet Changes
First, try changing your diet by eating small, frequent meals throughout the day. That way you're never too full or too hungry, which can bring on nausea. Your solid foods should be bland tasting, high in carbs, and low in fat. I know that echos boring, but if you can make it through the first trimester following this type of bland diet and it helps, hopefully, your functioning will improve and the diet won’t be so boring. Once you get to the second trimester, you should find your appetite returns and your nausea subsides (at least that's what happened to me).
Some fun bland food items to try are Jello, popsicles, chicken broth, and pretzels. Of course, these aren't foods you can fill up on or eat all day long, but they should help you get past that nausea wave. Your goal is to keep the food down that you do eat, so you can make sure your growing baby gets his or her share. These items may help you do that.
If you choose salty foods (i.e., salted crackers, potato chips), I've read that these items can usually be tolerated early in the morning. If you're feeling a bit nauseated in the morning before you get out of bed, eat a few saltine crackers to help calm you. Any sour and tart liquids (like lemonade) are often tolerated better than water. Plus, lemonade in the summer tastes “oh so good.”
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Ginger, B6 and B12
Second, you can try ginger. You can find ginger in cookies (yummy), teas, capsules and soda pop (Ginger Ale). Of course be reasonable in your approach to ginger, but many people use it as a spice, so it’s not really a scary additive. I tried ginger during my first pregnancy by eating Ginger Snaps and Molasses cookies. I have to admit that I didn't really feel any immediate relief of my nausea, but the cookies were very good and helped my mood.
My prenatal doctor even prescribed a prenatal vitamin for me that included extra B6 and B12 vitamins, which have been known to reduce nausea.
Psi Bands
Third, you can try acupressure. Yes, you read that right. Acupressure. Scientific studies have supported the use of acupressure in the relief of nausea. It’s an ancient healing art that uses pressure to stimulate the body’s natural self-curative abilities. The easiest way for a pregnant mom to use acupressure is by wearing Psi Bands, which are very stylish wristbands. They are also non-invasive and affordable.
Psi Bands were created by two moms-to-be who were looking for a drug free way to treat their morning sickness. Psi Bands use a watch like adjustable band with multiple settings so you can wear them if you have small wrists (5 ¼ inches) or large wrists (8 ¼ inches). Each Psi Band package comes with two Psi Bands and you wear both bands at the same time.
Psi Bands are also made out of biocompatible materials (medical grade synthetic rubber and latex free). So, if you’re green, you’ll feel good purchasing these bands for your use or even a loved one’s.
You can find them at Rite Aid, and other regional chains, such as Longs Drugs, Pharmaca, and REI stores. You can also find them online at drugstore.com, babycenter.com, and amazon.com.
I hope that one of these natural measures helps you, new momma, in your quest to feel better and relieve your nausea. If they do, please let me know. If you're like me, you're probably experiencing nausea all day long and not just in the morning, which can be very debilitating. If you try one measure and it doesn't work well for you, try another one. You can also combine a few.
The good news is that Morning Sickness usually goes away later in pregnancy and is usually totally gone by your second trimester (13 weeks or the fourth month). Of course every pregnancy is different, but hopefully yours will follow this trend.
*Please note that if you are experiencing a more severe form of Morning Sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum), I encourage you to speak to your prenatal specialist right away. Hyperemesis gravidarum may have negative implications for maternal and fetal health.
Topics: Green Remedies, Morning Sickness, Natural Cures, pregnancy, Show-and-Tell-Thursday, Spring/Summer 09
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