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One of the most commonly heard concern from pregnant women is that of morning sickness. The estimated chance of a pregnant women experiencing morning sickness throughout her term is roughly between 50-80%! So what is “morning sickness”? It is generally characterized as unprovoked nausea (meaning there is no virus or otherwise diagnosed illness to cause the nausea) which manifests strongly in the mornings, though it can last through out the day or be at its strongest point at another time of the day, depending on the woman. It can also show up as a strong and almost violent aversion to certain foods, again depending on the woman. Foods that were once favored can be completely intolerable and vice versa.
Some doctors will prescribe pills for the morning sickness but that can lead to more complications such as headaches and stomach irritations. Most women are very cautious about taking medications while pregnant, and with good reason. The baby absorbs a portion of everything the mother intakes. Therefore natural remedies are extremely popular among expectant mothers looking for pregnancy nausea relief. Natural remedies are completely harmless for the baby and have significantly lesser chances of adverse reactions when compared to prescription medications. Of course, it is always advisable to discuss naturally remedies with a physician before starting on any specific plan.
So what are these remedies? The most commonly utilized, and highly favored, options are those of acupressure bracelets, peppermint essential oils and/or ginger tea. There are also dietary suggestions that seem to have had a fair amount of success when followed by pregnant women with mild to severe morning sickness symptoms. And finally, many women espouse the virtues of acupuncture as a means of alleviating the nausea and intense food aversions they experience during pregnancy. An acupressure band is meant to worn around with wrist and it applies slight pressure to the pericardium 6 point found on the inside of the wrist. These bands are also referred to as “sea bands” and are traditionally Chinese, having been used to relieve the symptoms of motion sickness and nausea for centuries. The band begins to work immediately and poses no threat whatsoever to the mother or child.
Another well known and traditionally used method for relieving nausea is using peppermint essential oil to calm the tumultuous stomach. Using the purest form of peppermint oil that can be found will yield the best results. Some oils can be ingested but the user must be careful to read any warnings on the specific oil they are using as some oils may be mixed with other elements. Using a diffuser is also an excellent way to allow the peppermint oil to work its magic. If a diffuser is not around the a few drops of peppermint oil can be placed in a large bowl that is filled with hot water. This bowl must be places near the nauseated person in an area where it will not be knocked over and it will work much like a diffuser to deliver the oil.
Ginger tea is probably the most recognizable of all the natural remedies. Many people still purchase ginger ale when they are fighting a stomach virus because the ginger is an excellent soother of savage tummies. Naturopaths, midwives and even medical doctors often recommend the use of ginger to help combat morning sickness symptoms. Clinical trials indicate that using one gram of ginger a day, divided into four doses, can be helpful for a period of four days up to three weeks. Basically, half a teaspoon of ginger steeped in hot water for five minutes, four times a day, is the best method for alleviating nausea from morning sickness. There are some that claims ginger tea may have adverse affects for the baby but there have been no studies that have validated these claims.
Acupuncture is the practice of introducing needles to certain parts of the body to release toxics and relieve pains and stressors. Acupuncture can be helpful but the studies cited also involved the use of prescription medications in conjunction with acupuncture. Finally, there are certain dietary changes that have proven helpful. Eating smaller meals every few hours helps to keep the stomach even tempered. Avoiding fatty foods and fried foods and keeping toast, bread or crackers near by to snack on is also helpful. Women should make sure to watch for foods that may trigger the nausea and to drink lots of fluids, specifically water, between meals.
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