GSE
Morning Sickness and How to stop it
Morning Sickness
More severe form with excessive nausea and vomiting is called
Hyperemesis
Gravidarum
What is Morning
Sickness?
Symptoms, not necessarily confined
to the morning -
include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, lightheadedness, and dizziness during the
early stages of pregnancy. Women with morning sickness may be particularly
sensitive to certain odors and foods.
On a positive note - recent studies have suggested that mothers
who have morning sickness have fewer
miscarriages
Causes of Morning
Sickness?
No one knows for sure what causes
morning sickness - but it is probably a
combination of rapidly increasing estrogen and Progesteronelevels, an enhanced
sense of smell and excess stomach acids.
One theory is that
Progesterone (the
dominant hormone during pregnancy)
is to blame - Progesterone has a "relaxing" effect on the muscles in the body, preventing preterm labor by
effecting the uterine muscles. However, it also effects other muscles, such as
the stomach and intestines. The Progesterone relaxes the workings of the
whole digestive track which makes the elimination of bodily wastes slower,
leading to slower stomach-emptying, causing excess stomach acids.
Another more popular theory is that morning
sickness is caused by the buildup of hCG (human chorionic gonadotopin) - hCG is
produced after implantation takes place and continues to increase until about
the 12th week of your pregnancy, at which point the levels of hCG starts to
decrease. For many women, but not all, this
is also when your morning sickness symptoms will start to decrease.
Women with a high intake of saturated fat during the year prior to pregnancy had
a much higher risk of severe morning sickness -
than did women eating less saturated fat, according to a Harvard University
study,An increase in saturated fat
intake of 15 grams per day (E.g. a four-ounce cheeseburger or 3 cups of whole
milk) was associated with a greater than threefold increase in the risk of
developing morning sickness.
(Signorello et al, 1996)
What Can I Do To
Relieve My Pregnancy Nausea?
OK, so the misery of nausea is not what you might call the joy of motherhood!
All you care
about now, is what can I do to make it stop? - Long and short, there is no one
tried and true method that will relieve everyone's case of morning sickness, but
below are ideas to try that have worked for others going through the same
ordeal:
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
"Morning sickness Magic" is a herbal remedy containing Ginger, Vitamin B-6, Red Raspberry Leaf and
Folic Acid (B9) .
The results of two
double-blind, placebo-controlled trials that used B6 suggest that vitamin
B6
may be beneficial in alleviating morning sickness - Each study found a slight but
significant reduction in nausea or vomiting in pregnant women:
•
25 mg of B6 every
eight hours for three days (Vitamin B6 is
effective therapy for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy: a randomized,
double-blind placebo-controlled study. )
or
• 10 mg of
B6 every eight hours
for five days (Pyridoxine for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy: a
randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial).
Ginger
Ginger -
in 250 mg. capsules
3x daily can be beneficial. Ginger has
long been associated with alleviating nausea. A review of six double-blind
trials concluded that ginger is probably an effective treatment for nausea and
vomiting in pregnancy. (Borelli et al, 2005)
Ginger Tea Recipe
4 cups water
2-inch piece of fresh,
ginger root
Honey and lemon slices (optional)
Peel the ginger root and slice it into thin slices.
Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Once it is boiling, add the ginger.
Cover it and reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Strain the tea. Add honey or
sugar and lemon to taste.
Other tactics
Avoid heat
Get enough sleep at night / Take naps during the
day (but not right after eating) -tiredness
plays a big part in morning sickness.
Get out of bed slowly in the morning
Eat plain crackers or dry cereal before you get
out of bed in the morning
Open windows /turn on exhaust fans when cooking
and after meals - to avoid nausea-promoting smells.
Carry a handkerchief with a few drops lemon
essential oil to breathe - when you can't get away from a smell that is
bothering you.
Avoid greasy or spicy foods -
often cause nausea or heartburn.
Follow your cravings
- they will not lead you the wrong way.
Have frequent protein snacks -
Low fat meats and seafood, nuts, eggs and beans;
Eat smaller meals every two hours or so - to keep blood sugar levels even; eat meals high in protein and complex
carbohydrates ;
Eat something salty before a meal
Drink liquids and eat solid foods at separate
times - do not drink fluids with your meals;
Drink non caffeinated peppermint and ginger tea
Avoid dehydration -
drink small amounts of fluids regularly though the
day;
Do not skip meals
Avoid spicy and fried food
Cold food may have less nausea inducing smells
associated with them
Utilize accupressure -
or wear a Sea-band, a small band to put pressure on the inner wrist .
See
How to apply acupressure ,
using Acupoint 12.
Acupoint 12 - On the
largest crease of the inner wrist, on a line with the thumb, approximately three
finger widths up from your hand.
Accupoint12
Meridian Tapping Technique -
MTT ;
Ensure good liver function
-
nausea
is worse if liver not
removing toxins and excess hormones from the blood. During the
first trimester there is a surge in the production of three major hormones:
estrogen,
Progesterone, and HCG. The liver is responsible for breaking down the
excess hormones produced during pregnancy.
-
Vitamin C and Vitamin K -
stimulate
detoxifying
enzymes in the liver.
Foods
specifically high in Vitamin C include: citrus fruits; lemons, limes, oranges,* strawberries, tomatoes, honeydew,
melons, sweet potatoes, green peppers, potatoes. Foods high in both Vitamin C and Vitamin K include: broccoli, kale,cauliflower, bok choy, brussel
sprouts, cabbage, wheatgrass.
-
Vitamins B6 and B12 -
also help the liver to perform optimally.
References Borrelli F et al (2005) Effectiveness and safety of ginger in the
treatment of pregnancy-induced nausea and vomiting. Obstet Gynecol;105:849-56.
Signorello LB et al, (1996) Saturated fat intake and the risk of
severe hyperemesis gravidarum.
Am J Epidemiol;143 (11 Suppl):S25 [abstract # 97]
