Morning sickness is often misleading. With morning sickness, there are women who have a feeling of sickness (nausea) and there are women who are sick (vomit) without being sick. Some women feel sick only in the morning, and other fell sick all day long.
Morning sickness is usually most common in early pregnancy. It is quite unpleasant, but it does not put your baby at any risk and often clears up by weeks 17 to 19 of pregnancy. Symptoms decrease as the pregnancy progresses.
Many experts claim that hormonal changes in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy are possibly one of the main causes of morning sickness.
Morning Sickness Symptoms
During early pregnancy, the most common symptoms of morning sickness are:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Tiredness
About half of all pregnant women usually experience vomiting, and up to 80% of women usually experience nausea in the first twelve weeks.
People at times consider this sickness a slight inconvenience of pregnancy, but for many women, it can have a noteworthy adverse effect on their quality of life and daily activities.
Morning Sickness Natural Remedies
Pregnancy is a wonderful thing, but the sickness that usually comes with it? Not very fab.
If you experience morning sickness, your gynecologist or midwife will probably recommend that you try numerous changes to your daily life and diet to help reduce the symptoms, which include:
- Getting a lot of rest (tiredness could make nausea even worse);
- Getting up slowly from your bed in the morning (this is really important, especially if you feel sick every morning; if possible, consume something like a plain biscuit or dry toast before you get up);
- Drinking lots of water and other healthy liquids (you should sip them little and very often; this can help prevent vomiting);
- Eating frequent, but small meals high in carbohydrates (such as rice, pasta, and bread) and low in fat (such as crispbread, crackers, and toast);
- Consuming cold meals and avoid hot ones (because they can have strong smell that can make you feel sick);
- Avoid drinks that are cold, sweet or tart (sharp);
- Avoid sweets and spicy food;
- Avoid smells (they can easily make you feel sick);
- Wear comfortable clothes (avoid tight clothes and waistbands);
- Ask your family or friends for extra help and support (will be especially helpful if someone else could cook, but if that is not possible, go for non-greasy, bland foods, as pasta or baked potatoes that are easy to prepare), and
- Distract yourself as much as possible (nausea and vomiting can usually get even worse the more you think about them).
The feeling of sickness during pregnancy can be truly miserable. Certain home remedies may help you release the symptoms of morning sickness. Here are some Your Health Tubers-suggestions:
- Herbal Remedies
- Ginger
There are evidence that ginger tea and ginger supplements can help reduce vomiting and nausea. So far, there haven’t been reports of any adverse effect being caused by using ginger during pregnancy. You can use ginger as a morning sickness tea, 2-3 times a day, or use ginger in a supplement form. Consult with your pharmacist before using ginger in a supplement form. Moreover, you can also use ginger ale or ginger biscuits to help you reduce nausea.
Note: If you are taking aspirin, anticoagulant drugs, or other similar medications, you shouldn’t take ginger at all.
- Tea
Peppermint can be suitable if you feel constantly hot and irritable during the pregnancy. Try consuming peppermint or spearmint tea 2-3 times a day. Other recommendations are lemon and small amounts of chamomile tea.
- Acupuncture
A few studies claim that acupuncture could help with dry retching and nausea, but not with vomiting. You can try acupressure every time when you feel sick, simply by pressing an acupuncture point on your wrist. You could buy some wristbands, which will help you apply the pressure. Remember that the button in the band is located on the acupuncture point. In order to locate this, you should:
- Use your hand on the inside of the opposite wrist and measure up 3 finger-widths from the fold between the arm and hand.
- At this point, lift the pressure off till you are touching your skin and feel quite lightly for a little dip. Then, press in this dip deeply and it will feel little bruised.
- Press the button on your wristbands at this exact point on your both wrists.
- Put your bands on first thing in the morning before getting out of bed.
Each time when you have a wave of nausea, just press the button on both wrists 25-30 times at intervals of one second. In case you forget the wristbands, you could just press on these 2 points, or ask somebody to do it for you on both wrists all at once.
- Essential Oils
Essential oils can relax you, but also, the smell of oil can make your nausea worse. Some experts suggest that essential oils may relieve nausea during pregnancy. We advise you to try a few essential oils to see which one is good for you and your nose. These are the essential oils that can help you relieve nausea:
- Lime
- Spearmint
- Mandarin
- Peppermint
- Lemon
- Sweet orange
Note: Ginger in a tea form is good for a pregnant woman, but ginger essential oil is highly recommended to be used with caution, as certain experts claim that it can lead to trigger contractions and bleeding.
- Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy can be a good choice if you have symptoms of anxiety, fear, and stress, or other similar emotions. But there is not good evidence that it is effective in fighting pregnancy sickness.
- Music App for Pregnant Women
Today, there are some food music apps that you can find on your smartphone and use them when you experience sickness, especially when you are in movement, such as being in a car.
Note: Wear headphones not earphones to allow the pulsation and music to rebound against the ear drum.
Risk Factors for Morning Sickness
Numerous factors may mean you are more likely to experience vomiting and nausea in pregnancy, such as:
- Vomiting and nausea in a previous pregnancy
- A history of motion sickness, for instance in a car
- A family history of vomiting and nausea in pregnancy, or morning sickness
- Obesity (a BMI of 31 or more)
- A history of nausea while using contraceptives, which contain estrogen
- Stress
- First pregnancy
- Multiple pregnancies, as twins or triplets
When to Visit Your Doctor
In case you are vomiting and cannot keep any drink or food down, there is a possibility that you could become malnourished or dehydrated. Visit your gynecologist or midwife immediately if you:
- Feel severely dizzy, faint or weak when standing up
- Have a fever of 100.4F(38C) or above
- Have dark colored urine or don’t pass urine for more than 8 hours
- Have stomach pain
- Are unable to keep fluids or food down for one day
- Vomit blood
Conclusion:
Unfortunately, Your Heath Tubers cannot say for sure that these home remedies will definitely help you with morning sickness. However, there are a few studies that suggest you can use these treatments without seeing a therapist. You can try some of these remedies and see what works for you.
In case you have severe morning sickness, your gynecologist or midwife may recommend medication.