Nausea during pregnancy - introduction

If fluid intake and nutrition are seriously affected by nausea and vomiting--a condition known as emesis gravidarum--be sure to seek medical help. Fortunately, emesis gravidarum affects few women. . Vitamin and mineral supplements. Although the best insurance for a healthy pregnancy is a wholesome diet, meeting nutritional requirements while experiencing nausea and vomiting is very difficult. At such times, a prenatal vitamin/mineral supplement may be helpful. For the direct alleviation of nausea, the vitamin most often recommended is B-6. Some researchers and dieticians suggest that a vitamin B-6 deficiency occurs only when nausea has lasted more than a few months; others assert that an increase in vitamin B-6 intake, especially before pregnancy, benefits most women.

In Let's Have Healthy Children, Adelle Davis recommends that "any woman who has used oral contraceptives or has suffered from vomiting or other vitamin B-6 deficient symptoms during previous pregnancies would be wise to take 50 milligrams of B-6, 1 milligram of folic acid, and 200 international units (I.U.) of vitamin E daily, starting several months before conception." For the woman who is already pregnant and experiencing nausea, she advises, "Though nausea can be prevented by as little as 10 milligrams [of B-6] daily, 25 milligrams per meal are often needed to stop it." Foods rich in vitamin B-6 include yeast, blackstrap molasses, wheat germ, wheat bran, liver, heart, and kidney. . Herbs. A number of herbs have a long and safe history of easing nausea during pregnancy--in particular, raspberry leaves, sundew, wild yam root (in small doses), and peppermint. Small sips of ginger tea helped me during the early months of my most recent pregnancy.

Herbal scents also have a soothing effect. A friend made me a small drawstring bag filled with cloves, cinnamon, rosemary, and other fragrant herbs and spices, which I carried with me throughout my first pregnancy. Whenever I felt particularly nauseous, I would hold it in my hand and take frequent revitalizing sniffs. Since then, I have made a fresh bag of herbs for each new pregnancy.
Homeopathy. Ananda Zeren, an experienced nurse, midwife, and homeopath in the California area, relies on homeopathy for safe, effective treatment during pregnancy. For nausea, she primarily uses constitutional remedies, which are designed to promote overall health rather than treat specific, acute symptoms.

Homeopathic remedies are based on the observation that substances causing certain symptoms in a healthy person can cure those same symptoms in an ill person. Through detailed research and experimentation, Samuel Hahnemann, an 18th-century German physician, developed this observation into the homeopathic system of medicine. Over 2,000 substances, mostly plants, are used in preparing the remedies, and finding a curative treatment depends on a clear perception of the constellation of symptoms. Treating homeopathically can be either quite straightforward or very involved.

In Homeopathy: Medicine for the 21st Century, Dana Ullman states: "Homeopaths find that the women who receive constitutional homeopathic treatment prior to becoming pregnant rarely seem to get morning sickness during pregnancy. For those who do get it, there are various homeopathic medicines that are often effective in diminishing the nausea, vomiting, and indigestion common to morning sickness. Sepia (cuttlefish), Nux vomica (poison nut), Colchicum (meadow saffron), Silica (silica), Ipecacuaha (Ipecac), Pulsatilla (windflower), and Symphoricarpus racemosa (snowberry) are only a few of the more commonly indicated medicines for morning sickness."

When diagnosing a woman with nausea during pregnancy, the homeopath takes into account many physical and emotional characteristics: the severity of the nausea, whether the woman feels better or worse after eating or lying down, whether the symptoms are aggravated or alleviated by movement, the presence of irritability or moodiness, and more. Because homeopathic treatments are highly individualized, both Ullman and Zeren stress the importance of consulting with an experienced homeopath, who is able to prescribe appropriate remedies in specific micro-doses.
Acupressure. Acupuncturists, too, consider a wide range of physical and emotional factors. Symptoms are classified and treated according to disharmonies that correspond to the forces of nature, the status of the person's Qi (energy that travels via the acupuncture meridians), and the condition of the blood. Balance is restored by stimulating appropriate "pressure points" with needles (as in acupuncture) or with the fingers (as in acupressure).

Chinese medicine views nausea during pregnancy as an imbalance caused or aggravated by various stresses. Although effective, thorough treatment is best administered by an experienced acupuncturist, self-treatment has been used for centuries to alleviate morning sickness. To provide relief, apply deep pressure with your thumb for a few seconds at a time to each of the following points:

On the inner arm, between the two large tendons, two to three inches up from the wrist. Between the breasts, at the indentation directly above the sternal notch. The hollow at the base of the front of the neck. (Stimulating this point can relieve the urge to vomit.) . Other therapies. Many remedial methods and techniques used to treat nausea in general also alleviate nausea in pregnancy. Comfort may be found in hand and foot reflexology, aromatherapy, shiatsu, and polarity. Look to those areas that interest you.

More Helpful Advice

One of the lessons to be learned from early-pregnancy nausea is how to ask for help. You will likely find people very willing to help out, provided that you are clear about your needs. Assistance with meal preparation may be most welcome--especially if the smell of food is a bit trying. Ask friends and family members to prepare casseroles, soups, or salads that will keep well in the refrigerator. Provide a supportive friend with a shopping list of fresh fruits, veggies, and other nutritious snack foods. Enlist the help of family members in the kitchen. Even young children will be eager to help you "grow the baby."

Many times, I felt my appetite return when faced with a meal prepared by someone else! In the early months of my current pregnancy, our six year old appeared bearing toast and iced herbal tea before I got out of bed in the morning. And my husband knew that his offers of help were especially appreciated, as were the meals he prepared.

Depending on the severity of nausea, everyday obligations may seem overwhelming. If once-simple chores are beginning to look monumental, you will benefit greatly by accepting assistance with household tasks. Friends may tell you to "just let things go for a while," but more insightful friends will dust, vacuum, or do a load of laundry for you!

While most of us are able to pamper ourselves a bit during a first pregnancy, pampering in later pregnancies requires significant planning. Help in caring for the children, especially young ones, can be the most important support you enlist. On days when help is unavailable, plan to spend time in quiet activity with your children. Do lots of reading, singing, drawing, cuddling, and talking about things to come.

Above all, take care of yourself. Minimize stress and pay careful attention to your body. In Dilorio's study, 46 percent of all women experiencing nausea during pregnancy reported that lying down was the single most helpful measure. Rest is essential--and medically recommended.

Whenever possible, prepare your body in advance of conception. Eat well; get plenty of rest, fresh air, and exercise; and nurture a positive frame of mind. Then, if nausea does occur, you will be constitutionally stronger and better able to minimize the effects or cope with the symptoms.

Even during the worst of times, focus on the baby. Assure yourself that your body, in attempting to produce a perfect environment, is making an enormous adjustment. One bit of sustenance that you can heartily accept is this: It will all be worth it when you hold your baby in your arms!

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