Pregnancy is the most incredible, awe inspiring time. You kick back, live your life and grow an entire human. Nails, eyelashes and all. It’s miraculous.
For many women, the being pregnant part.. sometimes does not feel like it.
Nausea in pregnancy can affect up to 70% of women in their first trimester. It can be easily dismissed as ‘just part of pregnancy’ but it can be a real affliction for many women striking at any time of day or night. It can make living a normal life very challenging, finding it hard to work, socialise and find enjoyment out of activities you once did. I’ve had clients tell me they felt quite low and even depressed in their first trimester as they battled their intense feelings of nausea and fatigue.
As Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners we take an individualistic approach. We use Acupuncture to strengthen the energetic function of the digestive system and balance out any individual disharmonies. There are also empirical points that have been shown to reduce feelings of nausea, using acupressure on these can have an instant affect and can provide a helpful tool to women.
When managing morning sickness it’s very important to stay hydrated and keep your blood sugars balanced. This means eating smaller meals and more often, trying to avoid the empty hungry feeling. Avoiding anything too sweet and sugary that might spike blood sugars, slower releasing carbohydrates can be useful here such as bread, pasta, rice, potatoes.
Some other helpful tips at managing morning sickness include:
Staying hydrated, sipping on water frequently throughout the day. Even being slightly dehydrated can exacerbate symptoms
Eating small portions and frequently can help.. protein is ideal or whatever you can stomach.
Don’t judge your food choices or craving choices! Just let it be. Do what you need to do.
Keep biscuits or plain food in an air tight container next to the bed, in your handbag, in the car, at your desk.
1000mg of ginger per day has been shown to reduce feels of nausea. Slicing up ginger and letting it simmer in boiling water for 20 minutes before sipping throughout the day can help. Or pieces of candied ginger can also help.
Chomomile or peppermint tea
Gingerale or ginger tea
Mineral water with freshly squeezed lemon
Potato soup or roast potatoes.
If you’re really struggling with morning sickness, make sure you book in with your GP or midwife to talk through options that might be available to you. As unpleasant as the feelings might be, they won’t last forever but there is always support available for you.
