If you are plagued with pregnancy sickness, we may have the remedy that works for you!
Morning sickness isn’t a very good name for the nausea that often accompanies the first few weeks or months of your pregnancy: you can have it at any time of day but regardless of when it strikes and whether or not you vomit, it is certainly not pleasant.
Although it is relatively rare, women with serious morning sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum) can even end up in hospital so if your pregnancy sickness is so severe that it interferes with your everyday life and is stopping you gaining weight normally or causing weight loss, you should see your GP.
There’s no cure for morning sickness and doctors prefer to rely on old-fashioned remedies such as;
- Start your day with a dry cracker, a piece of dry toast or a plain biscuit, preferably with a cup of tea before you get up. Keep a supply of snacks such as dry biscuits to hand throughout the day
- Eat little and often so that you are never too hungry or too full
- Drink milk
- Drink lots of fluids
- Stick to bland, non-greasy foods – baked potatoes, rice, pasta
- Sleeping (tiredness can increase the feelings of nausea)
- Very often it’s the smell of food that triggers the nausea and vomiting so you can try asking someone else to cook
- Avoid rich, fatty foods
What works for you may make someone else feel worse so try anything and everything until you decide what’s best for you.
Recent research has led to the conclusion that morning sickness might even be natures’ way of regulating your diet and avoiding foods which could cause a problem for mother or foetus. So you can comfort yourself that this awful feeling does have a purpose!
Remedies for Pregnancy Sickness
Citrus
Try the smell of a cut lemon which may help your nausea, or you could try adding some to slices to sparkling water.
Grapefruit Essential Oil is good for morning sickness: you can try it on a candle burner or put a few drops on a cotton wool bud and pop it behind a radiator.
Ginger
Ginger is a well-known remedy for morning sickness. You can take it in capsules or tea but even ginger biscuits or ginger beer may be enough for mild cases of pregnancy sickness. You could try adding a spicy ginger twist to other fruit or herbal teas or Whole Earth Foods do a sparkling ginger drink for 60p, that will gve your morning a real lift.
Ginger is very safe, provided you keep within sensible doses (whatever is recommended on the box for capsules and up to a half-inch piece of fresh ginger in tea) and avoid using more than three times a day. You can even use Ginger as a treat: Mrs Beaston’s Rediscovered ginger Ice cream for less than £4 is a great way of making yourself feel better and treating your palette at the same time.
Don’t use Ginger Essential oil during pregnancy – it’s not safe. Everyone assumes that Ginger and Peppermint oils will help morning sickness but they are definitely not recommended for pregnant women.
Acupressure
Acupressure involves putting pressure on certain points on the body to free energy flow within. You can use your thumbs, fingertips or bands, such as Sea-Bands to apply this pressure. To treat nausea and vomiting, you usually apply pressure to the P6 point which is on the forearm, about the width of three fingers up from the crease of your wrist. You may need to do this up to 4 times a day for up to 10 minutes at a time.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a very safe method of working with the body in the early months of pregnancy and can be an excellent way to cope with morning sickness. The body isn’t just flesh and blood – it’s also energy. The needles unblock the chi, or life energy, so it can travel freely through the body.
It is important to stress that acupuncture affects everyone differently as we’re all individuals. There is no way of knowing if acupuncture is going to help your pregnancy sickness unless you try it.
And that’s the real truth about morning sickness: you should try all the different methods until you find one that suits you. If nothing makes you feel better, just remember that the nausea is for a reason and hang in there as morning sickness usually disappears at about 14-16 weeks!
Recommended Websites
Blooming Marvellous
The Blooming Marvellous store offers everything you may need during and after your pregnancy. Stylish yet functional maternity clothes, baby clothing, nursery equipment and much much more!
Mothercare
Mothercare provide a full range of products including maternity, nursery furniture, pushchairs, car seats, baby clothes, toys, gifts.
Early Learning Centre
ELC stock a great range of toys and games for babies and children of all ages that make learning fun, stimulate imagination and encourage development.
