Pregnancy & Baby Index: Pregnancy - Morning Sickness: Moving past "morning" sickness
Moving past "morning" sickness
Colette Bouchez
Although it had long been considered the
stuff of old wives tales and legend, using ginger as a remedy to treat
morning sickness is rapidly earning a new respect.
90 percent of pregnant women have "morning" sickness
In studies published
in the April 2004 issue of the journal
Obstetrics and Gynecology, doctors
from the University of Adelaide in Australia proved once again this natural
remedy is an extremely effective treatment for the nausea and vomiting
that affects up to 90 percent of all pregnant women, usually in their first
trimester.
If, however, you've tried ginger and it just doesn't seem to help you,
skip the gingerale and gingersnaps, and go for the "real
stuff" instead.
There is some research to show that it is the properties found in natural,
fresh ginger that makes this a truly effective treatment -- so when possible,
buy some fresh ginger root and use to make a tea, or sprinkle it on your
cereal or a bowl of fresh fruit.
If, in fact, ginger just isn't your "cup of tea," here are six more "natural" ways to beat
morning sickness.
1. Switch prenatal vitamins or the time you take them. The high iron
content can induce nausea in many pregnant women. Switching to a low-iron
formula in the first trimester only (when the risk of anemia is very low) may
squelch morning sickness. Also, take your vitamins late in the day, and skip
the glass of water. Instead swallow your vitamin in a spoonful of pudding or
apple sauce.
2. Limit fluid intake with meals. Instead, drink between meals -- and try other
tummy-soothing beverages such as peppermint iced tea or chamomile hot tea.
3. Massage your pressure points by applying pressure on what Chinese
medicine experts call the P6 Nei Guan nerve located in the wrist. To
stimulate this anti-nausea nerve use two fingers from your left hand to
press the underside of your right arm two inches above your wrist. Hold for
up to 60 seconds and repeat as needed.
4. Rise and shine . . . slowly. Whether it's getting up in the morning or
after a nap, rising too quickly can throw off equilibrium and contribute to
the queasies.
5. Have breakfast in bed. If you've heard that dry crackers is a treatment
for morning sickness, you heard right, but the trick is to eat them in bed,
20 to 30 minutes before rising -- and don't drink any liquids,
especially water, while munchin'.
6. Scent your hankies! To sidestep nausea caused by smells and odors outside
your home, tuck a hankie doused with a combination of lavender and peppermint
oil into a small plastic bag and keep in your purse. At the first hint of
nausea, hold the hankie to your nose and breathe deep for almost instant
nausea relief.
