Natural Morning Sickness Remedies

Nausea, or morning sickness as it is so often referred to, affects around 9 out of 10 expectant mothers at some point within their pregnancy. Although some may not experience any actual vomiting, they may be victim to constant nausea which can make them miserable and unwilling to eat.

Nevertheless, it is believed that (although some mothers may not think this) nausea during pregnancy is a good sign as it signifies that your hormone levels are high enough to aid your pregnancy, helping it to ‘hold’. This in turn will help your child to develop properly. It is believed that the main cause of nausea during pregnancy is the presence of the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin, or hCG which is produced in large quantities until the placenta is formed enough to take over specific functions. During your pregnancy if you are experiencing tiredness, hunger or stress, these factors can all cause your morning sickness to be much worse and mothers expecting multiple births may also experience increased vomiting.

It is near enough impossible to cure this symptom of your pregnancy as it is a normal and natural symptom but by adopting certain methods, you can help to make it manageable and less of a hindrance throughout your pregnancy.

Although it may be easier said than done, it is important to rest as much as possible throughout your pregnancy, and not allow yourself to become overly stressed or tired. There are various relaxation techniques you can adopt, the trick is finding one which suits you best whether it is taking a bath, reading or looking into aromatherapy. Keep yourself fuelled, eating little and often, sticking to foods which do not affect your symptoms. However, if you are finding that you can only eat fatty or fried foods; do not worry as at this stage, it is more important to eat something in order to gain energy than to not eat at all. Also ensure to remain as hydrated as possible, sipping ice water, lemon water or anything that you are able to keep down (aside from alcohol, obviously!)

In addition, there are a number of tried and tested methods which have been utilized by mothers in the past. Although not all of these will work for you, you may find that one in particular or a combination of methods will help to ease your morning sickness:

• Ginger: Ginger is believed to be the most effective remedy for morning sickness although in some women, it can be unsafe to take ginger or can make their symptoms worse. It is a traditional Chinese remedy which is believed to work on the basis of yin and yang, hot and cold. If you are suffering from feeling cold or desire hot drinks and warmth, ginger could be the ideal remedy for you. However, stay away from ginger biscuits as they can contain too much sugar and not enough ginger, therefore will be ineffective. Try ginger tea or ginger capsules which can be purchased via health stores.
• Peppermint: If you are experiencing hot flushes and cold, refreshing drinks or are feeling irritable and moody; peppermint or spearmints can be the ideal remedy. Peppermint tea or simply sucking on sugar-free peppermint sweets may be effective but as peppermint is an essential oil and possesses quite a strong smell and taste, it may be too much for some expectant mothers, causing their nausea to worsen. If so, try chamomile tea or lemon balm tea in small doses.
• Acupressure: a more unconventional method, acupressure wristbands can be worn which are believed to relieve sickness. To be most effective, it is suggested that you place your band on first thing in the morning- even before you have got out of bed, in order for the band to be most effective. At anytime you feel sick, you simply press the small button on the band 20-30 times, one press per second in order to stimulate the acupuncture point.

Other suggestions include aromatherapy, hypnotherapy and reflexology. These are just some of the suggestions you can utilize but as each pregnancy is different, what works for you will not always be the same as another expectant mother. If you find that your nausea is becoming unbearable or you are unable to keep down any form of food or drink, contact your doctor immediately.

For more information on relieving morning sickness, visit Babies Base