Urgghh... morning sickness....
It can be so brutal during pregnancy and really has to be experienced to be understood. I now have so much more sympathy for my mama-to-be patients and for all the pregnant ladies out there. You're all truly amazing!
I suffered from morning sickness from about 5 weeks until 16 weeks, and then the queasiness started to lift- thank you universe! I know all the pregnant ladies out there have heard their fair share of 'just keep a dry biscuit on your bedside table' or 'drink ginger tea', while rolling their eyes knowing they do that already and it does pretty much nothing.
The thing is, like all areas of health, morning sickness and the cause can be different for each woman. We will all have our go-to things that seem to ease the nausea a little. Some work and some don't.
From a Naturopathic and medical perspective, morning sickness can be triggered by an increase in hormones and the body struggling to adjust to them.
It can also be due to:
Sluggish digestion
Often caused by hormones, especially increased progesterone. Your hormones are slowing all of that down long before your stomach and intestines get squished by your growing baby.
Low blood sugar
A drop in blood sugar can cause symptoms such as nausea, and a pregnant woman's blood sugar can drop quite rapidly. This is because there's an increased energy demand so eating regular and keeping your blood sugar balanced can really help here.
Some classic remedies include ginger and vitamin B6 and there is quite a bit of research behind them. It makes sense because ginger is a wonderful digestive aid and anti-nausea spice and vitamin B6 promotes healthy hormone clearance and supports liver function.
For me, I'd say it was sluggish digestion that made symptoms much worse.
Here's what I tried:
⭐️ Ginger: On it's own it didn't really help me. But it might help you, so it's worth a try. You can either try ginger tea, or ginger herbal tablets for a more therapeutic effect.
⭐️ Vitamin B6: Again, the improvement wasn't really noticeable, but see how you go. The dose is about 100mg per day, split into smaller doses. You need to give it a good week or two to notice effects.
⭐️ Iberogast: This is a herbal formula that is great for reducing bloating (which I also had a lot of) and supporting digestion, not only for pregnant women. I found this to be really helpful and it definitely took the edge off. ** As a side note, always check with your doc or Naturopath before you take herbs during pregnancy**
⭐️ Sea Bands: These are acupressure point wrist bands, used for travel sickness and nausea. These helped A LOT for a little bit. Maybe for 1-2 weeks. I'm not really sure why they stopped working, but as things are constantly shifting in pregnancy you really never know what each day will be like. I recommend trying, even though they didn't help long-term. They're available at most pharmacies.
⭐️ Eating much smaller meals, more frequently: I struggled with this, because I still felt hungry but would also get bloated and feel queasy very easily. But when I was able to be mindful and eat a small portion it really helped.
If all else fails, know that the morning sickness will eventually end! It most commonly subsides around weeks 13-16 and then you enter into the wonderful second trimester where you'll have the most energy and feel the best. Every woman is different though, so always remember to be kind to yourself first and foremost. Sometimes women will have extreme morning sickness, also called hyperemesis gravidarum, and this can be quite tricky to manage. The above suggestions are not specifically aimed at this condition, and I recommend seeking personalised support in this instance.
Plan Ahead- Pre-Conception Care
From a pre-conception care standpoint there is a lot you can do to prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy. I had been doing long term liver and gut support, as liver detox and histamine intolerance are my weaker areas and I was in really good health when I fell pregnant. Even though I still had morning sickness, I think if I hadn't done such nurturing healing work beforehand I would have been in a much worse position, and potentially I wouldn't have even fallen pregnant.
Are you dealing with not so lovely pregnancy symptoms, or maybe wanting to fall pregnant? Work with me for a personalised treatment plan to help you through this wonderful and sometimes tricky part of you life
xx