Tips for Morning Sickness
Disclaimer: The information contained in this blog post is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Do not disregard or delay seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on this blog. The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author.
Morning sickness is a common problem faced by many pregnant persons, and it can often lead to feelings of nausea and vomiting during the first trimester of pregnancy, although it can persist for an extended period or throughout the entire pregnancy. Its severity can vary from mild nausea to severe and frequent vomiting.
In Chinese medicine, morning sickness is closely related to a relative imbalance between Blood and Qi within the Penetrating Vessel and because the Penetrating Vessel is closely related to the Stomach channel, changes during early pregnancy can affect the normal descending of stomach Qi leading to nausea and vomiting.
In this post, we will discuss some tips to cope with morning sickness during pregnancy.
Eat Small Meals Throughout the Day: Eating small meals throughout the day can help prevent your stomach from becoming empty, which can trigger feelings of nausea. It is also recommended that you eat light, easily digestible foods such as crackers or dry toast in the morning.
Avoid Trigger Foods and Beverages: In Traditional Chinese Medicine, certain foods that should be avoided include greasy and fatty foods, spicy and hot foods, garlic, lamb, coffee, and excessive black and green tea. Additionally, raw and cold foods like salads and excessive dairy should be avoided. Eating a small amount of fresh ginger daily for 1-2 weeks can assist with alleviating nausea. For a balanced digestive system, try eating foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes, corn, millet, and rice.
Stay Hydrated: It's important to stay hydrated when you're feeling nauseous, but drinking large amounts of fluid at once can make you feel worse. Try drinking small sips of water frequently throughout the day. Ginger or peppermint tea can also help to soothe an upset stomach.
Get Plenty of Rest: Fatigue can make morning sickness worse, so it's important to get plenty of rest. If you're feeling particularly tired, try to take a nap during the day.
Practice Relaxation Techniques: Stress and anxiety can make morning sickness worse, so it's important to find ways to relax and reduce stress during pregnancy. Techniques such as deep breathing and meditation can be helpful.
Acupuncture: By stimulating certain points on the body, acupuncture can help to reduce feelings of nausea and vomiting. Acupressure can also be applied at points such a PC-6 (Neiguan) which is 2 finger-widths from the palmer wrist crease and lies between the two flexor tendons at the centre of the arm.
If you are concerned about your symptoms or feel that they are affecting your daily life, be sure to speak with your healthcare provider.
References:
Kastner. J. (2004). Chinese nutrition therapy: Dietetics in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Thieme.
Maciocia, G. (2011). Obstetrics and gynecology in Chinese medicine. Churchill Livingstone.
Wu, Y., Leonard, C., & Haeberle, M. (2019). Female infertility & reproductive gynaecology: A comprehensive clinical manual of integrated Chinese medicine and biomedicine. The Journal of Chinese Medicine.
