“Morning Sickness”

“Morning Sickness” was something that consumed my days with my third and fourth pregnancy. My ‘grocery puke bag’ became as essential as my phone and keys when I left the house to go anywhere and I made many stops along the side of the road or had to excuse myself briefly during patient visits. I tried to focus on the thought that being nauseous was a blessing in the fact that it gave me comfort that I was most definitely pregnant…after miscarrying a baby four years earlier. Having been more nauseous with each pregnancy, I was GINGERED out (just the thought of ginger chews or ginger beer made me more sick!).

Here are some things that I have tried along the way and recommend to the pregnancy mamas we have the privilege of caring for:

• Gentle detox BEFORE you conceive

• Eat often-sucking on almonds almost consistently was helpful for me

• Aim to eat BEFORE you are hungry - Keep snacks on your night stand for if you wake in the night and first thing in the morning

• Appropriate protein intake-include a protein source at each meal/snack

• Switch out synthetic supplements for whole food ones

• Chlorella supplementation

• Magnesium supplementation

• Umeboshi paste

• Papaya enzymes

• Nettle tea

• Lemon Essential Oil and/or Peppermint Essential Oil in a diffuser or with deep inhalations

• Homeopathy (common ones include nux vomica/sepia/pulsatilla)

• Acupuncture

• Sea-Band Anti-Nausea Wristbands

• Motion Sickness EarSeeds Kit

• IV Therapy (visit Livewell for pregnancy-specific options)

I hope these tips helped you as much as they helped me.