Morning sickness can make the first trimester of pregnancy uncomfortable for many women. Although Zantac, Pepcid, and stronger prescriptions are common recommendations to help control the nausea and vomiting, taking as few medications as possible is in the best interest of the baby. Thankfully, a couple of alternative methods that originate from Traditional Chinese Medicine can help one relieve nausea. These safer substitutes are better for prenatal care and can be acquired cheaply and easily.
Ginger is a popular alternative option to the usual treatments. Not only is Ginger safe for consumption during pregnancy, but is available in many forms and has no serious side effects. Even though Ginger may not relieve nausea in everyone, it is worth trying. Working a little Ginger into the diet to keep morning sickness at bay is fairly simple as it can be added to main dinner dishes, teas or purchased in the form of candy or supplements.
Another method of relieving the nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy can be done using an acupuncture point (called PC6) on each wrist. The common way to locate this point is to turn one hand over and measure downward from your palm using 3 fingers from the other hand. Your PC6 point is at the bottom of your fingers, in the center of your forearm. For a better idea of where the point is found, please see this diagram: http://www.moondragon.org/obgyn/graphics/nauseaacupuncturewrist3.jpg. When you find the point, apply some pressure with your thumbs to each wrist. Doing this can temporarily relieve the ill feeling associated with morning sickness and is completely non-invasive. (Since this is an approximation of where the point is on your body, some adjustment up or down your wrist may be required.)
Both of these alternative treatments for morning sickness can also be used for other causes of nausea and vomiting. Motion sickness and nausea following surgery or chemotherapy are just a few examples where the acupuncture point or Ginger can help. The next time you are not feeling so well, regardless of the reason, you may want to give one or both of these options a try before turning to stronger treatments. Finally, for those of you interested in adding Ginger to your diet, www.cooking.com has over 500 recipes that include the popular spice.
References:
1. Jellin JM. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database: Ginger.
Accessed on May 22, 2008. Available online at: http://www.naturaldatabase.com
2. Smith C, Crowther C, Beilby J. Acupuncture to treat nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial. Birth. 2002 Mar; 29 (1): 1-9
3. Baby Center Medical Advisory Board. Morning sickness: Causes, concerns, treatments . 2006 June. Available online at: www.babycenter.com