by Pina LoGiudice, ND, LAC
InnerSourceHealth.com

So, you are newly pregnant and feeling kinda green but not in the environmental sense?

Well, you are certainly not alone when it comes to morning sickness. Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, also known as “morning sickness” or “emesis gravidum,”, affects 50-95% ¹ of women in their first trimester of pregnancy (and unfortunately can even affect others up to 16 weeks or even intermittently throughout the entire pregnancy). It can occur at any time of day, but is most common first thing in the morning when blood sugar levels are the lowest.

More rarely, a woman can experience a more serious condition characterized by severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and sometimes electrolyte disturbance, called Hyperemesis gravidarum. In conventional medicine, milder cases of this type are often treated with dietary measures, rest and antacids. However, severe cases often require a stay in the hospital so that the mother can receive fluid and nutrition through an intravenous line.

As to what exactly causes morning sickness, the answer is really not known. Most scientific evidence points to the rapid changes in hormone levels. In particular, the hormone progesterone, which is extremely important to the uterus during pregnancy, also affects other muscles, such as the stomach and intestines. The progesterone relaxes the workings of the whole digestive tract, which makes the elimination of bodily wastes slower, which can lead to a slow emptying of the stomach, which leads to excess stomach acids. Some recent research also implicates Helicobacter Pylori (bacteria associated with stomach ulcers) as a possible cause.²

Morning sickness is a common feature of many young pregnancies, and women should not be too alarmed. However, there are some warning signs you should look for to decide if this morning sickness is more severe and needs extra medical attention. You should always contact your health care practitioner if you vomit blood, have symptoms of dehydration (such as dizziness, fainting, abdominal pain, or lose more than 2 lbs), vomit more than three times in a day, or if you cannot keep any food or liquid down. You can then expect your doctor to run some tests like a blood count as well as a urinalysis to check the situation further.

Now, you want to know how to get the green out? Well, unfortunately, there isn’t one solution that works for every woman. As a naturopathic physician, I find there are many helpful food and lifestyle choices that are very useful to prevent and treat nausea and vomiting.

The first step requires a diet that will stabilize blood sugar. Small frequent meals are a key to this process as the pressure on the stomach does not allow for large meals at one time. Meals which are protein dense, such as healthful protein shakes, wild fish and organic beans are excellent choices. In my experience with patients, I find avoiding refined and processed sugar foods, and refraining from allergenic foods. Time and time again, I have seen limiting dairy and cow’s milk products to be useful to avoid sinus congestion, colds and nausea. Cooking choices should include steaming, baking and boiling, instead of frying, to keep greasy foods at a minimum.

When these efforts are not enough, I often recommend fresh ginger tea, which is quite safe for pregnant women, as well as certain botanical medicines, acupuncture, and homeopathic remedies. Speak to your naturopathic doctor or other health practitioner about which natural remedies are safe for different stages of pregnancy. I also recommend the mom-to-be try to keep her house and work space as odor-free as possible (open windows when cooking, no perfumes) because aromas can be a strong trigger of nausea. Finally, meditation, rest, gentle exercise, and regular sleep will also help keep the body in balance and lower the opportunity for nausea in pregnancy.

References:

1. American Pregnancy Association. Morning Sickness. www.AmericanPregnancy.org. Retrieved on 2007-04-08.
2. Am Fam Physician. 2003 Jul 1;68(1):121-8.