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The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II: Morning Sickness

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Morning Sickness

No one likes to hop out of bed at the crack of dawn. But in the earliest stages of pregnancy, some women get acquainted with the predawn hours. Weeks 6 to 13 can turn into a time of too-early rising, all because of morning sickness. Knowing this, too, shall pass may be comforting, but for those who beeline straight from bed to the bathroom during those 7-plus weeks of intestinal upset, this introduction to motherhood can be distinctly annoying.

Although morning sickness usually occurs immediately or soon after waking up, it doesn't have to. During pregnancy, your sense of smell becomes very sensitive, and certain odors can trigger the nausea at any hour of the day or night, according to doctors. Stress or fatigue are also triggers. Even though you may not stop morning sickness, avoiding some of the triggers can help a lot.

So here's how to calm the queasiness.

Start your day with saltines. "The best thing is to eat some dry crackers or biscuits first thing in the morning," says John Willems, M.D., associate clinical professor of obstetrics/gynecology at the University of California, San Diego, and a researcher at the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in La Jolla. "You'll actually feel better if you have something in your stomach--and the best thing is some sort of dry carbohydrate." Other good foods to choose, besides crackers, include a plain, unbuttered bagel, a piece of matzo or dry toast.

Eat a little a lot. If you're prone to morning sickness, you can lessen its impact by eating five or six "small" meals a day rather than a traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner, says Jack Galloway, M.D., clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Southern California School of Medicine in Los Angeles.

"Morning sickness is caused by high levels of estrogen," says Dr. Galloway. "And excessive estrogen makes your stomach churn. But by constantly keeping something in your stomach, you eliminate this churning, which is caused by increased stomach acids." Eating a big meal may immediately soothe your stomach, but the churning returns several hours later when food leaves the stomach for the intestines.

When to See the Doctor

Morning sickness is usually a normal part of pregnancy that doesn't cause concern. But obstetricians say you should see a doctor if:

You are losing weight. Normally, weight gain during pregnancy continues even if you aren't keeping all your meals down.
You feel dehydrated or you are not urinating.
You can't keep anything down--including water and/or juice--over a period of four to six hours.

Go nuts over almonds. They are high in B vitamins and contain fat and protein--what you and your baby need right now. And they help fulfill the requirement of small meals, says Deborah Gowen, a certified nurse-midwife with the Harvard Community Health Plan in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Walk away from your problems. Stress makes morning sickness worse, which is one reason why so many working women suffer from morning sickness. "The boss is yelling at them, people calling in are yelling, and when they go home, their husbands yell at them, too," says Dr. Galloway. "You can bet they'll feel nauseated." But whether or not you have to report to a boss at the office or a grump-prone spouse at home, lots of walking is recommended as a stress reliever.

Many experts recommend walking for morning sickness and throughout pregnancy--especially if you've previously been sedentary. "Start at 10 minutes, but if your legs hurt, skip a day," says Dr. Galloway. "Work up to 45 minutes a day, five days a week." Light weight lifting also helps stress, but be careful to not hold your breath while pumping iron.

Relieve the pressure with acupressure. While a daily all-over body massage might sound ideal, Wataru Ohashi, founder of the Ohashi Institute in New York City, recommends this quick technique that he claims will cure or reduce morning sickness.

Ask for your partner's help with this. Either sit or lie down on your side, with your partner behind you. He should press his thumb down your back, first following the groove between your left shoulder blade and your spine, then keeping up the thumb pressure around the perimeter of your shoulder blade, moving out toward your side. Keep the pressure on for five to seven seconds at intervals along this path. The pressure should be comfortable. If you feel a sore spot, ask your partner to keep his thumb there, giving that spot extra attention. Do the massage three times. Repeat the procedure down the right side. "If you stimulate the external, you can eliminate the internal discomfort," says Ohashi, who believes the trigger points you use in this exercise affect the stomach and the hormonal system.

What Causes Morning Sickness?

Why does morning sickness afflict so many pregnant women?

Doctors know that it's caused by a hormone called estrogen that is rushed into peak production during your eighth or ninth week of pregnancy. It may be hard to believe while you're camped at the toilet, but morning sickness is actually a good sign. Studies show that women with morning sickness are less likely to miscarry or deliver prematurely. But even though it may be a good sign for your pregnancy, the nausea certainly doesn't feel good to you.

Lift an hourly glass. Getting extra liquids is important if you've been vomiting, so drink several ounces of clear broth, water, fruit juice or flat ginger ale or cola every hour or so. When you feel queasy, a cup of raspberry leaf, chamomile or lemon balm herbal tea can help soothe your stomach.

"At the drugstore you can buy a high-carbohydrate nonprescription drink that helps: It's called Emetrol. It helps calm the emetic center, the portion of your brain that controls nausea," says Dr. Galloway. And sports drinks like Gatorade are also recommended, because they replace electrolytes--substances that regulate the body's electrochemical balance--that are lost when you vomit.

Trust your body's wisdom. "Eat whatever appeals to you, as long as you're not eating junk," says Gowen. "If all you crave is pasta, then eat it. It really does work when women listen to their bodies." The exceptions include sweets and other foods with "empty" calories, which can upset your stomach and trigger nausea. And doctors strongly recommend that you avoid caffeine, artificial sweeteners and fried foods.

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