At least half of all pregnant women experience nausea or vomiting during the first 12 weeks or so of their pregnancy. Only in rare circumstances does this become severe as to warrant drugs or hospital treatment. There seems to be good reason to link the sickness, which may actually occur at any time of day or night, with a lowered blood sugar level and it is often very useful to eat regularly to maintain a more even state.
Home remedies for Morning Sickness
Aromatherapy - Essential Oils can be of some use in morning sickness. Oils concentration and powerful effects, however, mean that caution is needed during pregnancy with all oils. For nausea simply try smelling a drop of ginger or peppermint oil on a paper tissue.
Herbalism - The prime remedy for nausea, including morning sickness, is Ginger. This can be taken in various ways; try chewing a piece of crystallized ginger or making ginger tea. A very useful method is to eat biscuits made with fresh ginger. Other useful herbs are Chamomile and Peppermint taken as teas. As a practitioner I have found that in pregnancy the smell of the former often seems to be more off-putting than any benefit from the herb, but see for yourself.
Homeopathy - There are several remedies in which nausea or vomiting are major indications. Try one of these home remedies for a few days to see if they give any relief -
IPECACUANHA: for continual nausea and frequent vomiting, this does not give much relief. The tongue generally seems quite clean in appearance.
Nux VOMICA: for nausea and a lot of retching; it may be more difficult to vomit but it does help ease the nausea. The tongue is coated and may look almost brown.
SEPIA: mostly just for nausea, especially associated with smelling food or getting chilled, or when the symptom is relieved with warm drinks or possibly a warm application to the stomach.
Naturopathy - The fact that early morning is a particularly bad time for getting the nausea confirms the importance of the blood-sugar levels; try keeping some whole grain biscuits by the bed to nibble if you feel empty and nauseous on waking. In general avoid greasy or fatty foods and cut down on cotter and alcohol. A diet with plenty of whole grains, pulses and vegetables will help to keep blood sugar levels more constant, as will eating at regular times during the day.
