Acupuncture for Morning Sickness

May 29, 2024

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What Is Morning Sickness?

Nausea and vomiting that presents in the first trimester is referred to as “morning sickness” even though many women experience it throughout the day and night. Acid reflux and GERD can also fall into this category. Morning sickness occurs in about 70-80% of pregnancies. Symptoms generally start around week 6 of pregnancy, peak around week 9, and start to diminish around week 14. Some women may feel nauseous farther into the second trimester. More rarely, some women experience morning sickness throughout their whole pregnancy. About 0.3 – 2% of pregnant women will develop Hyperemesis Gravidarum, which is more rare, yet more extreme nausea and vomiting. They are at risk for electrolyte imbalances, fluid loss, and malnutrition, which can cause harm to mom and baby. These women are almost always put on an antiemetic medication and can sometimes be hospitalized if foods and drinks can’t stay down.

What Is The Cause Of Morning Sickness?

The changing hormones due to pregnancy- increased estrogen, progesterone, and especially human chorionic gonadatropin (hCG) are the main cause. Being pregnant with multiples can also increase the chances for developing morning sickness as the hCG is even higher in those cases. A new study has found another hormone called GDF15 that seems to be higher in women with nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. Blood sugar imbalances can also lead to symptoms of morning sickness. Genetics may play a role as well. If your mother or sister had morning sickness, you may be more likely to develop it. If you tend to get motion sick easily, you may also be at higher risk for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.

How Can Acupuncture Help?

In terms of Chinese Medicine, nausea and vomiting are due to a disruption in the digestive Qi. This involves the Stomach, Spleen, and Liver meridians. The Stomach Qi should have a descending nature. When we eat, the food goes down and the stomach acid begins to break things down. The Spleen Qi helps to transform that food into the energy we need. The Liver Qi keeps things flowing smoothly in the body. Sometimes that Liver Qi stops flowing smoothly (often due to high stress), which can then cause the Spleen Qi to not do its job, and then the Stomach Qi can flow back upwards, causing nausea and vomiting.

Acupuncture is very effective in regulating the digestive Qi. It can lower stress, which helps the Liver Qi to flow smoothly so that the Stomach and Spleen function optimally. It can also help to relax the body so healing can take place. It’s recommended to receive acupuncture twice a week until the nausea is minimal and then treatments can be spaced out to weekly until the symptoms have resolved- this is generally around the beginning of the second trimester of pregnancy. You should start to feel improvement in the nausea and vomiting very soon- usually the same day or next day after treatment starts.

Lifestyle And Dietary Tips For Managing Morning Sickness

Eat smaller, but more frequent meals throughout the day. Aim for high protein options if you can. Sipping on broths can be very tonifying for the stomach too. This helps to keep blood sugar balanced and puts less strain on the digestive system.
Try incorporating the “BRAT” diet – Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. These bland foods are easy to digest and are less likely to trigger a gag reflex.
Stay hydrated. Be sure to drink some electrolyte beverages if you have ben vomiting. Avoid those with artificial colors and sweeteners.
Ginger is very helpful for nausea. Try ginger candies or teas.
Peppermint can also help digestion and relieve nausea. Again- try candies and teas.
Sour foods can sometimes relieve nausea. You can buy “Preggy Pops” or try eating pickles. Some women swear by eating pickles. Just be careful about the excess sodium.
The scent of lemon can be very helpful too. Try carrying around a bottle of lemon essential oil to smell when nausea hits, or keep a slice of lemon in bag in your purse.
Try SeaBands. These bands are worn on the wrist and press onto a key acupuncture point for nausea (PC 6). See below for help on using them.
Get plenty of rest and don’t push yourself too hard.
Supplement with Vitamin B6 and/or eat foods high in B6. Be sure to check in with your doctor before supplementing with extra B6. Great food options include: chickpeas, salmon, chicken, potatoes, banana, cottage cheese, eggs, nuts, and raisins.

How To Use SeaBands

Place 3 fingers on your inner wrist, just above the crease. The acupuncture point Pericardium 6 (PC 6) is located under your index finger between the two tendons. Place the SeaBand on the wrist so that the round bead is pressing into the PC 6 point. This is an empirical acupuncture point for nausea, and can be very effective. If you don’t have SeaBands, just use acupressure on the point for a minute or two, several times a day or when feeling nauseous.

For more comprehensive pregnancy care, book your first acupuncture appointment for morning sickness today. Feel free to give us a call for any other questions you may have!