Morning Sickness
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May 2008
I had a beautiful, healthy baby after nine months of daily,
hard core nausea & vomiting. Figured out I was pregnant after
my “stomach flu” didn’t go away after 2 weeks. Birth was an
instant cure, and I’ve been feeling great. Well, sleep-
deprived and often stressed, but relatively great. Baby is now
4-5 months old, and I’ve felt nauseous again for the past 3
weeks, and I checked and I am NOT pregnant again! Not nearly
as bad as during the pregnancy, no vomiting and I can stand to
look at and smell food, but it’s very disconcerting. Am
I “ruint” and prone to nausea now or what? I’m hoping that
it’s my hormones still adjusting themselves and will go away
soon. Has anyone else had this happen to them?
Really Tired of Feeling Nauseous
I have nausea and a reduced appetite when my sleep is
disturbed. Before my son slept through the night, I had no
appetite because I woke up during the night to breastfeed. (I
couldn't understand my other nursing friends who said they were
just starving all the time.) I had to really try to eat calorie
rich foods when nursing to get enough calories. Once my son
started sleeping through the night, my nausea went away and my
appetite came back. Perhaps when you can get more sleep, the
same will happen to you.
Good luck!
You just described my pregnancy and post-partum to a T. I've
recently found out that I developed gallstones while pregnant
(more common than you might think! Often as a result of the
hormonal changes during pregnancy...) and that this was the
reason for the very sick pregnancy I experienced and the
continued nausea that I still deal with on and off (especially as
part of PMS now). The only thing that remotely helped me during
my pregnancy was acupuncture (thank you Amy Taylor Acupuncture in
Berkeley!), and just like you described the sickness was gone the
instant the placenta was delivered.
My drs didn't even think to look for gallbladder problems as the
cause of my hyperemesis, but now that we know this is the problem
they've all said 'of course!!', and told me that I am virtually
guaranteed a similar pregnancy in the future if I don't have my
gallbladder removed.
So anyhow, you may want to have that checked out
sara
First, you should check with your doc. Also might get a consult
with a good nutritionist. Digestive disorders can cause nausea.
In the past I've had a ''sluggish'' gall bladder. One of the
symptoms is nausea after I eat. From what I understand you are
nauseaus all the time?....I'd go that route anyway. It's not
normal to be nauseated all the time if you're not pregnant.
Good luck.
anon
I feel for you! I had morning sickness and throwing up every
day for 9 months for both of my pregnancies (which were 12
months apart). I got it sort of under control with serious,
expensive drugs for my second pregnancy, but it was still
there....just not as bad. Then about 14 months after my second
pregnancy, I started feeling nauseous. I freaked out. Took 3
pregnancy tests, all negative. Then about a month or so later
it went away. Then at 19 months, it came back again. So far, 3
weeks later, it's still here. I'm still not pregnant, but also
getting distressed. I thought I would never have to feel that
way again and now I'm not so sure. I was going to wait a few
more weeks and then talk to doctor about it.
So sorry!
March 2008
The only thing that seems to help my morning sickness (and I use the
word ''help'' very, VERY loosely as I am being tortured by nausea day
and night, but I digress...) is to suck on hard candies all day
long. Things like Jolly Ranchers or Life Savers or Lemon Drops or
bubble gum somewhat distract me from running to the nearest
bathroom. But I don't like injesting all of those artifical
ingrediants and preservatives into my body, especially since I am
sucking on them all day long (will most likely lose a tooth--but it's
worth it for ''some'' relief from this torturous affliction). Does
anyone have a recommendation for a more ''natural'' hard candy or gum
that has a pretty significant taste to it and where to buy it?
Thanks!
Sweet Tooth
I don't know of a natural hard candy (except horehound drops,
which usually are coated with sugar) but one natural candy that I
really enjoy are ginger chews from Trader Joe's. They're usually
hanging in the snacks aisle from one of those clip things, near
the nuts and such, in a green bag. They are tasty, real ginger,
and about 20 cals per. Maybe worth a try.
sorry about the torture
Try Preggie Pop Drops available at Elephant Pharmacy.
Anon
Hi. I experienced the same thing during my first trimester.
Finally I found these lollipops at Whole Foods called Yummy Earth
Organic Lollipops, without artificial flavors or colors. They
come in a bag of 15 with 5 flavors. Here's the website:
www.yummyearth.com
The other thing that ''worked'' for me were those ginger chews you
can get at Trader Joes, but I'm not sure of the ingredients.
Maybe you could have a look if you go there. Good luck!
Sweet tooth, too
since I'm practically a morning sickness professional (the whole
time, both pregnancies!) I can feel your pain. I got some
temporary relief from those ginger chew candies from Trader
Joes...they come in a green bag as well as the Altoids Sours
(probably not so natural). Lately, also, I have been chewing
Trident citrus something gum that has helped. I hope you get some
relief!
anon
At Whole Foods and Natural Grocery, you can buy yummy organic
lollipops. They are very flavorful, and a bit tart, in a variety
of flavors. They are much cheaper in the bulk section than
pre-packed. All organic, nothing artificial - but still sugar,
of course!
R.K.
I would agree that ginger candy from Trader Joe's may help
morning sickness. However, the wrist bands you buy to prevent
sea sickness work better. You can buy the sea sick bands in
any drug store for a few dollars. If you wear them so the
white plastic is touching the inside of your wrist, it should
work. I would recommend wearing them all the time except when
bathing. You can wear long sleeves to hide them. It takes a
day to work, but then they work great!
anon
Sorry i missed last post...go to ''Three Lollies'' webpage, they
have all kinds of hard candy for nausea..including suckers. I've
orderd some for friends going through chemo.
dana
March 2008
I'm wondering if anyone has had success with acupuncture helping relieve morning
sickness. I have it pretty bad (all day/night, vomiting, etc) and have tried
everything
but acupuncture. My OB doesn't seem to think it would make a difference.
Wanting Relief
I'm sorry you're feeling so sick. It's awful isn't it! My husband
is an acupuncturist and he treated me for bad morning sickness
during my pregnancy. It helped a lot, though didn't eliminate it
completely. He has also substantially helped some even sicker
women. This isn't recommendations so I won't post his name but if
you want it (he's recommended here on UC parents) send me an
email and I'll give you his contact info.
Leah
I found that acupuncture helped with morning sickness, water
retention, back pains and a variety of other pregnancy related
issues. Abigail Surasky is who I saw. I think she still
practices in Bkly.
Congratulations
I don't know about acupuncture, but accupressure sure does. I
went from in the hospital throwing up for a week and in bed for
months to sitting up and behaving relatively normally with those
sea sickness wrist bands you can get at any drugstore. They
seriously saved me. I resisted using them b/c I thought it was
total BS, but they really worked. I wore them day and night (and
even got bruises sometimes, but it was worth it).
Jenny
It definitely helped me. Didn't make it go away, but took the
edge off so I could function. Try Marti Kennedy on Ashby.
anon
I had nausea and vomiting the entire time for my two pregnancies,
though I managed it better the second time. I had acupuncture by
3 different very highly regarded providers. Zero help; in fact, I
would often be worse after the session. I do use acupuncture off
and on; I have had luck for some other things with acupuncture.
What helped me the most was eating small frequent meals (like
every hour.. arghh!). Cheerios was my best crutch, and I kept a
bowl of cheerios and milk on ice by my bed. If I ate before I
moved on awakening, I was less likely to vomit. Also, high
protein meals in the a.m. was helpful, especially early second
trimester. I gained a lot of weight, but it was better than
vomiting, and eating usually kept it under control. I refused any
meds with my first pregnancy, and ended up hospitalized with IV
hydration several times. I also used B6 /Unisom combo with my
second, and some phenergan, but that was in the dark ages (early
90s) before better drugs. Zofran is considered fairly safe and
effective these days. I would ask your doctor about it. Also,
don't let my story scare you, most people clear up sometime in
their second trimester. I turned out to have an autoimmune
disease brewing, and I think that made me much worse. I had
lovely babies, now 6 feet tall, and it was worth it.
- Doctor with miserable pregnancies
Does acupuncture help morning sickness? The evidence is against
it. The largest and best-designed studies consistently show that
acupuncture is equivalent to placebo. That's not quite the same
as saying it doesn't work -- the placebo effect is real! But
whenever carefully tested, acupuncture doesn't appear to do what
its advocates claim and its supposed mechanism of effect just
doesn't correspond to what we know about physiology.
See http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/acu.html
Prefer evidence-based medicine
I know you said you tried everything, but... have you tried the
motion sickness acupressure bands? They work for morning
sickness too:) Other than that, non-stop ginger (tea, sucking,
etc) and lots of carbs have helped (every hour). Good luck!
in the same boat
Unfortunately acupuncture didn't do a thing for my morning
sickness. It did, however, save my life when my migraines went
out of control in my first trimester. I can't recommend it
highly enough! I would definitely give it a try, but be sure
to see someone who is experienced w/pregnancy. Good luck,
morning sickness is exhausting!
So Been There!
Hi,
I never had accupuncture while I was pregnant but I can tell you that
I'm a firm
believer in it.
About a year after I stopped breastfeeding my right breast started
leaking a yellow
fluid and after two years of mammograms, and poking and prodding and my
doctors telling me there was nothing I could do (just a part of life), I
decided to give
accupuncture a try.
It's been almost two months and the leaking and pain are almost
nonexistent now.
My accupunturist is very in tune with women and really fantastic.
Her name is Karen Cutler, she's on Dwight near MLK. Her # is 654-3873
I also have to say that overall I have more energy, am sleeping better
and I'm still
totally amazed by it.
shawna
I'm sorry that you're having a hard time with morning sickness. I've
been having
very bad morning sickness as well, and it's no fun. The research that
I've read
suggests that acupuncture is not very effective. However, I posted a
similar question
to the recommendations letter recently, and several respondents
indicated that
acupuncture did help them. I did try acupuncture in my last pregnancy,
to no avail,
but it's hard to say whether it was a failure of acupuncture or an
unskilled provider
(I was not in the Bay Area at the time).
I wanted to mention a really helpful resource for morning sickness. The
Hospital for
Sick Children in Toronto has a hotline for pregnancy-related nausea and
vomiting: 1-800-436-8477. They serve all of N America, so don't feel bad
about calling. They
research this area and have lots of very helpful advice for both medical
and non-
medical ways to deal with morning sickness. I highly recommend calling
them.
I'm now at 18 weeks and the nausea is finally starting to subside. I
hope yours goes
away sooner!
Anon
It didn't work for me. I had pretty severe morning sickness the
first 16(!) weeks of my 1st pregnancy, and had regular
acupuncture from about week 10. I don't think I could say that
it was the acupuncture that made it stop, since it took so long.
And this was from a practitioner who'd successfully treated me
for various problems over the years (chronic headaches, muscular
injuries, insomnia, allergies), so I think he's a good one. Good
luck to you!!!!
Anonymous
Hi -
first off - I feel your pain. I had hyperemesis with both my
pregnancies. (Hyperemesis is an extreme form of nausea/vomiting -
you lose 10lbs or more during the first trimester etc... hope you
aren't that bad off. )Sadly, acupuncture did not work for me, the
nausea did not respond to the treatment. It was helpful
emotionally to be treated, to have someone touching me and trying
to help. Given how awful I felt, any little bit of help was welcome.
However, if you are vomiting in addition to experiencing morning
sickness, I would suggest talking to your Dr. about getting
regular IV fluid infusions. I had these 3X a week with my second
pregnancy and although they did not diminish the nausea, they did
help the vomiting. Best of luck to you. It's awful now, but you
once you have that baby in your arms, you'll forget about feeling
bad.
keeping it down now
My wife found acupuncture helpful... but by the 8th or 9th
month, be careful about your toes! My wife was going that late
not for morning sickness, but for back pain, and one day the
person said, ''Do you want me to stick your big toe?''
''Uh... why?'' my wife asked.
''Sometimes it can induce labor,'' she said.
And about six hours later? Labor started.
So be careful with your toes!
Pete
Debra Betts has a good book oriented towards dulas and midwives.
http://acupuncture.rhizome.net.nz/Book.aspx
Easy to pick up some acupressure howto's if you can't go into the
dr's office. I used some her suggestions on my wife when she was
pregnant, and they were especially helpful for morning sickness,
general aches and swelling. you can also get one of those 'sea
sick' bracelets that stimulate pericardium 6 (PC-6) slightly
above the wrist between the 'two' tendons. Also helpful was
massage on ST 43, 44 between the 2nd and 3rd toes.
bill
I don't know about acupuncture, but what worked for me was
sucking on Preggie Pop drops. I'm 15 weeks and just got over
my morning sickness a week ago. These lozenges worked wonders
for me. You can check out their website at
www.threelollies.com and you can buy them at several places in
the Bay area.
Over my morning sickness, thank goodness!
She did have to have several treatments, but one mom I worked
for found it really helped her.
Good luck
Didn't try accupuncture, but I had awful morning sickness
(throwing up daily, multiple times) for 8 months with both of my
pregnancies. The first one I suffered through after trying
everything (except accupuncture.) I couldn't imagine doing that
with the second so I did some research and found some information
on Hyperemesis gravidarum. From there, I found a drug called
Zofran which did the trick. Had to convince my doctor to
prescribe since it was very expensive, but he did and I was much
better. Did cause constipation though... Good luck!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperemesis_gravidarum
Zofran saved me.
There's no worse feeling than being nauseated day after day after
day. Although acupuncture doesn't help, have you tried ginger
and vitamin B6? Also, keeping blood-sugar levels constant by
consuming more protein, fiber, and healthy fats helps. So, if
you ever needed an excuse to order a large chicken breast from
Popeye's Fried Chicken for dinner, now's the time. Just skip the
biscuit and mashed potatoes (and anything sugary). And, split
your meals into mini-meals to help keep your blood sugar constant.
For example, if you wake up early, half of a hard-boiled egg
before you get up can help. You can make delicious ginger tea by
grating lots of ginger into hot water. Small servings of sushi
with ginger might be a possibility if you can tolerate the
fish/seaweed.
Dr. Weil recommends peppermint tea, too, to help quell nausea,
even if you're not pregnant.
Un-nauseated
I found acupuncture a big help for morning (anytime) sickness,
though not enough to keep the nausea at bay by itself. I'm a
nutritionist so although not vegetarian, I'm generally veggie
heavy, but had to start eating meat with every meal or I'd be
nauseated. The weeks I didn't go to acupuncture, instead of
nausea, I'd actually be vomiting.
Ginger was too hot for me, so as per a naturopath's suggestion, I
froze slices and nibbled on them or dropped a slice in my water
bottle. Only use fresh ginger during pregnancy!
Acupuncture did help with a lot of other issues during my
pregnancy so I'd recommend it. Good luck!
Kim Cotton
Jan 2008
Has anyone had success treating severe morning sickness with acupuncture? And if so,
can you recommend a good practitioner in the Berkeley/Albany area? I'm at the
beginning of my second pregnancy and am having severe, 24-hr/day, nausea. I am hoping
to avoid medications.
Hoping for some relief
I went to Don Gates when I had morning sickness and he helped a lot.
don@eastbaytcm.com.
Talia
I , too had terrible nausea wit my first pregnancy. I did acupuncture
for my two following pregnancies and was pleasantly surprised to find
that it cut down the vomiting by half. Alas, this was 9 years ago and
the person I used does not have her office anymore. Good luck!
shoshana
I went to Christina Martin at Tao to Wellness on Hearst Ave. throughout
my pregnancy. She was wonderful, and it made a huge difference.
zun
Dec 2007
I just took the at home pregnancy tests and it looks like I am
pregnant. My son (who is 2) had me in the hospital for a week
with vomiting. I found out I was pregnant with him in the ER
b/c I was throwing up so hard I threw up blood. I was also
kind of a lunatic in the emotion department with that pregnancy.
Now I just have tender breasts, a teeny tiny bit of stomach
discomfort and am behaving like a normal human being. Is this a
bad sign? I know pregnancies differ, but this much?
Jenny
I also was terribly, terribly sick with my first pregnancy --
eneed up in the hospital with malnutrition because I could hold
nothing down -- and my two subsequent (successful) pregnancies
I don't think I even vomited once -- just some slight nasea.
Yes, they do vary. You can check with your dr. about hormone
levels to reassure yourself. Congratulations!
varied pregnancies
No morning sickness? Rejoice!!
I really don't think they are tied together (lack of morning
sickness and risk of miscarriage). I know I've heard of people
saying that, but I really think it's coincidence rather than an
actual sign or symptom.
I'm currently 7 mos. pregnant with my first child and have had
not a drop, not one iota, of morning sickness. I feel very
lucky compared to some friends who were sick the entire time!
Granted I haven't been pregnant before, but yes, I have heard
that they can differ as much as it sounds like yours are doing.
One of my girlfriends is pregnant with her second and in fact
sometimes forgets she is pregnant b/c she is so busy running
around after her 2.5 yr old and she hasn't had any of the NVP
either. But, for now, her mind is very much otherwise occupied
with her toddler.
Congratulations!
anon
I have been pregnant 7 times (two live births) and have only
vomited once in all those pregnancies. It is the legend
that ''good'' pregnancies have more morning sickness, but there's
no hard data for that.
However, as a chronic miscarrier, may I suggest you ask your MD
to order you a quantitative beta HCG and a repeat beta two days
later, to reassure you that things are getting off to a good
start?
You could also go in for the first ultrasound as early as 6 wks
3 days, the first date not seeing a heartbeat would be a bad
sign. Since things are different this time, you may need extra
reassurance.
Good luck!
No morning sickness, either
Jenny - First of all, congrats! I have no medical advice for you, but I can tell you
that
with my first pregnancy, I felt REALLY pregnant from the get-go: very tender breasts,
exhausted, and horribly green around the gills. The second time around, I was
convinced something was amiss, because I felt absolutely nothing for several months
(not even breast soreness, which I assumed would be a given). So, no, I really don't
think that being asymptomatic at this point is, in itself, a bad sign. Try to relax and
enjoy! (And be careful what you wish for - 10 weeks into pregnancy #2 I started
throwing up like Linda Blair...)
Anon
Did you have lower blood sugar levels at the beginning of your
first pregnancy? That can make nausea worse.
Low blood-sugar sufferer
Oct 2007
Has anyone used an acupuncturist that they liked to help manage (severe)
morning sickness? I've never used acupuncture for anything before and so
I'm hoping to find someone knowledgeable about working with pregnant
women. Thanks!
Looking for a miracle
Throughout my last pregnancy I saw Portia Lee at Traditional Ways Healing
Center at 6931 Stockton Avenue in El Cerrito. She is a very warm and caring
person and extremely knowledgeable about and experienced at helping women
through pregnancy and childbirth. She definitely helped me with the morning
sickness (although I wouldn't say that mine was severe) and it was all gone
by the time I was nine weeks pregnant. Her phone number is 510-932-4456. She
has two children of her own so she knows what it's like!
Tiffany
I went to Marti Lee Kennedy (http://www.martileekennedy.com/)for my morning
sickness. While acupuncture definitely didn't make it go away, it did seem
to help keep it a bit under control.
Jen
I visited Don Gates at East Bay TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). He has a
great bedside manner, and his acupuncture helped my morning sickness. It
didn't go away entirely, but I was able to eat. You can contact him at
510-428-9430 or go to www.eastbaytcm.com.
Tali
My acupuncturist, Bea Hammond, has treated a number of women I know who
during pregnancy and while they were trying to get pregnant. Morning
sickness, back pain, heartburn, constipation... all the lovely symptoms that
come along with pregnancy. She's in Albany on Solano.
www.harmonyacupuncture.info Her number is 510-495-4946.
Jean
Morning sickness is triggered by pregnancy hormones and is made
much worse by low blood sugar levels.
Although acupuncture is no more effective than a placebo, there
are some steps that are proven to help:
1. Before going to bed in the evening, have a small
protein-rich snack. You now have a medical reason to eat fried
chicken at bedtime.
2. Before getting up in the morning, have a small glass of
ginger ale, and then sleep a little more before getting up.
3. Get up slowly.
4. Have several small meals during the day.
5. Ginger has actually been proven effective at reducing
nausea, so have extra pickled ginger with your sushi.
6. Vitamin B6 supplements may make you feel less nauseated.
Vitamin B12 may help, too. Ask your doctor for the recommended
dose.
7. Get plenty of sleep.
8. Remember that severe nausea is associated with a reduced
risk of miscarriage.
Later in pregnancy when hormone levels drop, the nausea will
improve on its own.
Low blood-sugar sufferer
Hello- I wish I could help you, but I had no luck with
accupuncture for my morning sickness. I am guessing that the
nausea you are experiencing goes far beyond anything that can be
helped by crackers and ginger ale. Mine did, and I know how
trying it can be. Remember that if you can't keep anything down
for 24 hours you need to see your doctor. They will give you a
test to see if you need an IV to keep your fluids up.
There are also medications for severe nausea. I never imagined I
would take medication during my pregnancy, and my doctor was
reluctant to offer them, but I finally gave in when I couldn't
keep my prenatal vitamins down, let alone any food. I tried two
different medications. Neither worked for me due to side effects
and I finally gave up. You may want to ask your doctor about
your options.
Looking back, I wish that I'd sought out another accupuncturist,
and if that hadn't worked, I would have tried another
medication. I know some people will be bothered by this, but I
ask them to think about what it would be like to have severe food
poisoning for five months. Not being able to eat is not good for
baby either.
I know how awful it is- you feel guilty for not being able to
eat, and you'll feel guilty if you take medication, and you
probably have a million people in your life who think that you
just need two saltines and a ginger ale before you get out of
bed. I would just look for a great accupuncturist on BPN and ask
if they treat morning sickness. Don't give up.
Hang in there! It won't last forever!
anon
April 2007
I read the archives but couldn't find anything newer than 2005. Does
anyone have advice/recommendations for an acupunturist for early pregnancy
misery? I am nauseas and achy all the time and I have been having a very
hard time sleeping. Nothing has worked...crackers, nuts, etc
Thanks, Karie
I highly recommend Don Gates. I went to him during my pregnancy for nausea, leg cramps and
low energy. I left so much better after going to him. He was really supportive and
knowledgable. You can reach him at 510-428-9430 or www.eastbaytcm.com
Lynda
Oct 2006
i'm 14 weeks pregnant and still quite nauseous. my last
pregnancy i was nauseous until delivery and i'm worried this
pregnancy may be similar. has anyone tried acupuncture to
relieve morning sickness? has it worked? who was your
practioner? are there any downsides to trying this with someone
experienced? thanks so much
anon
I also had nausea during my pregnancy right up until delivery. Since that
pregnancy, I've seen Dr. Angela Wu in San Francisco
(750-5050) --she is amazing. She is a specialist in treating
pregnancy-related issues and fertility, and she told me that she
would have been able to lessen or cure my nausea if I had come to
her (who knows). Still, if I had to do it again (which I won't,
we're expecting our next child via the miracle of surrogacy
soon), I would definitely see her.
You should also check out the hyperemesis foundation website if
you haven't already (www.helpher.org) --its full of help,
support, and practical suggestions for women suffering extreme
nausea and/or vomiting in pregnancy.
The Toronto hospital for sick children also has a helpline for
advice about nausea in pregnancy. Their website is
www.motherisk.org and their hotline # is: 1-800-436-8477 -
Good luck!
Been There
i tried acupuncture for nausea. it was great while i was getting it, so would eat
immediately afterward, and then about an hour after the treatment would throw up
everything i had just eaten. it might work for you. worth a try. i like katie mink
at the bancroft center for chinese medicine.
what got rid of my hyperemesis was getting hypnotized. the guy believes the mind
gets stuck in a reflex pattern so works to reprogram it. i was skeptical, but
having lost 15 pounds at 20 weeks, i was desperate. i did a clean up session five
days after the original session - i was off the compezine and zofran, eating full
meals, but still feeling somewhat yucky. never looked back. jerold kaplan MD is a
burn and wound specialist through alta bates who currently doesn't have an office
but calls himself 'have guaze will travel.' and he does hypnosis. i love the man to
the ends of this earth and am forever grateful.
best wishes
julia
I recommend Don Gates at East Bay TCM (www.eastbaytcm.com). He has had experience
with various pregnancy conditions and has had good results. He has a very soothing
manner and realistic approach. He helped me a lot during my pregancy, including
getting my labor going when I was a week late
Helen
Hi,
I, too was ill with #1 and for #2 I went to Laura Aguiar.
What a relife!!!!!! Here #is 326-6725 and her office is 2006 Dwight Way Suite 208
in Berkeley
Cherene
Both Portia Lee (in El Cerrito) and Leslie Oldershaw (in Piedmont) specialize in
pregnancy and postpartum issues and are very experienced. You could call and ask
about treatment for nausea in particular and see what they say
been there
I did use acupuncture for pregnancy nausea, as well as other pregnancy issues. I
had been seeing this acupuncturist for other issues before the pregnancy too--and
he's SO good. He really knows what he's doing. His name is Dr. Robert Johns and his
phone number is: (510) 548-1884. Call him, and good luck!
Sarah
I highly recommend Leslie Oldershaw, 510.595.1175. She's has a lot of good
recommendations in the Parents Network archives, and specializes in fertility and
pregnancy issues. I didn't have bad nausea, but she did tell me about other clients
she had helped with accupuncture. One thing I like about her is that she very
familiar with western medicine as well. She told me about one patient that had
extreme nausea, vomiting 4 or more times a day. In that case she said the
accupuncture didn't help and she recommended that the patient see her doctor for
that anti-vomiting medicine. anon
I highly recommend getting acupuncture treatments with Portia Lee
in El Cerrito at her clinic Traditional Ways Healing Center at
6931 Stockton Avenue. Call her at 510-932-4456.
I suffered through hyperemesis gravidarium which is the
unrelenting nausea 24/7 and threw up pretty much all day long for
about 7 months and actually lost weight during my pregnancy! I
was lucky to find Portia to help relieve my symptoms during my
second pregnancy with an incredible amount of caring, compassion,
and professional knowledge.
I tried more conventional treatments and relief strategies before
I met Portia during my first pregnancy as recommended by my OB
with very little success.
Portia brings you relief through use of Moxa, herbs, nutritional
advice, and acupunture. She takes great care to listen to your
body and customizes her treatments to your individual needs. She
is so gentle, thorough, and always follows up and follows through
with an incredible attention to detail.
Please feel free to email me if you have any other questions
H.
I became quite adroit at throwing up every single day on the way to work - and many times
throughout the day. Although it didn't always keep me from throwing up, ginger - ginger
snaps in particular, ginger ale in a pinch - helped me a lot. If nothing else, it flavored
whatever came up. I know this doesn't exactly address your request for advice, but
sometimes the most common, simple ''wive's tale'' can be overlooked. Hence, my
not-so-eloquent personal tale above. Hope something helps
Kirsten
I have a wonderful accupuncturist, Ling Na Cheng. She is in
Kensington. http://www.lingnacheng.com/home.html
Can't reccomend her enough!
Paula
Oct 2006
I am 7 weeks pregnant and my doctor has prescribed Promethazine
suppositories for my 24-hour morning sickness (tried everything
else - ginger, lemon, vitamin B6, dry diet, etc.) The
medication is very efficient at curing that but I am concerned
about its possible effects on the fetus. I am averse to taking
any medication during pregnancy and managed to go without it
during my first (this is my second), but this time it was just
too severe. If you could share any information about this drug,
it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
anon
Motherisk is an organization out of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto
that
runs a website and several information hotlines about what is safe and not safe
in
pregnancy. They have a nausea and vomiting hotline (1-800-436-8477) which can
answer your questions about the safety of medications, and they are also
extremely
knowledgeable about the most effective protocols for nausea and vomiting.
Good luck!
Been There
congratulations on your pregnancy! around 6 or 7 weeks i started taking zofran,
and
then later added compezine, so was taking something for nausea every six hours
through 20 weeks. (hopefully you won't go there) i delivered a very healthy 9
pound
baby, who now at age 3 is probably smarter than both of her parents. i don't
believe
she was damaged at all and i very much believe that the baby gets all it needs
from
the mother - you are the one who gets robbed. as much as possible - stay
hydrated.
that really made a difference in my day. my doc pointed out one thought: there
have
been studies on the fda apporved meds on their affects on the babies, but there
have NOT been studies on the affects of high doses of ginger or B6 and other
herbal
remedies. i never found any of that stuff worked for me anyhow.
congratulations and best of luck
julia
I had severe morning sickness in both of my pregnancies for the
entire time 9 months. I threw up pretty much every day during
the first. I tried everything you tried (and even more things
like infusions) during the first with no success. When it
started with the second at 4 weeks, I did some research and
asked my doctor to prescribe Zofran or Amzamet. They both
worked very well and there are no negative effects on babies.
They are very expensive (like $1000 for 30 pills) so insurance
is a must. I also took Phenegran at night, which also worked,
but makes you sleepy.
I can't tell you the different these medications made in my
quality of life during those 9 months. Feel free to email me
with any questions
Rachel
I don't know about the drug, but I've had great success with
acupunture. Have you tried that yet?
Hope you feel better soon
I have been using Safefetus.com to look up all meds I might take
to make sure that they are safe during pregnancy. I looked up
Promethazine and found it quite alarming that your doctor would
prescribe it, especially in the first trimester. This is what I
found:
Studies on animals show adverse effect and toxicity on fetus.
No adequate and well controlled studies done on pregnant women.
Drugs should be given only if the potential benefit outweighs
the potential risk to the fetus.
Crosses human placenta.
No adequate human data but suggested possible association with
cardiovascular defects in 1st trimester exposure.
Reported to cause neonatal respiratory depression and neonatal
platelet dysfunction when used in labor.
Hope this helps. Hope you have a happy and healthy pregnancy!
Christina
January 2004
I am in my second month of pregnancy and have not felt nauseous
at all. Not even a little bit queasy. I did feel nauseous with
my first pregnancy. Has anyone else had a nausea-free pregnancy
resulting in a healthy baby? I ask because some studies I saw
on the internet show a higher incidence of miscarriage when no
nausea is present and I'm freaking out a little....
worried (not) sick
Congratulations on your pregnancy! My first (a boy) was the easiest pregnancy on
the planet -- no morning sickness, not
even a twinge. Nine pounds, six ounces and healthy as could be. Despite cravings
for cheeseburgers morning, noon and
night, I could tolerate just about anything and avoided whatever didn't seem
appealing. But be warned -- pregnancy was not
so easy with my second (a girl) who was born with a full head of dark hair. Old
wives' tales link heartburn with the amount of
hair an infant has at birth. In my case, I'd say it's true. Best of luck and enjoy
the ride!
Don't worry - be happy! I never had a single instance of
morning sickness. In fact, I felt great almost the whole
pregnancy, and I've been blessed with a very happy, very healthy
little boy. I hope that you have the same experience.
I was never sick and I our child is in perfect health. You can
count it as one less thing to worry about-- and enjoy!
I never had a moment of morning sickness with either of my
pregnancies, which were both wonderfully uneventful. I
have 2 healthy children. Please don't worry, you are one of
the fortunate few!
Hi there,
I'm sure everything is fine with your pregnancy. I have two healthy and
adorable (if I do say so myself) children (girl = 2 yrs and boy = 4 mos)
and did not have morning sickness with either one. I have to say I'm
glad I didn't do too much ''digging'' on the internet for info while I was
pregnant since information like that would have caused me needless
worry as well! The one thing that did seem to happen for me was
painful (but not dangerous) edema later in the pregnancies - my friends
who got morning sickness didn't have the swelling so much.... go figure.
Plus I'm an ''old'' mommy (40+) so the risks in general were higher and
not being sick was never an issue.
Anyway, I wouldn't worry, just enjoy not being sick!!
Hi! I delivered healthy twins 2&1/2 yrs ago. They are
healthy, bright, happy children and I had not one day of nausea!
My first trimester I was EXHAUSTED and my sense of smell was
heightened, but that was it.
I have been pregnant twice and didn't suffer a moment of morning
sickness either time. My babies were both born quite healthy,
and they are thriving today. I, too, worried about my lack of
sickness because all of the books talked about how morning
sickness is actually a sign that a pregnancy is going well.
That may be true, but the opposite isn't. My advice: Stop
worrying! Be very very grateful that you don't have to go
through it and enjoy the fact that you feel relatively healthy.
If you are really concerned, you can ask you doctor just to be
sure. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.
I hope you get a ton of responses, to ease your mind that there
is no relationship between ''morning sickness'' and the health of
the baby.
I had 3 pregnancies, all resulting in full-term healthy boys.
The first 2 pregnancies were nausea-free, although I felt faint
in the first month of the first one. With the 3rd, I had all-day
sickness for 3 mos and heartburn for the remaining months.
Enjoy your good fortune!
i had a blissfully nausea-free and very easy pregnancy in general. my baby was
born healthy as a horse. congratulations on your pregnancy and enjoy it!
I was never nauseous when I was pregnant, not even a little bit. I was also
quite worried about it, but I had a very very healthy bouncing baby boy!
I’m due any day now with my second child and this pregnancy has
been very different than my first. The first time around, I
was nauseous and threw up a few times a week in the first
trimester. The second time around, I felt a little nauseous at
times but nothing near what I experienced the first time. This
pregnancy I had odd headaches at night during the first
trimester which I didn't have the first time. Both of my
pregnancies have been completely normal. Count your blessings
and try not to worry!
i am nearing the end of my first trimester and have not experienced one
iota of nausea--a great deal of fatigue, but that's probably because i also
have a toddler. in my first pregnancy, i also didn't experience any
morning sickness and gave birth to a very healthy girl. if i were you, i
would consider yourself lucky and enjoy the remainder of your
pregnancy. you are the envy of many queasy pregnant women.
Both of my pregnancies were completely morning sickness free and
both my daughters were about as healthy as could be. The
increased risk for miscarriage is from a lower hormonal load,
which doesn't make you as sick (or so I have read; I can't say
with certainty that this has been proven or if it is just an
urban myth). So my hormonal load wasn't as big. With my second
pregnancy, I even had some spotting. Dont' freak. Be happy and
put it out of your mind!
With my first born child I experienced absolutely no nausea AT
ALL and with my second child I experienced ONE DAY of feeling
very slightly queasy and both children were/are absoutely fine.
I know moms who were violently nauseous with their first healthy
child and then experienced mild to no nauseau with their second
equally healthy child and vice versa. Medical science can find
slight correlations with almost anything mostly because
oftentimes the study didn't account for all possible variables.
Please don't worry about this.
I didn't have the slightest feeling of morning sickness
throughout my entire pregancy (with the exception of taking a
pre-natal vitamin on an empty stomach--ooof), and we have a very
healthy, happy baby boy.
Friends keep telling me that every pregnancy is different--so
maybe you're getting off easy this time....which could mean I'm
on deck for lots of morning sickness with my next pregnancy!
Try not to worry and enjoy feeling well.
I had a very easy pregnancy also, with no morning sickness or
nausea of any kind for the whole 9 months. My first trimester
was pretty uneventful as well, and I read the same thing about
morning sickness being a ''good sign'' that your baby is healthy.
I was a little worried about it at the time, but now that we've
got our beautiful baby boy I know better. My own mother did not
have any morning sickness either, and I think I turned out
alright. ;-) I wonder if that's just a myth fabricated to make
moms suffering from morning sickness feel better? I'm sure your
baby is just fine, just count yourself as one of the lucky
ones.
I never had morning sickness. Not a day. No heartburn, no
tiredness, no side effect except some sore boobs. As a matter of
fact, I never felt better. I had a (practially) natural
delivery (some relief in the last 2 hours) and had a beautiful,
healthy baby boy. There is an old wives tale that says if there
is no morning sickness, it is a boy. In my case, it happened to
be true.
Be happy; you're lucky! I am 9 weeks pregnant with my second
and am horribly sick, and it is so hard just to get through the
day, especially with an active 2-year-old to care for. The
only thing that is getting me through is prescription
medication that is costing me $5 a day, WITH insurance!
Please, try not to over-obsess about symptoms. As a two-time
miscarriage survivor, I can tell you that if you are going to
miscarry you will, and if you aren't you won't. There's just
no point fussing over every twinge, or lack thereof. It will
only make you crazy. Plenty of women have lovely healthy
babies with no sickness at all. I wish I was one of them!
I didn't have any nausea at all with my baby boy. He is
perfectly normal and is now almost two years old...enjoy!!!
I never was sick for even a minute. they say every pregnancy
is different! consider yourself lucky. as long as the doctor
tells you everything is fine, try not to miss the puking.
mom (who doesn't puke) to healthy 8 month old
I did not have morning sickness with either of my children.
Both were (and are) perfectly healthy babies. I have never
heard of a correlation between morning sickness (or lack
thereof) and baby's health.
I think you are worried about nothing. I had absolutely no
morning sickness and I delivered a healthy 8 pound boy. I don't
think morning sickness has anything to do with the baby being
healthy. Some people are just lucky enough to not have it with
their pregnancies. Just enjoy and as long as you take care of
yourself and your doctor is happy wiht the way your pregnancy is
progressing, you have nothing to worry. Think positive thoughts
as that will help you produce a happy baby!
I had no morning sickness at all. Ate everything I wanted, never felt
peculiar. And had a perfectly healthy boy (now two and a half).
My reading of the statistics seems to indicate that about 50-60% of
pregnancies involve morning sickness. Which would indicate that about
40-50% of pregnancies don't.
Don't worry - I didn't have morning sickness and my pregnancy
was pretty normal. For added measure, very few of my friends
and co-workers had it either and there were no miscarriages
among them.
You'll hear it a thousand times: every pregnancy is unique. I had not a
day of nausea, and gave birth to a very healthy boy. I was 45 at the time.
Count your lucky stars! I never had one second of morning
sickness with either of my pregnancies. I have a perfectly
healthy 2 year-old son and am 4+ months into my second pregnancy
without any complications. I think some people just don't get
nauseous and it's nothing to be concerned about. As long as
your doctor tells you everything is normal, I would just cross
your fingers that you will feel well during your entire
pregnancy.
Concerning a nausea-free first trimester... I am now 37 weeks
pregnant and did not get nauseated at all during my pregnancy
(except once during a windy drive to Mendocino - to be expected).
I since have spoken to numerous women who had no nausea in their
first trimester. I was surprised as well. I think about 30-40% of
women do not get morning sickness - it's just that you don't hear
about them. I don't know about any statistics on miscarriage,
but I would just be thankful and stop the worrying. You can
always check with your practitioner if you are concerned about
the viability of your fetus. Good luck and enjoy!
Hi there. Don't worry, just be glad that you aren't sick! I am
an older Mom (37) and I too was not the slightest bit nauseous
during pregnancy: I now have a healthy 2 month old baby boy. I
did a bit of research about this while pregnant as I was
concerned, and found several sources that said that there is
absolutely no connection between morning sickenss and having a
full-term pregnancy. Research has found that the older a
pregnant woman is, the less her chances of suffering from
morning sickness. But, there is a much higher miscarriage risk
for any older pregnant woman simply due to biology- hence, the
connection between nausea and a healthy pregnancy.
I would not worry. Many, many women do not have MS and have
completely healthy babies. I know it sounds easy to say not to
worry because I worried the entire pregnancy, so I know what you
feel. You really should be ok. Count your blessings! And by
the way, you may still get MS! Then you can wonder why you
wished it upon yourself...also, MS might just be queaziness to
food aversions, not full on puking.
I have only had one pregnancy but I didn't experience any nausea
and in fact had a highly increased appetite for my first few
months. My son was born healthy as can be so I think it's just
individual for each pregnancy and each person! Good luck on
your second.
Consider yourself one of the lucky. Nothing about having, or
not having, morning sickness can indicate if you will have a
healthy baby. I have heard that sometimes it can predict the
sex for your 2nd baby.. if you had a lot the first time and had
a girl (or boy) and aren't having any the 2nd time you might be
having a diff. sex because of different hormones and all... but
I haven't ever heard anything about miscarrage because of no
morning sickness.
Also- I never had morning sickness with my son and he was a
big 9lb 9oz healthy boy with no complications whatsoever.
I'm a doula, so I frequently am reading about things like
morning sickness and ways to cure it, but haven't ever come
across anything that would relate miscarrage to it. Good luck
and feel free to email me if you have other questions along the
way- I'm more than happy to help!
I have had three pregnancies, resulting in three healthy
baby girls, and never experienced morning sickness. Don't
worry, count your blessings!
This is in response to the woman who is worried because she's had
no morning sickness and is worried the baby might not be healthy.
Well, I had such a symptom-free pregnancy that I did not even
know I was pregnant until I was 5 months along! (I'm embarrassed
to say that I am a 38-year old, very educated woman - not a
brainless teenager)! Anyway, I had no morning sickness, no being
tired, no nothing the entire pregnancy (I actually worked the
same day I went into labor), and gave birth to a very healthy 8
pound baby boy in late August, who was one week early. He is now
almost 5 months old and continues to thrive. Also, my delivery
was very quick (less than 8 hours from the time my water broke to
the time he was born). So, maybe it's GOOD luck not to have any
of those nasty pregnancy ''symptoms.'' I wish you luck and you can
contact me if you need any further support.
I had mild aversion to onions that made me kind of nauseated for
about 1 hour of my pregnancy, and gave birth to a totally
normal, perfect child. I think that so many people talk about
nausea during pregnancy as though it were normal, and those of
us who aren't nauseated just don't talk about it. Kind of like
those women who go through menopause and don't have hot flashes
(and there are LOTS of them too!). You're probably just fine.
Enjoy!!
I never had morning sickness with either of my two babies (ages
21 months and 2 months) and both are healthy. The only old
rumor I've heard regarding not having morning sickness is that
it means you are having a boy - true in my case both times...
I'm happy to report that I have had two healthy pregnancies and
babies with absolutely no nausea! (Just lucky I guess.) You
may want to think about if you have changed your diet and if
that could be the result of the lack of nausea. I read
somewhere that sugars may be the culprit in causing the nausea.
During both my pregnancies I was on a low carb/low sugar diet.
Good luck!
I had two very healthy (now grown) babies with no morning
sickness at all--they are also very smart! It has been my
understanding that morning sickness has more to do with position
of the baby in the womb than whether the pregnancy will be
viable. Pregnancy is a time of great health, theoretically, so
I can see no need at all to feel nauseous or sick! Enjoy your
pregnancy!
Like you, I did not have any morning sickness with either of my
2 pregnancies. None! And I gave birth to 2 healthy babies. I
think you should thank your lucky stars - pregnancy just agrees
with you. At least that's the way I looked at it. Good luck!
Don't worry about it. I've had a successful pregnancy after
several miscarriages, and morning sickness was not a sign either
way. OBs have a tendency to say that morning sickness is a good
sign, and means that the hormones are kicking in, but that
wasn't the case for me or many other people I know (most of whom
had no miscarriages). Don't let them make you crazy. Sickness
is individually variable. Also, don't wish for nausea-you might
get it eventually. I started getting motion sick/queasy when I
was 6or 7 months along, and got to the point where reading on
the bus wasn't an option, and my husband's driving (a little
hard on the brake) was intolerable.
I'm sure you're going to get a lot of emails telling you to
consider yourself lucky:) My pregnancy was nausea and sickness
free also. It was certainly a blessing considering that I was
in Asia at the time and the smells alone would have sent me
flying home at once. Then, I was concerned after reading about
the causes of morning sickness. I was convinced that there was
something wrong with our baby, although I think a lot of women
who do have morning sickness have these thoughts as well. My
mom didn't have any nausea with either of her pregnancies so
maybe it's somewhat hereditary. Hopefully it will ease your
mind to know that our baby was born with all his parts in the
right place:) Try not to worry too much. I hope everything
turns out fine.
Another anecedote: A friend of mine had no morning sickness
with her first baby. Then, baby number two comes along, and
she's got nausea 24/7. So I'm not counting on getting so lucky
the second time!
I, too, was fortunate enough to have a completely nausea-free
pregnancy, resulting in a perfectly healthy baby. I also had
read somewhere that no nausea could mean something was wrong,
but in my case that was absolutely not the truth. Everybody is
different, and as you are experiencing, each pregnancy is
different. Enjoy how great you are feeling (just don't rub it
in around any morning sickness sufferers)!
I had no morning sickness at all with my second child. All my
other pregnancies were the opposite - extreme morning sickness.
But with my second child, a boy, the first inkling I had that I
might be pregnant was noticing that I had indulged myself and
eaten chicken dinner three days running, at a restaurant
opposite my college! (instead of the student cafeteria...)
It turns out that my son, who is seventeen now, loves roast
chicken and potatoes!
I was surprised not to feel morning sickness, but very pleased,
and the pregnancy was very normal. All went well, including a
natural home birth.
I hope your pregnancy turns out to be just as worry-free and
healthy!
My sister-in-law had two pregnancies where she felt great - not
simply no nausea but she felt better than normal. She is on #3
and feels horrible - nausea/vomiting so bad she needed IV
fluids. All boys.
Knock on wood, but I didn't have a signle moment of nausea the
entire duration of my pregnancy. The result? An almost 10 lb
baby boy, the picture of health. As long as you are in touch
with a doctor that you feel comfortable sharing these concerns
with, enjoy your good fortune and health!
I had one, just one, day of mild nausea when I was pregnant and
I'm not convinced it wasn't due to something I ate. My daughter
was born big (over 9 lbs.) and healthy. I had a great
pregnancy! So don't worry you lucky woman, enjoy how great you
feel, and get ready for your life to change completely.
Feb 1999
Any suggestions for alleviating morning sickness?
morning sickness.. eat fish. I realize eating anything sounds foolish
but high protien helps a lot. Cured me and my friend who was 24 hrs sick
still at 6 month finialy gave up her vegetarian lifestyle of many many
years and almost instantly felt better and maintained feeling better
with well time tuna fish or turkey sandwiches.
kimberly
I had very uncomfortable morning sickness well past the third month for
two pregnancies, and found relief from eating crystallized ginger. The
best I found was available at Peet's coffee stores. People told me
ginger tea was also beneficial, but I never tried that. I didn't try
acupuncture. I did try pressing on the points on my wrist and hand that
supposedly calm queasiness, and that didn't do anything.
Laurie
I had morning sickness 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the first
five months of my pregnancy...I was trying very hard to stay on a
balanced diet, without any caffeine (ordinarily a staple of my diet), or
any of the other "bad" foods. But for all my good intentions, I
couldn't keep anything down, and I knew that wasn't any good. So, I
know this is a no-no, but I figured if it helped me keep something down,
that was better than eating practically nothing:
I found a few sips of Coke whenever things were about to get bad really
helped me out. Who knows, maybe it was the bubbles and seltzer would
have worked as well, but you might give it a shot. No advice on
acupuncture though, sorry.
Heather
I had morning sickness throughout my entire pregnancy with my son.
The only thing that helped reduce the nausea (and I tried all
the standard "cures") was acupuncture. Made a big difference.
If you do try acupuncture, make sure you see a reputable practitioner
who uses disposable needles. Good luck!
Mal
My morning sickness was so severe that I had to receive i.v. infusions
twice a week to prevent dehydration (my doctor wanted me to have them 3
times a week but I could not take off any more time from work). The
infusions helped because dehydration will cause even more nausea. I was
so sick that I was eating 1 small meal about every three days until I
was 6 1/2 months pregnant. By that time, my ob/gyn (Dr. Streitfeld of
Omni) sent me to see a friend of his who used hypnosis in his practice
(who is a burn surgeon at Alta Bates. It was either that or hospitalize
me and feed me through a tube starting at 7 months!). Well, I'm not
much of a believer, but it certainly helped. After two sessions I was
able to hold down some water. The nausea wasn't entirely gone, but it
was bearable. You may want to try something along those lines. Also,
the rare times I was able to eat, it was generally something sweet. Dr.
Streitfeld told me he noticed that in some of his patients the morning
sickness seemed to be alleviated some by small amounts of sugar. You
may want to try some hard candy like jolly ranchers or such. Finally,
you may want to talk with your doctor about it. I don't recall if you
mentioned how far along you are. Usually, morning sickness starts to
subside around the 12th week when the human chorionic growth hormones
starts to decrease. In some women, however, the hormone level doesn't
drop and can result in excess vomiting due to severe morning sickness, a
condition called hyperemesis. It's not dangerous if dehydration is
prevented. It is, however, bloody miserable!!
Good luck. I hope you start to feel better real soon. Try to be
positive--I was told that the sicker the mother, the healther the baby.
I truly feel for you as I've been there!
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