What is pregnancy sickness, and what can I do to stop it?

According to The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the UK (NICE) close to 80% of pregnant women experience sickness, with most conditions improving or stopping completely by around 16 to 20 weeks.

Pregnancy sickness refers to feelings of nausea and/or vomiting and an unpleasant taste in the mouth, sometimes described as “metallic” or “mouldy”, from the start of pregnancy, and contrary to the popular phrase “morning sickness” can occur at any time of day and can be quite debilitating whilst you are also managing work and life. 

Pregnancy sickness is often attributed to the increase of the hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) particularly in the first trimester as the levels are rapidly rising, then fall around 12-14 weeks when most sickness resolves. If you are carrying twins hCG hormone levels are higher thus you may experience greater symptoms. Other potential causes of sickness include a drop in blood sugar, and deficiencies in zinc and vitamin b6.

If you are vomiting then you will need to pay extra attention to rehydrating and replacing magnesium which is lost through vomit.

Top tips to cope with pregnancy sickness:

• Although you may not feel like it, it is important to eat or drink something in the morning when you wake

• Then eat every 2-3 hours to keep blood sugars level

• Continually sip on water, keep a bottle with you

• + add some apple cider vinegar to your water

• Add ginger and lemon to water or food

• Stick to plain, simple food that is easy to stomach

• No fatty foods 

• Get plenty of rest

• High protein meals

• Warm bath with magnesium salts to replace those lost

• Fresh air! Break up the day with regular 10 minute walks

• Ease stress

• Trouble keeping food down? Try sucking on fruit lollies or lemons. 

• Vitamin B6 - Studies suggest that taking vitamin B6 for morning sickness greatly improves nausea for many women who are pregnant, though not vomiting. There has been no sign of harm to the fetus with vitamin B6 use and a typical dose of vitamin B6 for morning sickness is 10 mg to 25 mg, 3 times a day.

Foods high in vitamin b6:

The best sources are beef, poultry, salmon and tuna with the best fruits being bananas and avocados. Particularly if you are vegetarian or vegan, you could consider supplementation at safe levels. 

Foods rich in magnesium:

• Dark chocolate

• Avocados

• Nuts - almond, cashews and brazil

• Lentils, beans, chickpeas, soybeans

• Leafy greens

• Fatty fish

• Tofu

A special nod to ginger

Where possible it is best to start with natural remedies and there is plenty of research and many years of experience from pregnant women all over the world to provide us with the knowledge to effectively help.

Ginger root is a traditional remedy because it helps the gastrointestinal tract, as well as its impact on the brain signals that control vomiting reflexes. 

The respected journal “Obstetrics and Gynecology” recommends 1g per day of fresh ginger over four days, as studies showed a significant reduction in symptoms of women with mild sickness and also those who suffer extreme sickness known as hyperemesis gravidarum. 

Finally, ginger also contains zinc which has also been linked to pregnancy sickness. 

Sneak some ginger into your day…

• Grated over food

• Ginger chews - low to no sugar content

• Fresh ginger and lemon tea

• Pickled ginger 

• Add to curries, spag bol and other meals

Holistic therapies

Acupuncture, homeopathy and massage are all helpful therapies that can ease pregnancy sickness symptoms.

Acupuncture can help to desensitise your response to food smells and triggers that can heighten nausea. In the journal “Birth”, 593 women were tested with acupuncture at less than 14 weeks pregnant with symptoms of pregnancy sickness. Significant results concluded that those in the acupuncture group had eased symptoms of nausea and dry retching.

Acupuncture can also recommend herbal remedies and along with homoeopathy, treatment should be sought from fully qualified professionals. 

Massage therapy will help to ease stress and anxiety which can exacerbate symptoms of sickness. Easing tension in the muscles can also help reduce nausea associated with pain and discomfort, helping you to feel better, sleep better and move better.

It is important to give yourself time to rest and let the body settle from the surge of hormones, therefore setting yourself time to have a massage will help your body achieve this enabling you to cope with the changing hormones, and regulate blood sugar and circulation.