Joy in Birthing

Some women experience morning sickness – others are fortunate enough not to, but for women who have – it’s not something that is a pleasant experience. Although it is called morning sickness, it can happen any time of the day or night during the early months of pregnancy. Although there are some theories, no one knows exactly why morning sickness strikes or how to cure it. However, here are some things you can do to alleviate morning sickness:

• Eat several small meals during the day, instead of three big ones.
• Avoid foods high in fat, since they can make morning sickness worse.
• Talk to your doctor about vitamin B6.
• Drink plenty of fluids. Fluids replace the fluids you are losing by vomiting and second, fluids help neutralize stomach acids.
• Believe it or not, eating a cracker before you get out of bed actually helps to prevent morning sickness. Keep whole grain crackers or some other high-carbohydrate snacks next to your bed, and eat them about 20 minutes before you get up.
• Dry toast, ginger ale and antacids are also known to help ease the nausea.
• Vitamin B6
• Wrist bands work by using acupressure on a specific area of the wrist that has long been known to help curb nausea and vomiting for motion sickness, morning sickness and even chemotherapy.

Also consult your homepathic doctor and/or your doctor and try these:

• Asarum: This remedy is indicated when a woman feels very ill, with constant nausea and retching. She is extremely sensitive to everything—especially noise, which can aggravate the nauseous feelings. She feels best when lying down and resting. Cool drinks or food may help, but it is hard for her to even think of eating.

• Colchicum: Horrible nausea that is worse from the sight and smell of food (especially eggs or fish) often indicates this remedy. The woman retches and vomits, and has a sore and bloated feeling in the abdomen. She has trouble eating anything — although she often craves things, when she tries to eat them they make her sick. She is likely to feel ill from many smells that others don’t even notice.

• Ipecacuanha: This remedy is indicated for intense and constant nausea that is felt all day (not only in the morning) with retching, belching, and excessive salivation. The woman may feel worse from lying down, but also worse from motion. Even after the woman vomits, she remains nauseous.

• Kreosotum: When this remedy is indicated, the woman may salivate so much that she constantly swallows it, becoming nauseous. She may also vomit up food that looks undigested, several hours after eating.

• Lacticum acidum: This remedy is indicated for “classic morning sickness”: nausea worse immediately on waking in the morning and on opening the eyes. The woman may salivate a lot and have burning stomach pain. She usually has a decent appetite and feels better after eating.

• Nux vomica: Nausea, especially in the morning and after eating, may respond to this remedy—especially if the woman is irritable, impatient, and chilly. She may retch a lot and have the urge to vomit, often without success. Her stomach feels sensitive and crampy, and she may be constipated.

• Pulsatilla: This remedy can be helpful if nausea is worse in the afternoon and evening (often in the morning, as well). The woman is not very thirsty, although she may feel better from drinking something cool. She can crave many different foods, but feels sick from many things (including foods she craves). Creamy foods or desserts may be appealing, but can cause discomfort and burping or bring on vomiting. A woman who needs this remedy usually is affectionate, insecure, and weepy—wanting a lot of attention and comforting.

• Sepia: Gnawing, intermittent nausea with an empty feeling in the stomach suggests a need for this remedy. It is especially indicated for a woman who is feeling irritable, sad, worn out, and indifferent to her family. She feels worst in the morning before she eats, but is not improved by eating and may vomit afterward. Nausea can be worse when she is lying on her side. Odors of any kind may aggravate the symptoms. Food often tastes too salty. She may lose her taste for many foods, but may still crave vinegar and sour things.

• Tabacum: This remedy can be helpful to a woman who feels a ghastly nausea with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She looks extremely pale, feels very cold and faint, and needs to lie very still and keep her eyes closed. If she moves at all, she may vomit violently—or break out in cold sweat and feel terrible.

Homeopathy(1) Dosage Directions

Select the remedy that most closely matches the symptoms. In conditions where self-treatment is appropriate, unless otherwise directed by a physician, a lower potency (6X, 6C, 12X, 12C, 30X, or 30C) should be used. In addition, instructions for use are usually printed on the label.

Many homeopathic physicians suggest that remedies be used as follows: Take one dose and wait for a response. If improvement is seen, continue to wait and let the remedy work. If improvement lags significantly or has clearly stopped, another dose may be taken. The frequency of dosage varies with the condition and the individual. Sometimes a dose may be required several times an hour; other times a dose may be indicated several times a day; and in some situations, one dose per day (or less) can be sufficient.

If no response is seen within a reasonable amount of time, select a different remedy.

When at work, try to get in a couple power naps or intentional breaks. Close your eyes and take one deep breath. As you exhale, let go of all that has happened in your day up until now. Let go of the last conversation you had and the thought of what you need to do next. Simply concentrate your attention on your breath. Visualize that with each inhale a comforting glow surrounds your budding baby, and with each exhale all the tension and all the worries melt away. All you need is a series of two to three breaks in your day and you will feel rested and much stronger.

I can hear you saying, “I can’t do that!” “Can’t” is a word we need to eliminate from our vocabulary. If you don’t have minutes, then take seconds; just call it the ten second power nap. Quantity is a human experience; quality is divine. As long as you can completely free yourself from the past and the future, and truly be in the moment, a break of any duration can be beneficial.

When you can’t get to your car to nap, close your eyes and do this simple exercise

1. Homeopathy is a non-toxic system of medicine used to treat illness and relieve discomfort of a wide variety of health conditions. It is practiced by licensed physicians and other qualified prescribers in many regions of the world, including Europe, Asia, the U.K., and the U.S. Information on the use of several hundred remedies has been collected for nearly two centuries by homeopathic practitioners, through research studies known as “provings,” as well as documented clinical cases and recent scientific trials.