Nausea During Pregnancy

Acupuncture and Chiropractic Health Nutrition Women's Health No Comments
pregnant 1245703 1920

Nausea and morning sickness affect many women during the first trimester of their pregnancy. 

In Chinese Medicine, the first trimester is a lot of work for a woman’s body. A huge strain is put on the woman’s Blood, Essence, and Kidney Qi. This can weaken the Blood and Kidney Qi and cause the Qi to rebel upward towards the Stomach and chest. As a result, morning sickness occurs. This includes symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, frequent hiccups, indigestion, and poor appetite. 

But not to worry! There are some natural and Traditional Chinese Medicine tricks to help with these symptoms. 

1. Ginger

Incorporating fresh Ginger (Sheng Jiang) is very beneficial. Ginger is warm and acrid in nature. It warms digestion and alleviates nausea and vomiting. It is also known for settling a restless fetus.

Some ways to incorporate it into your diet:

  1. Ginger tea: thinly slice up raw ginger. Place in a pot of fresh water. Bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer for 5-10 minutes depending on how strong of a taste you prefer. Strain the ginger out and sip on the tea throughout the day.  *If you buy organic ginger you do not need to peel the skin off, just make sure to rinse and scrub the ginger before using. Use 1 inch of ginger per 1 cup of tea.
  2. Chop chunks of raw ginger and add it into smoothies.
  3. Ginger shots! If you have a juicer, juice up raw ginger and take 1 in the morning! This can also be energizing and a great way to wake up your body and mind for the day.
  4. Snack on ginger chews. I like the brand Gin GinsⓇ. They have cane sugar so eat sparingly. 
Gin Gins

2. Mint

Another great herb for nausea is fresh mint leaves (Bo He). It is cool and acrid in nature. It can help soothe an upset stomach and aid in digestion.  

Some ways to incorporate it into your diet:

  1. Add fresh mint leaves to the Ginger tea recipe above or make mint tea alone.
  2. Chew on raw mint leaves.
  3. Combine mint leaves with plain seltzer water. Mash up some fresh mint leaves and mix into a cup of seltzer water.
  4. Essential oils with mint (spearmint, peppermint, eucalyptus, etc). Put in a diffuser, place on a cotton ball near you while you work or sleep, or apply directly to skin where you can smell it (only if skin is not sensitive to the oil).

3. P6

Pericardium 6 (PC6) is a point used to treat nausea, vomiting, motion sickness, indigestion, hiccups, and upset stomach. Firm pressure on PC6 a few times per day and more during symptoms can help relieve nausea during the first trimester.

You can find PC6 on the medial side of the wrist, 2 thumb widths from the wrist crease, in the center. 

4. Smaller Portions

This is an especially good time to eat smaller portions more frequently. During pregnancy, a woman’s stomach is getting squished and the organs are adjusting slightly to accommodate the growing fetus inside. The stomach won’t be able to tolerate as much food in one sitting. Smaller portions are easier to digest and chewing food thoroughly and slowly can help to ease digestion.

I hope these are helpful as you or someone you love navigates pregnancy!