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Moving past "morning" sickness
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Colette Bouchez
Although it had long been considered the stuff of old wives tales and legend, using ginger as a remedy to treat morning sickness is rapidly earning a new respect.
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In studies published in the April 2004 issue of the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, doctors from the University of Adelaide in Australia proved once again this natural remedy is an extremely effective treatment for the nausea and vomiting that affects up to 90 percent of all pregnant women, usually in their first trimester.
If, however, you've tried ginger and it just doesn't seem to help you, skip the gingerale and gingersnaps, and go for the "real stuff" instead.
There is some research to show that it is the properties found in natural, fresh ginger that makes this a truly effective treatment -- so when possible, buy some fresh ginger root and use to make a tea, or sprinkle it on your cereal or a bowl of fresh fruit.
If, in fact, ginger just isn't your "cup of tea," here are six more "natural" ways to beat morning sickness.
1. Switch prenatal vitamins or the time you take them. The high iron content can induce nausea in many pregnant women. Switching to a low-iron formula in the first trimester only (when the risk of anemia is very low) may squelch morning sickness. Also, take your vitamins late in the day, and skip the glass of water. Instead swallow your vitamin in a spoonful of pudding or apple sauce.
2. Limit fluid intake with meals. Instead, drink between meals -- and try other tummy-soothing beverages such as peppermint iced tea or chamomile hot tea.
3. Massage your pressure points by applying pressure on what Chinese medicine experts call the P6 Nei Guan nerve located in the wrist. To stimulate this anti-nausea nerve use two fingers from your left hand to press the underside of your right arm two inches above your wrist. Hold for up to 60 seconds and repeat as needed.
4. Rise and shine . . . slowly. Whether it's getting up in the morning or after a nap, rising too quickly can throw off equilibrium and contribute to the queasies.
5. Have breakfast in bed. If you've heard that dry crackers is a treatment for morning sickness, you heard right, but the trick is to eat them in bed, 20 to 30 minutes before rising -- and don't drink any liquids, especially water, while munchin'.
6. Scent your hankies! To sidestep nausea caused by smells and odors outside
your home, tuck a hankie doused with a combination of lavender and peppermint
oil into a small plastic bag and keep in your purse. At the first hint of
nausea, hold the hankie to your nose and breathe deep for almost instant
nausea relief.
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