One of the plagues of pregnancy is morning sickness, which is a partial misnomer, in that some women get it throughout the day or even in the evening. Chinese Medicine conceives of this problem as disruption of the Stomach Qi, which should normally be flowing downward, but in this aberrant case goes instead upward in "rebellion." When that happens there is nausea and/or vomiting.
What disrupts the normal flow of Stomach Qi is the naturally occurring dampness of pregnancy, as evidenced by the typical "slippery" pulse that 99% of pregnant women have. Ayurveda would describe this as an increase in Kapha, causing a "swan-like" pulse. This naturally occurring dampness is the very nature of the development of the fetus, and all the attendant bodily changes, like weight gain, swelling of the breasts, etc.
But there is also increase of Pitta in pregnancy (dramatic increase of hormone production) in pregnancy, as evidenced by the occasional "bowstring" or "snake" pulse.
But then why don't some women get it? The answer is that women who are already prone to dampness in their digestive tract are the most vulnerable. And there are varying causes of this dampness-- it can be due to weakness in the digestive metabolism, which allows fluids to accumulate; but it is often also due to stagnation of the "liver qi." This is Pitta excess, in which an intense type person, carrying a lot of tension, has that tension directed towards the stomach.
The former case is associated, but not limited to nausea with vomiting after eating, fatigue sleepiness, and a stuffy feeling in the chest. This is the kind of woman who bruises easily. The later case is associated more with vomiting predominance, with belching, acid reflux, dizziness, and perhaps depression. Often the two are combined.
Leaving the world of arcane medical theory aside, here are a bunch of remedies that are used for this problem. I would start first and foremost with the ginger and also B vitamins, the latter especially if you are a vegetarian. A lot of folk think you can just drink a little ginger tea to get the effect. But as you can see, it can actually take large amounts of dried ginger, as in an entire tablespoon, to be effective.
Ginger capsules up to to 25 per day
Ginger root tea: tablespoon doses of ginger powder in hot water, sweeten to taste if preferred.
Vitamin B6 10-20mg a day up to 50mg, take within a B-Complex formula
peppermint or spearmint tea AWAY from meals
anise or fennel tea with meals, or oolong tea with meals
frequent snacks like crackers, toast:
nux vomica 6x homeopathic remedy
walking 1 mile a day to metabolize excess pregnancy hormones
Ayurveda, Acupuncture, and Chinese Medicine in San Diego
http://www.bodymindwellnesscenter.com
What disrupts the normal flow of Stomach Qi is the naturally occurring dampness of pregnancy, as evidenced by the typical "slippery" pulse that 99% of pregnant women have. Ayurveda would describe this as an increase in Kapha, causing a "swan-like" pulse. This naturally occurring dampness is the very nature of the development of the fetus, and all the attendant bodily changes, like weight gain, swelling of the breasts, etc.
But there is also increase of Pitta in pregnancy (dramatic increase of hormone production) in pregnancy, as evidenced by the occasional "bowstring" or "snake" pulse.
But then why don't some women get it? The answer is that women who are already prone to dampness in their digestive tract are the most vulnerable. And there are varying causes of this dampness-- it can be due to weakness in the digestive metabolism, which allows fluids to accumulate; but it is often also due to stagnation of the "liver qi." This is Pitta excess, in which an intense type person, carrying a lot of tension, has that tension directed towards the stomach.
The former case is associated, but not limited to nausea with vomiting after eating, fatigue sleepiness, and a stuffy feeling in the chest. This is the kind of woman who bruises easily. The later case is associated more with vomiting predominance, with belching, acid reflux, dizziness, and perhaps depression. Often the two are combined.
Leaving the world of arcane medical theory aside, here are a bunch of remedies that are used for this problem. I would start first and foremost with the ginger and also B vitamins, the latter especially if you are a vegetarian. A lot of folk think you can just drink a little ginger tea to get the effect. But as you can see, it can actually take large amounts of dried ginger, as in an entire tablespoon, to be effective.
Ginger capsules up to to 25 per day
Ginger root tea: tablespoon doses of ginger powder in hot water, sweeten to taste if preferred.
Vitamin B6 10-20mg a day up to 50mg, take within a B-Complex formula
peppermint or spearmint tea AWAY from meals
anise or fennel tea with meals, or oolong tea with meals
frequent snacks like crackers, toast:
nux vomica 6x homeopathic remedy
walking 1 mile a day to metabolize excess pregnancy hormones
Ayurveda, Acupuncture, and Chinese Medicine in San Diego
http://www.bodymindwellnesscenter.com
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