Anyone who has had the dubious pleasure of a stomach bug knows what a horrible experience it can be.
It usually starts with a vague , unsettled feeling in the stomach.
The feeling tends to build over a period of time, body temperature rockets and plummets, full blown nausea and even cramps settle in. Eventually a move to the bathroom is necessary. The inevitable vomitting happens and although there is magical relief from the nausea, there is also a wave of exhaustion. The effort needed to freshen the teeth and face is simply enormous.
The nausea then starts to rise again. The sad truth sets in that it was not just a one off. There is nothing else to do but to settle down in the bathroom, ride it out for a few hours in the sure knowledge it will pass. Maybe a blanket round the shoulder , something to keep us company and distract us from our misery such as an iPad etc and as symptoms eventually start to ease we can retire to bed for a nice, long rejuvenating sleep.
What is Morning sickness?
Morning sickness is not as straight forward and is a misleading and insulting term. Most of my clients suffer all day and all night. Unlike a viral illness it doesn’t end in a day.
If you have to work you can’t settle down in a work bathroom with an iPad and fluffy blanket.
If you have other children especially toddlers who need constant supervision you can’t go to bed.
Some women have unrelenting nausea and permenantly feel rotten. Some vomit and get that immediate yet temporary relief from nausea but it is harder to function with work especially if it’s in the first secretive 12 weeks.
It is always easy to put up with sickness for a day or two but mentally and physically tough to do it for 12-16 weeks or 40 especially if the energy from food intake would be poor for one person never mind two. All some women can stomach are nutrient poor foods such as toast or bland potato mash.
As I tell my clients this is one of the reasons the preparation for pregnancy is so important. By building the reserves of vitamins and minerals in the system with proper nutrition and supplements in the run up to pregnancy, these can be called upon in early pregnancy if morning sickness begins.
Can you have Acupuncture in pregnancy?
Nausea in pregnancy clients are seen everyday in my acupuncture clinic.
My fertility clients always say if they can just get pregnant they would never complain about any pregnancy symptom.The guilt they feel about complaining of unrelenting nausea or vomiting is intense. I always tell my girls they can complain all they like in my little room because I know it’s hard. Very hard.
Many are cautious about trying acupuncture in early pregnancy. They mistakingly fear that as it is the change of hormones in pregnancy that causes nausea does acupuncture thus affect the pregnancy hormones to take the nausea away?
No it doesn’t .
Acupuncture works specifically on the nausea centre in the brain. I use the same acupuncture points on chemo-induced nausea or post-op nausea.
Why come to me?
I have undertaken specific training with specialists in the field of pregnancy such as Zita West and Deborah Betts. The acupuncture points I use are the most researched and have been in use for hundreds of years.
I also have the knowledge that 15 years of experience as an acupuncturist and countless years as a nurse brings.
How much relief will be achieved?
It is very variable. A very few clients get minimal to no relief, some get a few days relief, some find nausea reduces to humane levels for a few weeks. It is hard to know where you will fall on this spectrum unless you give acupuncture a go.
Please get in touch and have a chat with me.
I will do all I can to help.