Morning sickness is the term given to the feeling of nausea and vomiting when the woman is pregnant. This type of heaviness is felt generally in the morning when the blood sugar level is down. However, it must not be thought that morning sickness can occur only in the morning. Episodes of such sicknesses can be felt through the day, right up to late afternoon.

Not every woman suffers from morning sickness. Statistics show that about 50 to 60% of all pregnant women will suffer from morning sicknesses. These morning sicknesses begin from the first week of pregnancy itself and can continue right up to the sixteenth week (or later in some women).

The main reason for morning sickness is the hormonal and chemical changes that occur in the body during the pregnancy. It is felt more during the first pregnancy of the woman, when the body is yet learning to grapple with the several changes that are occurring within it. Dietary deficiency (especially of vitamins of the B complex, including folates) can cause morning sickness. Some women experience morning sickness if they are exposed to strong odors. Digestive problems can also be responsible for morning sickness.

(1) Useful Herbs in the Treatment of Morning Sickness

1. Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
Ginger is the best remedy for morning sickness. It can be taken in any form – paste, ale, tea, etc. – to seek immediate relief from the symptoms of morning sickness.

2. Lemon (Citrus limon)
Due to its strong but pleasant odor, the lemon is extremely beneficial in the treatment of morning sickness. When the woman feels the symptoms of nausea and vomiting, just sniffing at the juice or the peel of a lemon is enough to stop the morning sickness.

3. Mint (Plants of the Mentha family)
All mints are very effective in controlling morning sickness. Examples are spearmint, horsemint and peppermint. Their fragrances and flavors can stimulate the different channels of the body and mitigate the feelings of nausea and vomiting.

(2) Dietary Treatments for Morning Sickness

It is usually found that correcting the diet of the pregnant woman helps in taking care of morning sickness. Read the following points:-

1. Morning sickness is caused often when the woman is improperly nourished. Pregnant women must take an adequate balanced diet, even if they may not feel like eating most of the time. This situation can be remedied by eating small meals throughout the day rather than having just two big meals. This will also keep the digestive system working continuously. The typical hunger pangs and the growling feelings of the stomach must be avoided by always eating something or the other.

2. Avoid spicy foods that are difficult to digest. Not only will they cause morning sickness, but they will also increase the heat of the body. This could endanger the very life of the fetus and lead to a spontaneous abortion.

3. Vitamin B deficiency is directly linked to morning sickness. Vitamin B is a water soluble vitamin; hence its amount in the body must be replenished regularly. Salads, wheat, vegetables, bananas, sea food, chicken, etc. contain vitamin B. They must be included in the regular diet.

(3) Home Remedies for Morning Sickness

a. Unless you are prone to common colds, taking two oranges in the morning and the evening helps to keep you healthy during the pregnancy. This will add to the vitamin C content to the body which is useful in numerous ways during the months of pregnancy.

b. In some cooked rice, add a couple of spoonfuls of the bael juice. This must be taken twice or thrice a day, especially if the woman has persistent morning sickness problems.

c. Take a handful of curry leaves and extract their juice. Mix in this the juice of one lemon. Add a spoonful of honey to the mixture. Drinking this mixture on a regular basis – three to four times a day – helps in the treatment of morning sickness.

d. Prepare a juice of lemon juice and the juice of mint juice. Drink this three to four times a day.

e. Tea made from spearmint is also taken for curing morning sickness. Peppermint is also found to be effective. In fact any mint is useful as a remedy for morning sickness due to its astringent and pungent odor. Chewing gums containing ginger, spearmint or peppermint are very effective in controlling morning sickness.

f. Morning sickness is caused due to lowering of the blood sugar early in the morning when you wake up. In order to increase the carbohydrate content, some dry crackers or biscuits can be had as soon as you wake up. For better effects, have these crackers or biscuits with a ginger or mint tea.

g. Though it may sound like an old wives’ tale, satisfying food cravings during pregnancy is actually beneficial. During pregnancy, a woman may get several urges to eat a particular type of food, even those which she might have never tasted before. Retaining such urges could increase the chances of morning sickness.

h. Do not remain hungry when you are pregnant. Keep eating small meals throughout the day, instead of two heavy meals.