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Subscribe to RSSLinda Carroll writes: Pregnant and looking for a way to quell your morning queasiness? You can forget about nibbling on ginger, tossing back Vitamin B tablets, and wrapping sea-sickness bands around your wrist, a new report suggests.
After poring through data from 27 studies that included more than 4,000 women, researchers from the Cochrane Collaboration concluded that there is no therapy proven to be reliable and safe for morning sickness. The report evaluated evidence on numerous treatments, including ginger, Vitamin B6, acupressure, acustimulation (mild electrical stimulation of an acupuncture point), and anti-vomiting drugs.
“A number of studies we looked at appeared to show benefits, but in general the results were inconsistent and it was difficult to draw conclusions about any one treatment in particular,” says Anne Matthews, the report’s lead author and a researcher at the School of Nursing at Dublin City University in Ireland. “We were also unable to obtain much information about whether these treatments are actually making a difference to women’s quality of life.”
Matthews and her colleagues suggest that doctors tell their patients that there is no evidence showing that there is a safe and effective treatment for morning sickness.
Dr. John Fisch begs to differ.
“It’s hard to prove that these therapies work because there’s a very, very strong placebo effect when it comes to nausea treatments,” says Fisch, a clinical associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Magee-Women’s Hospital at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “So rather than tell a woman we can’t do anything for you, we’ll try a number of different things and in many cases we can help.”
In more than 20 years spent taking care of pregnant women, Fisch believes he’s gleaned some wisdom on the topic of morning sickness. “There is no magic bullet,” he explains. “But many things have some usefulness and basically the best course is to try a few different things and see if they are helpful.”
Sara Cancro, 34, found that simple life-style changes, along with periodic sips of ginger ale and the occasional ginger candy cut back on the queasiness of her first trimester. “The nausea wasn’t constant, but there were some days that I just wished I could go back to bed,” says the Pittsburgh nurse practitioner who is now at her 13th week.
Cancro also turned to dietary changes to keep her morning sickness at bay. “I ate bland foods, switched to frequent small meals and watched my fluid intake,” she says. “I ate the ginger candy when I couldn’t get food.”
There are some women for whom none of the alternative therapies work, Fisch says. And in some cases even anti-nausea drugs can’t completely banish queasiness.
Did anything help you cope with morning sickness? Tell us about it in the comments.
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I know of a remedy that not only quells nausea it also stimulates the appetite, and it may be legal in california soon. I have know MANY pregnant woman who have used it, NOT SMOKING IT, eating or vaporizing and not only does it work but NO harm came to the child.
I doubt that weed has no effect on the children. Until there are studies that would support that, studies that have followed these children through their lifetime, I would strongly encourage anyone reading this to stay away from pot and any other drugs when pregnant.
I don't want to have to pay higher taxes just because certain mother's to be thought more about their own discomfort or need to get high then their unborn child's future.
I found that sour things helped my morning sickness a lot - it didnt stop the queasiness from starting (which happended most when I was overly tired), but it did keep it from escalating into vomiting and often made it go away. Lemons and sourpatch candy were the easiest to keep on hand...
I was nauseous 24 hours a day for 4 1/2 months during my first pregnancy. Nothing helped. I tried it all. The day I woke up and the nausea was gone was the happiest day of my life.
Any women who even gets to experience morning sickness is so incredibly lucky! I hope she can remember that and think about the big picture as she makes her way through the uncomfortable stages.
Yeah rjs65, easy for you to say! Having spent 9 full months on my hands & knees vomiting, making the decision to have only one child was pretty easy for me. The very last time was less than ONE HOUR before my son was born.
Ooh, that's quite a statement. I don't know if lucky would be the right word for it. Like MommaMia, I had an awful first pregnancy - in the hospital, rupturing veins in my eyes from throwing up so much, throwing up blood, losing 10% of my body weight and not getting back to pre-pregnancy weight 'til six months, having my gallbladder go crazy from hormones... I can't really say I felt lucky. We have a sweet one-year old now, but "uncomfortable stages"? I was so sick afterwards for a year from gallbladder problems started in pregnancy. Maybe you'd wish to be so lucky?
Incredibly lucky? Not so much. With my first one I was sick from about week four until the beginning of my last month. All day, every day for 7 months. Not so pleasant. Actually worse. Even with the prescription meds at the time I still was vomiting at least once a day. I was lucky in that I wasn't hospitalized. The only reason I got pregnant again was I could not imagine it could be worse. Although I have heard from friends for whom it was. In that way I was lucky.
Diclectin. I had severe hyperemesis (vomitting 10-20 times a day) for 7 months straight with two pregnancies and it's the only thing that allowed me to function. It was proven safe and I even participated in a Sick Kid's Mother Risk study that tracked my children's progress after taking it.
I kept some saltines by my bed and ate a few before I got up, which seemed to help. Also, try to stay hydrated and don't let yourself get hungry -- I agree about the several small meals thing. (Just don't get carried away. Remember, you are not eating for two adults, you are eating for you and a person who weighs less than ten pounds) For many women, morning sickness is mostly a problem during the first trimester, and you just need to hang in there. For the unfortunates who are sick all the way through, you have my sympathy.
A friend of mine, who suffered several miscarriages, never had morning sickness until the pregnancy that resulted in her healthy baby girl. So sometimes, it can be a positive sign!
I completely disagree about the headline of this article - from a professional and personal standpoint. I counsel pregnant women on safe homeopathic morning sickness remedies all the time, and as a mother of two - used the remedies safely during my own pregnancies.
Western medicine does not know everything. It is only 100 years old. And certainly - least of all do they know best how to care for pregnant women. Look at our birth outcomes - they are steadily declining in the US.
Nevertheless - we as women need to think for ourselves- question the "doctor as god" philosophy that causes us to bend and sway at every suggestion a physician makes (who historically has been a patriarchal system) - and start demanding more holistic care in the US - for everyone.
So ladies - take heart - there IS a cure for morning sickness. Seek out alternative remedies, rather than pharmaceuticals - and you will find something that works for you. There are many available. Don't let one article discourage you.
I find the headline to this article insulting and demeaning. If you have never suffered from morning sickness you have no idea how debilitating it can be. This article's "news" reminds me of the era not so long ago when doctors dismissed menstrual pain as "hysterical" and "all in your head". Please let's not fall back into the dark ages. Yes, pregnancy is a blessing. However, in our world, saying "sorry, there's no hope for your suffering" is inhumane.
With my first preganacy, I spent most of the first half nausous...Cadied Ginger ( kept a bottle with me at all times) worked great...just a couple of little pieces would take care of it. The other big thing, drink lots of water! I found that if I got dehidrated, I felt sicker, and would actually gag.
Now with my second preganacy, I have to say it's been even easier...But I am also eating better ( organic) and have even changed to organic and natural cleaning supplies and face and body care. The very few times I have been nausous, the candied ginger still knocks it right out.
Not everything will work for everyone...but ginger has been used for ages for just this thing ( far before modern medicine) don't get discouraged.
I suppose they are right, there isn't probably a cure for morning sickness. But there is a lot you can do to lessen the effects of it. Did the anti-nausea medication I took every day for 9 months cure the morning sickness, No. But did it curb the nausea so that I was able to eat and keep food down so that my twins could receive the nutrition they needed, YES. Hopefully physicians won't start dismissing their pregnant patients. More importantly I hope that insurance companies continue to cover medications and treatment for morning sickness.
My constant nausea and vomiting was cured; all I had to do was give birth.
I was nauseated 24-7 with all three pregnancies. The second time, my mom showed up with the cure. Stay horizontal except for the bathroom. She brought me crackers and water and watered down orange juice, and gradually added a light diet, rice and applesauce as the days went on. Eventually, she she had to take me home with her for about three more weeks. About week 12, I was good to go. With the third pregnancy, my mom was not available, and I had two children to care for. Every three days, the doctor gave me a B-12 shot, and that kept me going. Sadly, that pregnancy ended with a miscarriage at 18 weeks. As for the doctor who claims placebos sometimes work, intimating that the nausea might not be real, or prone to suggestion, is just full of it. Sometimes I think male OBs are a little too patronizing.
Jan-
The fact that placebos sometimes work has more to do with your bodies ability to heal itself then your sickness being in your mind. Many people over time have received great help and comfort from what would medically be considered a placebo. Please know that doctors and other medical professionals are aware that the nausea is real and not in your head.
When I got pregnant with my oldest back in '83, I got so sick I got down to 95 pounds. They gave me something- I can't remember what- which only came up with whatever I swallowed it with. I started feeling better around 14 weeks, but had stomach discomfort the rest of the way. My younger two I was only really sick for about two weeks- otherwise I could sort of get by with my ginger ale and crackers.
My younger daughter is carrying twins, and she's been really sick and still pretty wobbly but I understand that you get a higher amount of hormones with a multiple pregnancy.
My best suggestions were: don't let your stomach get empty, even if it's just a couple of crackers. Plenty of quality protein, but not so much milk products, with the exception of yogurt (tends to stay down easier, and hey, if it comes back up, it doesn't really taste any different, yes?). Small pieces of fruit are good, and hard candies. Avoid soda if you can, but mineral water mixed with fruit juice is good.
And remember that it will pass. And unlike other conditions that make you nauseous, you get a baby out of it!
I wasn't sick with my first pregnancy. I had gotten extremely sick during labor. I vomitted so much I became dehydrated and when I was allowed to get water it just came back up. I vomitted so hard my water broke. But my second I was so sick I had to have B shots every other day from day 1. I knew I was pregnant before the test even came positive since I would start vomitting a week before I even took the test. Then by the time I had my 4 and 5 I was so sick I even had peticia on my face from the vomitting. They then put me on Zofran and it was my lifesaver. It was expensive but well worth it since I had other kids to take care of. But compared to gall bladder problems which also cause vomitting, morning sickness was not as bad just it lingered far longer. With all of my pregnancies I ended up weighing less at delivery than I started the pregnancy with. If you need to get the help to stop the vomitting. It doesn't help the baby to go through it either.
Arrowroot biscuits and ginger (in various forms) worked best for me. I was so sick during the first 4 months, it was just awful, morning, noon and night. I lost weight and my midwife threatened to hospitalize me. I also agree that staying hydrated and "grazing" (eating small amounts often) helped immensely.
I was nauseated every time I moved for all 9 months of each pregnancy, but my mother counselled me not to start vomiting as it could lead to malnutrition and hospitalization. I didn't vomit often, determined not to get in the habit.The moment I gave birth it would lift. An empty stomach made it worse. Smelling or reading about food was almost intolerable and smells, even coffee, were horrendous. I tried all sorts of things but rest and food in the tummy helped the most. I think that doctors uite rightly don't want to mess with drugs and experimentation during pregnancy - thalidomide was an anti-nausea drug...Each pregnancy varied in intensity of nausea. Children were all 8 and 9 pounds and I gained at least 25.
There are treatments. Back in the days when I worked as a RN (now disabled on oxygen) one of our RNs was so severely sick they feared for both the mother and baby, and she was being hydrated with IV fluids, but how to get nutrition in her was still an unknown.
Until they put her on a Tigan (Trimethobenzamide http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000750) pump, like an insulin pump.
Virtually all medications carry "risks" listed, but the likelihood, depending on the drug, is anything from almost nil to significant. These "risks" - even when almost nil - are listed to minimize/prevent lawsuits. Especially when almost nil.
I don't remember how long, but it was several weeks, maybe a month or two, and they finally turned the pump off, and she was okay the final trimester.
You want to get rid of morning sickness? Watch any Sarah Palin speech before you go to bed. It will make you vomit up everything in your stomach, so when you wake up, you'll have nothing to vomit up.