Managing "Morning Sickness" Naturally

Interactive Transcript

spk_0 You are listening to the Holistic Pregnancy Podcast.

spk_0 This show is your go-to resource for all things natural pregnancy, birth, motherhood, and

spk_0 beyond.

spk_0 If you're ready to deepen your understanding of some of the most vital, transformative,

spk_0 and even controversial topics around natural living and mothering, then buckle up, grab

spk_0 yourself a nursing drink, and get ready to soak it all in.

spk_0 Hey, everyone.

spk_0 Welcome back to the show.

spk_0 If you are new around here, my name is Taylor, and I'm your host.

spk_0 I am an online educator, a Holistic Dula, and a self-proclaimed, crunchy mom.

spk_0 Today, we are diving into something that affects so many women in early pregnancy, and for

spk_0 some people, it can last beyond the first trimester even all the way to the end.

spk_0 And that is nausea, morning sickness.

spk_0 All day sickness, whatever you call it, it sucks.

spk_0 But what if we could understand the root of it and support our bodies from the inside

spk_0 out, and maybe even feel some relief without just grinning and bearing it?

spk_0 So in this episode, we're going to walk through what causes morning sickness and what we

spk_0 don't fully understand, how to support your body to prevent or lessen the morning sickness

spk_0 you experience, natural remedies that can actually help you when you are mid-wave of

spk_0 nausea, head in the toilet, like right in the thick of it.

spk_0 And then there's also a whole special section for my hyper-emesis mamas because you guys

spk_0 need support too, and it is a little different than you're just run-of-the-mill morning sickness.

spk_0 So whether you are newly pregnant or you're in the thick of it, this one is going to be

spk_0 hopefully very helpful for you.

spk_0 Throughout the episode, you might hear me mentioning a few different supplements, so I want

spk_0 to go ahead and take a second right now to tell you about my favorite brand for supplements

spk_0 so that you can just go grab those as you're listening.

spk_0 I really love just ingredients.

spk_0 I use them for supplements, electrolytes, and protein powders right now, and their stuff

spk_0 is clean, it works, and I've tried almost all of their products, and their electrolytes are

spk_0 honestly a game changer for nausea and support.

spk_0 The protein powder is another really easy way to get extra protein during pregnancy,

spk_0 which we know helps stave off that nausea and keep our blood sugar stable.

spk_0 And then of course, some of the supplements that I'll mention, like magnesium, they have really

spk_0 great options for that as well.

spk_0 So if you are looking for real ingredients without junky fillers, you will love this brand

spk_0 just as much as I do. I trust them completely. I use their products myself.

spk_0 So just wanted to throw that out there for you guys. I also have a discount code for

spk_0 just ingredients. It's all capital letters, all one word, Taylor Schaefer, T-A-Y-L-O-R-S-H-A-F-F-E-R,

spk_0 and that's for 10% off of your entire order. I dropped that link in the show notes for you guys

spk_0 so you can go grab that at any time. All right, let's get into it. But first, I've got to remind you

spk_0 that this show is not meant to be medical advice. So everything here is coming through a holistic lens.

spk_0 I am not telling you what you should be doing with your body. I am just giving you some resources,

spk_0 some options for you to take and go then do your own research, follow your intuition,

spk_0 make your own decisions. But of course, if you have any concerns, please don't hesitate to reach

spk_0 out to your provider who you trust to seek counsel. So let's get started. The first thing we're

spk_0 going to talk about is why do we feel so nauseous? Why does this happen in pregnancy? Morning sickness

spk_0 is a complex, multifactorial experience that is tied to hormones, which is your rising HCG levels,

spk_0 estrogen and progesterone. They all spike really early in pregnancy and continue to change

spk_0 throughout. And that is often the primary trigger. There's also gut changes at play. Your digestive

spk_0 system is slowing down. Your liver is working differently and bile release can be more sluggish

spk_0 than usual. You're also probably experiencing blood sugar shifts. Many women have major blood sugar

spk_0 swings in the first trimester, which is why things like eating protein and keeping that blood

spk_0 sugar stable is so important. Nutrient deficiencies like B6, magnesium, zinc and other things like

spk_0 that can definitely play a role. And then also there are stress and overstimulation features at play.

spk_0 So your nervous system is actually playing a role in the way that you are feeling physically as well.

spk_0 And then of course there is potentially protective mechanisms going on. Some researchers believe

spk_0 that it's the body's way of protecting the baby from toxins or pathogens, which could be by making

spk_0 you sensitive to strong smells, aversion to meat or vegetables, etc. But there's an important note

spk_0 here. Not all women can avoid morning sickness. There are ways that you can make it better,

spk_0 but it is not always avoidable. This is a natural physiologic part of pregnancy,

spk_0 but you don't have to be miserable. And there are some things you can do to sort of mitigate that

spk_0 nausea. So this episode is not about blaming anybody for not doing the right thing, not eating the

spk_0 right thing. Some of us can really do everything right and still feel awful. This episode is just

spk_0 to give you some tools and support to hopefully help you along your journey. Now really quick,

spk_0 I do want to pause for a quick definition check. So when I'm referring to morning sickness,

spk_0 I'm it's really just a blanket term for general pregnancy nausea. So this is going to be common

spk_0 nausea, vomiting and pregnancy. It might last for a few hours, typically peaks in the late first

spk_0 trimester. It's usually pretty manageable, even if it's miserable. And it often starts to improve

spk_0 by the second trimester. Hyperemesis or hyperemesis gravidarium, HG. This is severe persistent

spk_0 vomiting, leading to dehydration, weight loss, electrolyte and balances. It can require IV fluids,

spk_0 hospital visits, medication. This is very serious and it's not something that drinking

spk_0 ginger tea is going to just fix overnight. It's often under diagnosed or minimized, especially by

spk_0 providers who are unfamiliar with how intense it really can be. So we are going to have a section

spk_0 about that at the end of the episode, but we are starting with your regular run of the mill

spk_0 morning sickness, pregnancy nausea, okay? All right, let's talk about how to optimize your well-being

spk_0 to prevent or lessen nausea. So this section is good for you if you are in early pregnancy or maybe

spk_0 you're trying to conceive and you want to be proactive before we even get there. Sometimes

spk_0 prevention is the best medicine. So let's talk about the root support. The first thing is going to

spk_0 balancing your blood sugar. This is a great thing to start now even if you're not pregnant yet.

spk_0 Eat within 30 minutes of waking up. Fasting in the morning is not ideal for a woman who is in her

spk_0 childbearing years or is pregnant, okay? You need to be eating within 30 minutes of waking in the

spk_0 morning. Always pair your carbs with a fat or protein or both. Do not let yourself go too long

spk_0 between meals, even if it's just a few bites here and there. You don't want to let your stomach

spk_0 get empty. And then avoid refined sugars and ultra-process carbs that are going to spike and

spk_0 crash your blood sugar. The glucose roller coaster is really what is so damaging here. It's not

spk_0 that you can't have sugar here. You can't have sugar there. It's how are we minimizing those glucose

spk_0 spikes? So the things that I said, like making sure we're eating consistently, not massive meals,

spk_0 and then really long fasting periods, and making sure we always are having that protein along with

spk_0 our carbs to sustain throughout the day. Another thing you can do to sort of optimize your well-being

spk_0 is supporting your liver and digestion. So you can try eating bitter herbs before meals, like

spk_0 dandelion or gentian. If you tolerate these, you can also take a digestive bitter's tincture or

spk_0 supplement. You could drink lemon water and apple cider vinegar in the mornings, eat plenty of

spk_0 cooked greens and beets. And you could also utilize castor oil packs over your liver.

spk_0 During the preconception time, you don't want to do this during pregnancy. But if you were trying

spk_0 to conceive, you can use castor oil packs over your liver to help support its natural detoxification

spk_0 process. Another thing you're going to want to do is replenish key nutrients. So B6 is one of those

spk_0 nutrients. You can find this from food and it's actually best to have in food form because it's

spk_0 more bioavailable than taking a supplement. So B6 is found in bananas, beef liver, sunflower seeds,

spk_0 or you can also take a supplement under guidance if you'd like. Magnesium, this is my number one

spk_0 suggestion for nausea. And honestly for everything during pregnancy is magnesium, specifically magnesium

spk_0 glycinate or a magnesium complex that has glycinate in it. Topical sprays or magnesium lotion can

spk_0 be helpful as well. But I don't find them to be as effective as taking a supplement. Again,

spk_0 my favorite one is going to be the magnesium complex from just ingredients. Another vital nutrient

spk_0 is going to be zinc. And that's going to be helpful in staving off that morning sickness. You can

spk_0 find that in red meat, oysters, pumpkin seeds, or again, as a complex. And then you can also work

spk_0 daily herbal infusions into your routine. That's a great bioavailable way to keep up with those

spk_0 nutrients. But B6, magnesium and zinc, those are really big ones to make sure you're keeping

spk_0 it on top of for managing morning sickness. Nervous system care is another thing we should really

spk_0 be looking at. So prioritizing rest, making sure you're sleeping well. If you are sleeping poorly,

spk_0 you're going to wake up nauseous. That is a normal physiologic side effects of sleep deprivation.

spk_0 So prioritize rest and low stimulation, reduce screen time, over stimulation and noise,

spk_0 try nervous system resets like Vegas nerve stimulation, cold washcloth on your chest,

spk_0 deep breathing, EFT tapping. And then of course, I always suggest getting care from a nervous system

spk_0 based prenatal chiropractor during pregnancy. It helps with a litany of issues, but morning

spk_0 sickness is one of those. And then the last thing would be hydration. Electrolites are much more

spk_0 important than just plain water. So make sure you're adding sea salt or drinking coconut water or

spk_0 a type of electrolyte mix like element or like the just ingredients electrolyte sticks.

spk_0 Sip these throughout the day. Don't chug them. You want like a constant flow of electrolytes in

spk_0 an out all day long, 25 hours a day. And drink in between meals, not during your meals if that

spk_0 feels better. That can help with digestion. So you don't have a big uptick in activity in your

spk_0 stomach during that time. And you're not having diluted stomach acid, which is going to slow down

spk_0 your digestion even more. So remember what you do before and between. So like before and after

spk_0 those waves of nausea is what is going to make the future waves less intense. So now that we've

spk_0 sort of talked about how to prevent it, create that baseline so that you're not as nauseous in the

spk_0 first place. Now we can talk about what to do when the nausea actually hits. So like I'm already

spk_0 here. There is no preventing we are in the thick of it. So we're going to start with food first

spk_0 tricks. Eat before getting out of bed in the morning. This one really can be a game changer.

spk_0 Keeping food either next to your bed or in your room or having your partner, your husband,

spk_0 bring it to you when you wake up. So think starches and fats like sourdough with butter.

spk_0 Cheese is a great one like a mozzarella cheese stick with a rice cake or peanut butter or

spk_0 something like that that is going to get you that fat and a little bit of starch to sit on your

spk_0 stomach. Eat small meals frequently throughout the day like I mentioned earlier. Don't wait until

spk_0 you feel hungry. Don't let yourself get hungry. Don't let your stomach get empty. That is a

spk_0 recipe for nausea. And then you're on this roller coaster that's really hard to get off of.

spk_0 Protein and fat before bed is also going to be helpful to prevent overnight blood sugar dips,

spk_0 which can result in nausea when you first wake in the morning. Cold foods may be better tolerated

spk_0 for a lot of people during early pregnancy. So you could try cold smoothies with yogurt or skier,

spk_0 frozen fruit, collagen, protein powders, anything like that that you can drink in a cold

spk_0 form through a straw. It has very little textural features at play. It doesn't smell like anything.

spk_0 That's really helpful for a lot of people. Another thing you can try on the other hand if you can

spk_0 handle a warm food, but you're just having trouble with solid food. Bone broth, miso soup,

spk_0 or warm tea can be really nourishing and can feel really good on the stomach if you're feeling sick.

spk_0 And speaking of teas, there are some herbal and natural remedies that you could try. So the first

spk_0 would be ginger. And you can do this in tea form, but you can also do it in capsules,

spk_0 choose, or sometimes like a ginger candy if that's easier than drinking a whole cup of tea for you.

spk_0 I do suggest the tea first and foremost because you're getting the warm fluids and the ginger,

spk_0 and it's kind of like a two and one. So that would be my top suggestion. And then you could do peppermint

spk_0 tea or even peppermint essential oil and a diffuser. Red raspberry leaf tea, which is just a good

spk_0 uterine tonic. It is good digestive support. It's great for supporting your body throughout pregnancy

spk_0 anyways. So you could definitely add this in if you're drinking a lot of warm teas. Limon balm is

spk_0 really calming for nausea and anxiety. And then chamomile or phenyl tea is great for gas and

spk_0 bloating. And then there are some physical things we can do as well. So one thing you can try is

spk_0 a C band, S E A band. And it's called that because a lot of people use it for motion sickness if they

spk_0 are on a boat. But essentially what it's doing is it is a band that goes on your wrist and it pushes

spk_0 on an acupressure point that helps manage nausea. So you could try that. You could also try acupuncture

spk_0 as long as you are using a licensed pregnancy aware provider. Acupuncture is completely safe

spk_0 during pregnancy. And I personally have done acupuncture during pregnancy for a whole host of

spk_0 symptoms and really have found a lot of success with it. So I'd highly encourage you to find

spk_0 an acupuncturist in your area that specifically works with pregnant women or at least has

spk_0 experience with pregnancy. Another thing you can try is magnesium spray on your feet or your back.

spk_0 That same goes for magnesium oil or magnesium lotion. H.E. Organics is my favorite brand for

spk_0 lotion. I typically like to use that for my low back and legs during pregnancy at night.

spk_0 More so for deeper sleep and restless legs. But it definitely can be helpful for nausea as well.

spk_0 You could also try a warm rice sock on your belly. Sounds weird. But the warmth on your belly

spk_0 is really helpful sometimes if your digestion is sluggish or you're just feeling generally

spk_0 like you have an upset stomach. You could also try a cold compress on the back of the neck that

spk_0 is going to stimulate sort of that vagal response like we talked about previously. And then again

spk_0 chiropractic care for the nervous system and diaphragm regulation is going to be really beneficial

spk_0 a couple of things that you can do in your environment to support your body and prevent

spk_0 nausea from being so intense would be to open the windows to reduce smells in your home

spk_0 and alternatively using something like an air doctor purifier to make sure your air is very

spk_0 clean. Switch to unscented products which if you're listening to this podcast I'm hoping that you

spk_0 are already aware of a lot of the toxins maybe that you have used in your home with like

spk_0 cleaning products candles that sort of thing we really want to get rid of those during pregnancy

spk_0 anyways. So if you're not just that's just like an extra boost and extra motivator to go ahead

spk_0 and just ditch all of those toxic products and really switch to unscented low-tox items in your home.

spk_0 Also avoiding cooking with strong smelling foods or having someone else in your house do the

spk_0 cooking that can be really helpful. And then meal prepping and batches or asking someone else for

spk_0 help again to get stuff prepared for you so you're not having to cook every meal because you're

spk_0 not always going to feel like it and then we sort of get stuck in this cycle of I'm not hungry

spk_0 or I'm tired and I don't want to cook but then I don't eat and then I get sicker and it just

spk_0 sort of self-propeptuating cycle so make sure you're eating even if you have to ask someone else

spk_0 to meal prep for you. A quick little note on supplements I did mention previously the B6

spk_0 and magnesium glycinate you're going to want to take these you know with practitioner guidance

spk_0 if you're unsure but also you could try digestive enzymes if your food seems to be upsetting

spk_0 your stomach so like after you eat your stomach feels really heavy or you feel nauseous after eating

spk_0 digestive enzymes could be really helpful and then you can also always try homeopathic remedies

spk_0 so that would be like Nux vomica or sepia these are best with a practitioner match but if you don't

spk_0 homeopath in your area you can just look up online your exact symptoms and try to match a

spk_0 remedy to your symptoms and if it doesn't work it's not going to hurt you but it's definitely best

spk_0 to make sure your remedies match your symptoms exactly otherwise it probably just won't work for you

spk_0 and the last thing here to consider is the mind body connection sometimes just knowing what's going

spk_0 on is helpful because if you feel afraid because you're sick or like is this hurting my baby

spk_0 am I okay is this going to get worse is this going to get better that can actually exacerbate the

spk_0 nausea because you're feeling anxious so just knowing what's happening and that it's normal can

spk_0 be really helpful and then also tracking your triggers figuring out is it when I have an empty

spk_0 stomach is it certain smells that trigger it is it at a certain time of day that I feel sicker than

spk_0 others and shifting your mindset to this is temporary my body is doing incredible work I literally

spk_0 grew like a spinal column today I grew the this organ or this limb or whatever like your body is

spk_0 doing incredibly hard work especially in this first trimester and that takes a lot out of you so

spk_0 give yourself some grace and remind yourself that this is very temporary and it is normal and for

spk_0 the good of your baby and then the last thing you can dry would be gentle movement so walks

spk_0 stretching or even is lying on your side can sometimes help the worst waves of nausea pass more

spk_0 quickly okay I hope that these items have been helpful for you and there is a PDF download

spk_0 totally for free that you can get in the show notes my nausea survival guide essentially so feel

spk_0 free to go grab that and download it and now we're going to move on to talking about hyper-emesis

spk_0 gravaderum support so if you are dealing with full-blown hg I see you this is not something that you

spk_0 can mindset your way out of you really need support and a mix of holistic and medical options in

spk_0 most cases so first let's talk about the signs of hg so this looks like vomiting more than five times

spk_0 a day losing weight in your first trimester not being able to keep down water that's very very

spk_0 important because you can become dehydrated very quickly feeling dizzy weak or mentally foggy beyond

spk_0 just like oh I'm a little I have a little bit of brain fog because I'm pregnant but like you're

spk_0 like no I feel very weak foggy dizzy I have extreme food versions smell sensitivity and signs of

spk_0 dehydration like dark urine dry mouth racing heartbeat things like that are all definitely signs

spk_0 of hyper-emesis medical support options when it comes to hyper-emesis there are a few you know that

spk_0 are some are less invasive and intense and some are really invasive and intense so the first thing

spk_0 that I would say is IV fluids I am never against IV fluids I think they're helpful whether you're

spk_0 pregnant or not if you're just feeling dehydrated it doesn't hurt to get IV fluids even if you have

spk_0 to go to the hospital to get them if you don't want to go to the hospital there are typically like

spk_0 drip IV bar places near you where you can go and early impregnancy you're only going to be able to

spk_0 get a saline drip you're not going to be able to get extra vitamins and stuff just for safety reasons

spk_0 but you can almost always get a regular just hydration saline drip for fluids and that will immediately

spk_0 make you feel much better and of course there are prescription medications for HG like

spk_0 dichlygis, zofran and reglan and we are not going to go into all of the details of those I just

spk_0 want to preface with saying yes there are risks to this but there are also risks to untreated HG

spk_0 so please consult with a provider that you trust to figure out the best method of managing these

spk_0 symptoms for you for your body for your baby what you feel and your intuition is a safe option for

spk_0 you because going the most natural route is not always the answer if it is putting you in your baby

spk_0 at risk so please keep that in mind there is nothing wrong with seeking extra support from your

spk_0 provider and on that note one of the most important things that you can do in early pregnancy

spk_0 regardless is work with a midwife or an OB who takes you seriously they take HG seriously they

spk_0 really consider your concerns your convictions and trust your intuition when making these decisions

spk_0 now if you're utilizing medical care there is also other natural support options that can complement

spk_0 that medical care so this would be IV vitamin therapy you will have to talk to your doctor about

spk_0 this because like I said most drip bars or local IV places will not give you anything other than saline

spk_0 however your doctor may be able to prescribe this or offer it so something like B vitamins or

spk_0 magnesium or even a high dose B6 or B12 injection other things you can try or homeopathic remedies

spk_0 these again are tailored specifically to your symptoms and you can look those up or you can see a

spk_0 homeopath but those are safe options during pregnancy and they will not interact with other medications

spk_0 another option would be using essential oils for smell trigger mitigation so not putting these in

spk_0 your body not putting them on your body but just smelling lemon eucalyptus or peppermint oil that can

spk_0 be really helpful gentle cranioacicral therapy for nervous system regulation could be great support

spk_0 groups like the her foundation for emotional and strategic support and then delegate everything you

spk_0 are not lazy you are in survival mode it is okay to ask other people to step up and help you

spk_0 during this time remember this is a very short season and then of course make sure you are on top

spk_0 of your nourishment sip on bone broth or chicken broth try smoothies with added protein or amino

spk_0 acids drink coconut milk or coconut water protein shakes if you can tolerate them anywhere you can

spk_0 get in extra nourishment get it in remember that HG is not your fault it's not something that you can

spk_0 stop or fix if it happens it happens and you deserve compassionate and layered support so even

spk_0 though this might be the hardest thing that you've ever done I want you to know there isn't end

spk_0 you're doing it and there are people out there who can support you you just have to be willing

spk_0 to ask them for help so now that we talked about morning sickness and HG let's wrap this up with a

spk_0 quick little recap nausea is complex but it is not random there are things that you can do to support

spk_0 your body preventatively and reactively you do not have to suffer through it without any tools

spk_0 at all and if you are unfortunately navigating HG you are not alone and you're not doing anything wrong

spk_0 you just need a little extra support and that's okay so please remember you can download my free

spk_0 nausea survival guide in the show notes and if you're wanting a little more detailed help when

spk_0 it comes to learning how to nourish yourself and eat during early pregnancy real food prenatal might

spk_0 be a great option for you it is a course that's all about prenatal nourishment and essentially

spk_0 eating instead of taking prenatal vitamins so there is a lot of information there that could be

spk_0 helpful for you if you want to take a look around those links are always in the show notes as well

spk_0 you can just click explore the courses or learn more about our courses and look at those but

spk_0 I hope that you'll download the free guide and I hope that this brought you some help if you try

spk_0 any of these remedies and you feel like wow this was life changing this really did the trick

spk_0 please send me a DM on Instagram I really want to know what is helping you guys in real time

spk_0 so that I can better support more moms in the future my clients you guys on the podcast my social

spk_0 media family so please DM me over at nested and nourished on Instagram I really want to talk

spk_0 with you I really want to know what's helpful for you all right take care of yourself this week

spk_0 rest and remember this is just a phase it will not last forever and I will see you here next week

spk_0 thanks for listening if you enjoyed this episode please share the love a great way to do that

spk_0 is by taking a screenshot and posting it to your Instagram story with a few key takeaways from

spk_0 the episode make sure to tag at nested and nourished because I love to reshare listener content

spk_0 I would also be super grateful if you would leave a rating and review for the show wherever you

spk_0 get your podcasts this is majorly helpful in bumping the algorithm and getting the work out to

spk_0 other potential listeners who wouldn't otherwise know about the show and again if you haven't already

spk_0 be sure to head to the show notes and join our newsletter to stay in the loop I hope you all

spk_0 have a wonderful day and I will see you in the next episode

Managing "Morning Sickness" Naturally

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