Congratulations! You're... Nauseous...
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Well... it's a natural, normal, mysterious, uncomfortable sign of a healthy 1st Trimester of your pregnancy. There are a lot of theories about the cause and purpose of early pregnancy nausea, which we can discuss in your consultations. Right now, you just need to FEEL BETTER, if at all possible. So let's focus on the WHAT rather than the why. Besides... reading is AWFUL when you are nauseous. There are many additional considerations that are addressed in working with Kaya privately including understanding how your body-mind type interacts iwth the pregnancy and postpartum experience, increasing pregnancy superfoods, learning prenatal and postpartum self-care practices, herbal medicine consdierations and depth of understanding about each stage of your pregnancy. This page is JUST to address nausea.
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Holistic Care Tips
- Ginger Tea {cool is okay if living in a hot climate and hot beverages make you more nauseous
- Eating gooseberry
- Coconut water with or without a squeeze of lime
- Ginger candies, gingerale
- Bubbly water
- Place a few cardamom seeds in mouth and suck or cardamom floating in a glass of pomegranate juice and sip
- If your prenatal vitamins contribute to nausea, break them in half and take at separate parts of the day or buy a kind that is taken in 3 daily doses, such as New Chapter. If you have to take a month off from your Prenatals or skip every other day, it's okay {just eat a balanced whole food diet}.
- Milk, sesame milk, sunflower seed milk or almond milk is recommended daily to nourish the fetus and reduce pitta and vata symptoms with protein and nourishment.
- Black cardamom - roast dry in a pan, remove the seeds and grind 1/4 tsp and have with milk or some sweetener (but avoid excess honey during pregnancy) or rock salt if sweet increases nausea.
- Snacking on lightly salted crackers throughout the day {prenatal nausea is generally considered a vata issue, and the salt will help}.
Eating Habit Tips
- Eat small, frequent meals / snacks throughout the day. A stomach that is TOO empty or TOO full will cause more nausea / excess acidity during pregnancy. Try having something every two hours.
- Increase plant-based protein sources
- Eat something immediately upon waking
- Drink small sips of water throughout the day
- Having someone ELSE do the cooking. You may be more nauseous cooking / thinking about food than if someone just puts the food in front of you. Then don't feel guilty about only eating small amounts at a time
- You may find that you can't repeat a meal more than 1-2 times, especially in a row / or you may find you repeatedly want the same thing
- Generally eat what you are craving and do not eat what doesn't appeal.
- Avoid leftovers
- Have something by the bed to nibble {eg saltine crackers} immediately upon waking
- Be careful about food combining which can cause gut fermentation and more nausea {eg. no fruit combined with other foods {exception is dried fruit, such as raisins in granola or dates in oatmeal}
- Crunchy foods {aka crackers, almonds, sunflower seeds or apples} or biscuity things {like scones} can help
- Sour foods decrease nausea for some {often Vata Mams}, and increase it for others {often Pitta and Kapha Mamas}. Examples are apple cider vinegar, lemon, lime.
- Simple flavors - nothing TOO pungent, too sweet, too sour etc. Such as steamed vegetables with olive oil and a little salt
- Pitta Mamas may find sweet fruits keep nausea at bay {but can aggravate nausea symptoms for Kapha Mamas}
Additional Helpful Hints
- Daily walking in fresh air {if it is hot where you live, choose early morning or moon walks}
- Acupuncture under the care of a practitioner specializing in pregnancy.
- Nausea wrist pressure wrist bands like these
- Vata Mamas may get relief from salt, sour and slightly sweet foods, with a bland rather than a strong taste.
- Kapha Mamas may get relief from spicy {black pepper} and bitter {such as kale}
- Pitta Mamas may get relief from sweet, cooling and slightly bland foods {such as apples, melons, and cucumber}