Supporting You Every Step of the Way: A Blog Series for Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine During Pregnancy
By J. Ingrid Gerberick, R.Ac
PART ONE: First Trimester “Morning Sickness”
An Acupuncture/TCM Supported Pregnancy:
Pregnancy can be both a wonderful and extremely challenging time. Whether it’s your first or fourth baby, each pregnancy can offer different symptoms to manage (as well as different joys!). Working as a Registered Acupuncturist supporting people in pregnancy for over 7 years, I’ve seen firsthand that many symptoms can be greatly eleviated or even eliminated with regular acupuncture treatments and a few simple lifestyle adjustments.
Many people turn to natural remedies in pregnancy, but it can be overwhelming to know which ones are safe. When administered by a Registered Acupuncturist, acupuncture has been found to be both safe and effective in treating many pregnancy-related issues, according to multiple scientific studies (such as the one listed below.) In this series of blog posts, I will be outlining common pregnancy symptoms and how I can support you every step of the way. In this first post, I will be discussing “Morning Sickness”. More accurately described as nausea and/or vomiting in pregnancy, since it is not strictly a morning issue for many pregnancies.
Misconceptions of Pregnancy:
Many of us learn what we know about pregnancy from hilariously simplified and sometimes downright incorrect media depictions. In movies and shows, a woman gets pregnant, has “morning sickness”, becomes very round, has a hard time walking. Eventually her water breaks, at which point she is rushed to the hospital where she immediately has a baby while yelling and swearing. When people are pregnant for the first time, they are often shocked by how many different phases there are and how we experience each stage.
Pregnancy is not a monolith but a dynamic process. One human body makes another, with many twists and turns that are much easier to navigate with some support. The symptoms in pregnancy are not inevitable or untreatable. Your quality of life during the process can be greatly improved through treatment, lifestyle adjustments, and with the supervision of your midwife or OBGYN.
“Morning Sickness” aka Nausea and/or Vomiting in Pregnancy:
What I have observed in my clinical practice is that for many people, the first trimester can actually be the hardest time of their pregnancy. There are major physiological changes that happen in a very short period of time. Namely the production of specific hormones that have many effects in the body. Also a massive increase in blood volume, and the vital organs reorganizing themselves to accommodate the changing size of your uterus. Because so many of these changes are invisible to those around us, suffering in silence can add to the discomfort.
While nausea/vomiting is one of the better known pregnancy symptoms, it is also seen as inevitable. It is often considered something to just wait out and hope will dissipate as the pregnancy progresses.
Lifestyle Tips for Preventing Nausea:
The first trimester signalling for hunger can be shockingly strong, and can come on very quickly. Similarly, and seemingly in contradiction, the intense aversion to foods, smells and eating can come on very fast as well. Nausea can be made exponentially worse by both these factors. There are many relatively simple adjustments that can majorly impact and prevent nausea and vomiting. In my practice, the two most common triggers I see are hunger and thirst.
One of the first things I tell all newly pregnant patients is that the best way to prevent nausea is to stay ahead of eating and drinking. Easier said than done! But, equipped with a few tricks, it is not impossible.
EAT SOON AFTER WAKING:
In TCM, we always stress the importance of eating within an hour or so of waking. We emphasis eating warm foods to support the Spleen and Stomach organ systems that are the root of digestion. This becomes especially important in pregnancy when they are working double time to produce the Qi and Blood necessary to support growing a new life. The ideal TCM breakfast is a grain porridge of some kind, like oatmeal or congee. A great way to add more protein to any porridge is with liquid egg whites. They are virtually tasteless but very high in protein and can be added towards the end of cooking. If porridge is not your thing, a savoury rice bowl with an egg on top can serve a similar purpose.
EAT WHAT YOU CRAVE:
Many people find their normal taste palate shifts a lot in pregnancy. You may previously have eaten a very balanced diet of vegetables and protein-rich meats and/or legumes, these foods may feel off-putting now. Don’t try to force yourself to eat foods you find (hopefully temporarily) disgusting. Forcing healthy foods you normally love can reinforce low appetite, food aversion and digestive upset. The foods I see produce the strongest aversions are leafy green vegetables (especially raw), cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage etc), red meat, chicken, fishy smelling foods and strongly flavoured foods. It seems counterintuitive that we would find such healthy foods off-putting, but there may be a reason our tastes change so much..
The foods people frequently crave are bread products, fruit and dairy, and generally more bland foods. In these carb-fearing days, it can feel nerve-wracking only tolerating foods we see as less healthy. Especially at a time when we are considering not just our own health but also the health of our baby. However, there is both a scientific and Traditional Chinese Medicine reason for this shift. Bodies require a substantial amount of glucose for fuel, and carbohydrates are the primary source (see below study for changes in barb recommendation during pregnancy). During pregnancy, the fetus and the placenta require a substantial amount of glucose, likely explaining the uptick in carb cravings.
Meeting Nutritional Requirements:
In TCM, the sweet flavour is associated with the Spleen. When eating the correct kind of “sweet” foods (as listed below) the Spleen can function at its best, to help produce the Qi and Blood necessary to nourish new life.
Listen to your cravings, your body is actually telling you something important. The information just might need to be translated somewhat. The trick is to avoid simple carbs as much as possible, as well as refined sugar, opting for complex carbohydrates instead. Whole grains, root vegetables, squash and corn can all be great sources of carbohydrate that’s broken down more slowly than refined bleached flours or sugary foods.
Dairy (if you are not intolerant or vegan) can be a great source of protein, healthy fats and calcium. Eaten moderately in pregnancy, it has been shown to have a positive impact on fetal growth and infant birth weight. Fruits are full of fiber, fluids and micronutrients, as well as sugars. It can be helpful to eat them alongside slower digesting foods or in slightly smaller amounts throughout the day rather than all at once.
EAT SMALL PORTIONS, MORE FREQUENTLY
Because hunger is one of the main triggers for nausea, making sure to stay ahead of blood sugar crashes is key. As mentioned above, starting to eat earlier in the day can help a lot. Moving away from eating big meals many hours apart is crucial. One of the eating patterns I see most frequently with my patients is little or no breakfast, a moderate lunch and a very large dinner. I offer the suggestion of 4 relatively small meals throughout the day. And I often advise folks to start carrying healthy snacks on them at all times.
To ensure not getting caught out when hunger hits, carry nuts, fruits, low sugar granola bars, sugar free apple sauce and yogurt cups . Eating more frequently in smaller amounts also helps avoid overeating, and are major triggers for nausea.
REST WHEN YOU ARE TIRED:
This one might seem obvious in theory, but in my experience it is surprisingly hard to remember to do in practice. Exhaustion can absolutely trigger or exacerbate nausea. Remember, your body is working 24 hours a day on the inside to produce a whole new human. This is hard work! Being tired makes perfect sense. Your body is, again, giving you good information. Even a 10 minute nap, or a few minutes of sitting down can make a huge difference. If it’s normal for you to push your physical limits, this can be a challenging practice but well worth the adjustment.
In Conclusion:
The biggest take-away of my practice working with people experiencing “Morning Sickness” is that suffering is not inevitable. Of course, everyone is different, and responds differently to treatment. I have seen many people who were able to go from feeling miserable to tolerable, and even great, once they have some support.
If you would like to learn more, or book an appointment with me, find the link below.