Newly pregnant mothers are nervous and often uneasy most of the times. In order to avoid taking medications (and rightfully so!) they try home-remedies to help them with their discomfort. Most of these do not work because the cause is never tackled. It is a myth that it is normal for new mothers to be nauseous and so they have to bear it. Data suggests that 70-80% will experience nausea (might be extreme for some people with vomiting) and it is often taken as a positive sign for a good pregnancy. There will be change in the saliva, change of desires with respect to food and change of taste. These are due to hormonal changes notably the increase in hCG and progesterone hormone. Nausea is a fundamentally protective phenomenon which was developed so that mothers can avoid ingesting potential toxins accidentally. But today we live in a different world where we won’t go and forage on toxic wild berries.
I personally agree with all the reasoning but what I don’t agree with is the fact that they have to live with the feeling of nausea for at least the first three months. Anyone who has experienced extreme nausea and vomiting during pregnancy knows how uncomfortable and stressful it can be. Following are two case studies where morning sickness was managed successfully using homeopathy
Case 1
One such new mother came to me with pregnancy related nausea. According to her calculations, she was probably 3-4 weeks pregnant. She had of course skipped her period, had a positive pregnancy test and had all the signs of pregnancy. But in addition, she also had this debilitating nausea where she constantly felt she would throw up. Brushing was an ordeal for her because she would gag at the mere taste of the toothpaste. It was particularly worse after eating sweets, eggs, and fish. Anything remotely sweet would trigger her gag reflex and so she preferred eating spicy, sour things. She had vomited on a few occasions but she felt it was getting worse. Since she was told that nausea is “normal” during pregnancy she endured it until she felt the need to seek some help. Naturally, my first option was to offer homeopathy because it is safe during pregnancy and it does not suppress anything. Rather it helps the body naturally overcome the distress.
After taking her history and some examination, I gave her Graphites. After one dose, she slowly felt her nausea settling down. The next day her nausea slightly increased in the morning and she was unable to have any breakfast. Her appetite was at an all time low and she almost did not have anything the whole day. Her stomach got the time to recover and the next day her nausea was gone and appetite was back to normal. Sweets continued to cause her little nausea for the first trimester but for all other tastes she was no longer nauseous. By her second trimester she was completely free of her symptoms and felt good about being pregnant!
Case 2
11 weeks pregnant mother came to me with severe morning sickness but no vomiting. She was extremely nauseous all the time and it was especially worse in the evening when she had to go to the park and sit in open air for some respite. Nausea was particularly bad a couple of hours after every meal. She also had a history of acidity since a few years.
After taking her whole history I prescribed her the remedy Lycopodium in the consultation room itself. Within an hour her nausea was better by 60% and she went home with carrying a huge smile on her face.
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