I spent 5 years working at The Wholistic Medical Centre in Surry Hills, Sydney (Established 1982). I was part of a team of practitioners that included GPs, Chinese Medicine Practitioners, Acupuncturists, Naturopaths and Counsellors. Our clinic had a reputation for Womens Health and we regularly held forums to discuss different conditions. At one of these get togethers my colleagues and I sat down to discuss pregnancy related issues and I thought I would give you a summary of their many decades of experience in dealing with Morning Sickness.

Morning sickness afflicts people to varying degrees. I have seen patients who claims to have only had “1 or 2 days where I felt a little nausea”. Others can become so violently ill and lose so much weight that they need to be hospitalised. At the centre we generally took a natural approach to helping our patients; even the GPs were extremely minimal in their reliance on medications. There are certain medications that cannot be taken whilst pregnant so this further increases the need for natural remedies.

The general consensus amongst practitioners based on clinical experience as well as supporting scientific data was they they had seen the best results with the following:

• Vitamin B6 – Vitamin B6 is the primary supplement most commonly suggested for morning sickness; Researchers at the University of Iowa College of Medicine concluded that women who were pregnant who ingested 25 milligrams of B6 per day had significantly less nausea and vomiting. When taking B6, most doctors at our clinic suggested to take the supplement first thing in the morning, then take a second dose around lunchtime.

• Ginger – A Systematic review of the literature published in the UK found that ginger works as well as drugs (Metoclopramide). Another study found that 250mg of powdered ginger 3 times a day for 4 days “significantly reduced nausea and vomiting”. The other benefit is that there are none of the side effects associated with drugs.

• Acupuncture – Studies have been slightly inconsistent but some have shown extremely promising results. One study of over 100 women found a 60% reduction in symptoms (nausea, dry retching, vomiting) in patients receiving acupuncture and acupressure to the wrist and forearm.

• Small frequent meals – Eat five or six frequent meals that combine carbohydrates and proteins, The key here is to always have easily digestible food in your stomach. Chewing gum might also help quell feelings of nausea.

In more recent studies, researchers from Columbia University’s department of obstetrics and gynecology and the university’s Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research in Women’s Health evaluated all available evidence for every type of alternative remedy for morning sickness.

They concluded that “acupressure, vitamin B₆, and ginger are currently the most effective.”

Always consult your doctor before commencing any of these.

Christopher Jones is an Australian Osteopath. After 8 years of full-time University study he was recognised as a Doctor. He is a published author on the topic of treating pelvic pain during pregnancy.