Ayurvedic Treatment for Morning Sickness

What is morning sickness?

Morning sickness refers to nausea and vomiting that can occur at any point during pregnancy.

Morning sickness can last all day, not just in the morning.

It can genuinely arise at any time of day or night.

Most women experience it throughout the first trimester and then plateaus 1-2 weeks into the second trimester.

Nausea during pregnancy is unpleasant.

While having severe aversions to specific meals and fragrances, a woman’s heightened sense of smell might make it worse. Even meals you used to enjoy might make you feel nauseous.

Is morning sickness a disease

Morning sickness itself is not harmful to newborns (or infants). A lack of nutrition (vomiting after meals/liquids) and weight loss might indicate a more severe problem that needs medical treatment.

If you are having any of these symptoms, consult your doctor so that hyperemesis gravidarum may be ruled out.

Symptoms of morning sickness

• A feeling of uneasiness during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. Women compare it to horrible automobile sickness.
• An uneasy feeling can occur in the morning but at any time of day or night, or it might last all day.
• A severe dislike or aversion to foods or scents that make you feel nauseous or cause you to vomit.
• An unpleasant sensation might occur while you are hungry or after eating, where a nauseating feeling accompanies vomiting.
• Dehydration and malnutrition

Causes of Morning Sickness

Uncertainty surrounds morning sickness. Believe it or not, nobody truly knows what causes it! Among the hypotheses are:

• Elevated hCG levels, the pregnancy hormone, coincide with the worst morning sickness period.
• A metallic taste that some pregnant women perceive.
• Increased smell sensitivity brought on by scent phobias that make you feel queasy throughout pregnancy.
• Too much saliva, makes you feel worse.
• The digestive system’s muscles relax as hormone levels rise, which reduces the effectiveness of digestion.
• Reflux or heartburn, can occur during pregnancy.
• Altered immunological responses
• Neurological factors

Is morning sickness common in pregnant women?

About 50% of pregnant women experience emesis gravidarum during the first trimester of their pregnancy, a frequent obstetrical condition globally.

In the morning, nausea and vomiting typically get worse.

The symptoms of morning sickness usually last all day. Early on in a pregnancy, nausea and vomiting are pretty frequent.

Simple vomiting can progress to severe conditions if we don’t treat it.

Therefore, one should be careful to treat this problem early and avoid consequences.

Ayurvedic classics have a variety of formulations and recipes that a pregnant lady may readily adopt into day-to-day living for morning sickness.

These are accessible and simple to prepare.

What week does morning sickness start?

It usually occurs during the first trimester, i.e. around the 6th week of pregnancy, and ends at about the 16th week of pregnancy.

It is worse in the 9th week for some women.

Ayurvedic perspective of morning sickness

Ayurvedic classics have mentioned morning sickness or emesis gravidarum as one of the signs of pregnancy (Vyakta Garbha lakshanas), which can be correlated with emesis gravidarum. 

During pregnancy, various abnormal causative factors practiced by pregnant women, together with the lack of proper Antenatal care (Garbhini Paricharya), decrease digestive fire (Agnimandya). Furthermore, mental factors such as activation of the fetal heart lead to an increase in vata dosha, which in turn causes diminution of digestive fire, causing aggravation of kapha dosha.

This Kapha dushti, together with the Pitta dushti, will lead to the formation of toxins in the body (Utklishtata of Dosha or Aamasanchaya).

This accumulation of toxins can obstruct the normal movement of vata dosha, bringing about a mess in the gastrointestinal tract.

The accumulated toxins are expelled through the mouth by Udana and Vyana vata resulting in emesis of gravidarum.

Complications

If emesis gravidarum is not treated correctly, it may lead to hyperemesis gravidarum, and as a result, the baby may suffer from severe nutritional deficiencies and associated diseases.

Risk factors

• Hyperemesis Gravidarum in a previous pregnancy
• Multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets, or more)
• Primigravidae (experiencing one’s first pregnancy)
• Hyperemesis gravidarum or a genetic history of severe morning sickness
• A prior history of migraines or motion sickness
• Obesity
• Stress

When to see a doctor?

If the vomiting is uncontrollable and you cannot eat anymore, then you should consult a physician immediately.

Ayurvedic treatments to manage morning sickness

• Water boiled with parched rice (malar) and sugar
• Pomegranate syrup
• Madiphala rasayanam
• Vilwadi lehyam
• Mahadhanwantharam garbharakshini gulika
• Mathulai manappu
• Vilwadi gulika
• Coriander, parched rice, along with sugar in equal quantity

Diet and Lifestyle Changes

• Drink plenty of water
• Eat at regular intervals
• Strictly avoid oily, spicy and junk foods
• Include more proteins and fewer carbohydrates
• Do not get up from bed immediately
• Practice pranayama regularly
• Sip tender coconut water at intervals
• Include more organic vegetables and fruits

Preventive measures

Ayurvedic classics mention proper preconception and antenatal care, which can eliminate the discomforts of pregnancy, including morning sickness.

Conclusion

Morning sickness or emesis gravidarum is one of the common symptoms of pregnancy.

Even without treatment, the symptoms for some women will resolve.

For women who experience more persistent problems, there are some natural approaches they could adopt to improve symptoms.

These could include increasing oral fluid intake, eating small frequent meals, eating bland foods/protein-predominant meals, avoiding spicy, odorous, and fatty foods, and stopping iron-containing multivitamins.

However, for others, a range of ayurvedic treatments available could provide satisfactory results.