Treat Morning Sickness With Acupuncture
Morning sickness affects between 50 and 90 percent of all pregnant women in one way or another. Some women experience morning sickness throughout their entire pregnancies, while others feel a little "green" only during the first trimester. Morning sickness can include nausea, vomiting and aversions to certain foods or odors. Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) often use acupuncture to even out hormone imbalances. For this reason, women may choose to treat their severe or long-lasting morning sickness with acupuncture.
Instructions
1. Use a calendar to keep track of your morning sickness symptoms and bring it with you to your first acupuncture appointment. Note the week of pregnancy you are in and how you are feeling each day. Write down any specific foods or smells that seem to trigger episodes of nausea or vomiting.
2. Find a certified acupuncturist who can work with you to treat your morning sickness. Ask your doctor if he can refer you to an acupuncturist who specializes in women's health. If you do not have a referral, use the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture's online directory (see Resources below).
3. Schedule twice-weekly acupuncture appointments for 2 weeks as a "trial run" to see if acupuncture will be able to treat your morning sickness. People who have not used acupuncture before need at least four sessions to adjust to the treatments. If you find the treatment works for you, you can then work out a regular schedule of sessions with your acupuncturist.
4. Eat a small snack 2 hours before you are scheduled for acupuncture to prevent lightheadedness or dizziness during the appointment. Bland foods such as crackers, dry toast or ginger ale are foods that are generally tolerated by pregnant women who experience morning sickness.
5. Wear a shirt with sleeves that can be easily pushed up during treatment. Take off your watch and bracelets prior to your appointment. The main acupoint that is used for morning sickness is on your forearms, above the wrists.
6. Follow the acupuncturist's suggestions to keep morning sickness at bay between appointments. She may suggest that you buy motion sickness wristbands to wear after your acupuncture sessions. These are bands that put pressure on the points above the wrists that are manipulated during acupuncture and they are available at many drug stores.
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