Help For Morning (Or All Day) Sickness

Nausea is actually a good sign that your pregnancy hormone levels are high enough to allow your baby to develop and grow. But if you don't feel sick, don't worry, as you may just be one of the lucky ones!  8 out of 10 women feel nausea in pregnancy at some point. 

In the beginning of your pregnancy, your body is producing the hormone hCG in large quantities. Once your placenta takes over (around 12-14 weeks), hCG levels drop and your nausea should ease. But other hormones like estrogen and thyroxine can contribute to nausea as well, and increase during the entire pregnancy- especially if you are expecting multiples, so don’t worry if you experience some sick days even up to delivery.

Here are some things that can help:

Reduce Stress

If you are tired, stressed, or anxious, your nausea can be worse.  Get plenty of rest and consider taking time off from some of your responsibilities.  Take your neighbor up on her offer to take the kids to the park, delegate things you have committed to do at home or work, and say no to the next bake sale. You can be superwoman later, right now you are making a baby- It doesn’t get more “super power” than that!

Snack

Being hungry will bring on the nausea. Eat frequent small meals, and notice which foods make your symptoms worse.  Rich, fried, fatty or highly-spiced foods are regular culprits.  Also, eating protein at night can sometimes help in the morning (though this can add to heartburn later in pregnancy).  Don’t worry if your diet is perfectly balanced right now, you can make up for it with plenty of green smoothies when you are able to keep them down.

Drink Water

Keep well hydrated with whatever liquids work for you.  Try sipping on ice water with slices of citrus or berries, chicken broth, or barley water (simmer 1 C hulled barley in 2qt water for 30 min., strain and add honey and lemon to taste- great for hydration!)

Ginger

Ginger is a common remedy in Chinese medicine. It's based on the system of yin and yang and other opposing factors, including heat and cold. Ginger is a hot (yang) remedy and can make your sickness worse if you are already too hot. Ginger may help you if you normally get cold easily, and find hot drinks soothing.  

Try ginger capsules, oil, or making a tea from grated ginger root: Steep two tsp. in boiling water, leave it to cool, and sip throughout the day.  *Do not use ginger if you are taking anti-coagulant medicine or aspirin for blood clots.*

Peppermint

Peppermint is cooling (yin) and works to opposite of ginger.  It is great for you if you feel hot (always removing layers of clothing) and like iced drinks.  Try sipping peppermint tea, sucking on peppermint life savers or other candy, or chewing mint gum.

Acupressure Wrist Bands

Pressing an acupuncture point on your wrist can help to relieve your nausea. There are wristbands with instructions at most drug stores.   I have seen these simple bands make a huge difference!  

To find the pressure point:  Use one hand on the inside of your opposite wrist, measuring up three finger widths from the crease between your hand and arm.  At the point where your third finger is, lift the pressure off until you are just touching the skin and feel lightly for a slight dip. Press deeply into this dip and it will feel bruised. Place the button on the wristbands at this tender point on both wrists, or just press with your fingers.  When you experience a wave of nausea, press on the button on each wrist about 20 to 30 times at one second intervals. Both at the same time works best.  If you don’t have bands, ask someone to do it for you on both wrists.

Music 
If movement, such as riding in a car, makes your sickness worse, try listening to music with pulsating drum beats (I like African Drumming https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIwv3eh4Mq4&list=RDwXV39pybgJU&index=5 )  Wearing headphones may help to allow the music and pulsations to rebound against your ear.

Aromatherapy 
Oils and aromatherapy can be very helpful, but if using a particular oil causes headaches or sickness, reduce the amount you are using, or try something else and give that oil a break for a week or two.  Use a diffuser first, and if it helps, the oil can be mixed with almond oil, olive oil or fractionated coconut oil and rubbed on the bottom of your feet, your tummy, or under your nose- whatever helps!

Essential oils to try include: Ginger, Peppermint, Lemon, Lavender, or Orange

Remember: If you are vomiting several times a day and unable to eat and drink without vomiting, call your midwife or doctor. Severe vomiting and sickness may lead to dehydration, which may require extra treatment.

How A Doula Helps With Your Epidural

I get this question a lot:  "What if I decide to have an epidural?  What would you do then?"  The answer is many things!

Just the presence of a doula lowers the risk of complications.  A doula will help during the epidural procedure, help you change positions to keep blood flowing and baby in the right position, and keeps YOU the focus of the birth experience.

This article from birthing beautiful ideas says it perfectly:

One common misconception about doulas is that they are only for women who plan on having a drug-free (or “natural” or unmedicated) childbirth.

This is simply not true!

Doulas are for all women, even those who are think that they might want to use epidural medication during labor.

Notably, some doulas only take on clients who are planning for a drug-free birth. In most cases, however, you will be able to find a local doula who will support you even if you strongly desire to use an epidural during labor.  (And it is always best to ask prospective doulas about the sort of support they offer when a woman chooses to use an epidural!)

Here are some of the ways that s/he can offer this support:

A doula can help you receive accurate and transparent information about epidurals before labor

Although they are generally very effective forms of pain relief during labor, epidurals are not without risks or potential negative side effects.  They can lead to anything from a drop in the mother’s blood pressure to fetal distress to an increased risk of forceps and vacuum delivery.

A doula can help to explain these risks to you during a prenatal meeting so that you can make as informed a decision as possible about your birth choices.  Just think–most of us don’t even want to take an over-the-counter pill without knowing its potential side effects before we take it.  The same goes for an epidural!

A doula can help you to wait as long as possible before getting an epidural

Waiting as long as possible to receive an epidural can help to minimize some of the epidural risks, such as fetal malpositioning or slowing of labor progress.  The physical and emotional comfort measures that a doula offers can help you to cope with contractions until you do want an epidural.  And you might even find that you are coping well enough to forego the epidural and the potential negative side effects that accompany it!

And even if you are completely set on getting an epidural as soon as possible, it is very unlikely that you will be able to receive an epidural as soon as you walk into the door of the hospital!  Most women have to wait–some even up to a few hours–in between requesting an epidural and actually receiving one.  A doula can help you to cope with your contractions during that “waiting period.”

A doula will remain non-judgmental about your choice to receive epidural analgesia during labor

Some women who use epidural analgesia hear things like this from their friends and family members:

“Oh, I knew you couldn’t do it without drugs!” or “Yeah, I’m glad you weren’t a martyr for the pain!” or “Aren’t you glad that you just gave in and went for the drugs?!”

A doula worth her weight in birth balls would never make insensitive and demeaning claims like these!  And this is partly because doulas don’t think that women need to be rescued from the pain of childbirth.  All women are strong–strong enough to cope with the pain of labor, but also strong enough to choose for themselves (and not under pressure of the hospital staff or friends and family members) when they would prefer to use pain medication during labor.

A doula can stay with you for the epidural administration

Generally, anesthesiologists will allow one support person to stay with you while s/he administers an epidural.  Some will allow more than one.  But even if only one person is allowed to stay for the epidural, a doula might come in handy if your partner is known to get queasy or faint at the sight of needles, blood, and medical procedures!

A doula can help you to change positions during your labor

Even though epidurals greatly limit a woman’s mobility, this doesn’t mean that women must lie completely still on their backs when they are using an epidural.  In fact, it is important for women to stay as mobile as possible, even while using an epidural!

Turning from side to side every twenty to thirty minutes, sitting up (with the help of someone else), or simply rotating between side-lying and sitting can help to prevent a common side effect of epidurals–namely, fetal malpositioning, which can lead to slowed labor progress and, often, cesarean section.  A doula can help you to change positions–or even just to remind you to change positions–so that you can avoid these potential side effects.

A doula will ensure that you–and not the tubes and machines surrounding you–are the center of attention

Some women find that after they receive an epidural, the hospital staff and others around them almost “forget” as if they exist anymore.  The focus seems to turn solely toward the fetal monitor, the blood pressure cuff, and the IV fluids and/or medication–but not toward the woman who is still laboring.

While a doula does not play as active of a role after a mother receives an epidural, her attention is still always turned toward the laboring woman.  Whether she is reminding and/or assisting you in changing positions, “tucking you in” so that you can sleep, reminding you to ask questions about recommended interventions, or simply continuing supporting you emotionally, you are always her primary focus!

So don’t think that a doula “isn’t for you” if you have your heart set on an epidural.  Doula support can offer benefits to all types of women–even those who strongly desire epidurals during labor!

(http://birthingbeautifulideas.com/?p=1654)


Check out these great articles as well:

http://offbeatfamilies.com/2012/03/doula-at-hospital-birth

http://www.bloomspokane.com/2011/06/30/ill-take-a-doula-and-an-epidural/

Perfect Kaden

Perfect 2 month old Kaden!- added by permission from 1st time mom Katie.  I was lucky to be able to support their birth center experience, it was beautiful, and mom is loving her little guy!

5 Reasons Dads Should Demand a Doula

About.com published a great article by a new dad on how a Doula is support for Dad too!

1- A doula can spell you when you need a break.
2- A doula remembers what she learned in childbirth class.
3- A doula knows the questions to ask.
4- A doula speaks the language of labor.
5- A doula keeps you calm.

Check out the full article here:  http://pregnancy.about.com/od/doula1/a/dads-and-doulas.htm

Sweet Rebecca

Sweet Rebecca Gwen

Added by permission from her amazing mama Dawn Marie.  A beautiful and perfect home birth, I was so blessed to be able to support them!

About me- Why be a Doula?

My name is Andrea.  I am a mother of 5, with a strong reliance on faith, and my connection with God.  I have experienced some of the ups and downs of life including divorce at a young age with 2 small children, and a blended military family (15 great years now!)

As a military wife I have been able to travel (one of my passions!) and have lived on military bases.  I have experienced the incredible strength of women, mothers, and friends supporting each other, and each other’s families, during times of stress and joy.  And as a medical social worker, I have worked on call in all different areas of a hospital.  My FAVORITE place is the Labor and Delivery floor and the Newborn Intensive Care Unit.  There is a very special feeling in these areas of care that I have connected with, and love.

After 30 years of supporting birth as a daughter, sister, friend, and professional, I have finally decided to officially become certified as a birth and postpartum doula, and eventually a midwife!  I have a deep desire and calling to help and support women through their pregnancy and birth experiences, and beginning stages of bonding and creating a new family.  I feel strongly that when women can be in charge of their own health experiences, with assistance of caregivers, and with their own knowledge, they will feel empowered to better care for themselves and their families.  By assisting women to have their own voice and choices, we will create better health and well being in not just pregnancy and birth, but all areas of life.

In my first post, I have to show off my own amazing family!  (Yes, it in fact is impossible to get a picture without SOMEONE pulling a face)  

My oldest son is now serving the people of Mexico for 2 years, so this snapshot is very special.  I am SO SO lucky to have the support and blessing of my entire family as I begin this new direction. Please subscribe for updates, or post any questions you have.

"Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!  ...How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before beginning to improve the world."

-Anne Frank