morning sickness - nausea

Seventy to ninety per cent of all pregnant women experience some form of nausea.

(Sweet 1997) Although there is a great deal of research on the subject, no firm conclusions can be drawn as to what causes it. Drugs, eating regularly, herbal remedies, homeopathics and acupuncture are commonly used to cope with morning sickness.

Chinese viewpoint
During pregnancy the blood and the Qi (energy) of the mother are required to nourish the fetus, which leads to a deficiency in the mother, and the flow of the Qi is disturbed by the growing fetus. Most women adapt to these changes, but where there is a constitutional weakness, or emotional or lifestyle problems prior to the pregnancy, sickness may develop.

Treatment
Depending on the severity of the sickness, four to six treatments should be enough to get the client stable. Ideally three treatments should be given the first week, two in the second, and then weekly as necessary.

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- between 4 to 6 treatments may be needed.
- The following are typical Chinese Medicine patterns observed with Morning Sickness:

Stomach Qi deficiency with empty cold
- Symptoms- slight morning sickness, nausea without vomiting, or vomiting of dilute fluids, tiredness, feeling cold, poor appetite, depression. Tongue: Pale and wet Pulse: weak

Stomach Yin deficiency
- Symptoms- slight nausea, dry mouth without desire to drink or with desire to drink in small sips, poor appetite. Tongue: Peeled and with stomach cracks. Pulse: floating-empty

Liver Qi stagnation invading the stomach
- Symptoms- retching, belching, vomiting of food with sour taste, abdominal and epigastric distention, depression, irritability. Tongue: slightly red sides. Pulse: Wiry

Stomach heat
- Symptoms - Sickness that may persist beyond the first three months, vomiting of food soon after eating, thirst, bleeding gums. Tongue: Red with yellow coating in the centre. Pulse: overflowing

Accumulation of phlegm
- Symptoms - Profuse vomiting, occasional vomiting of clear fluids with mucus, a feeling of oppression of the chest, dizziness. Tongue: swollen with sticky coating in the centre. Pulse: slippery

Heart Qi deficiency
- Symptoms - sickness, palpitations, anxiety, depression. Tongue: pale. Pulse: empty

Heart Fire
- Symptoms- sickness that may last beyond three months, mental restlessness, anxiety, thirst, agitation, insomnia. Tongue: red with redder tip and yellow coating. Pulse: overflowing

Liver/ Stomach disharmony
- Symptoms - vomit after eating, the vomit was acidic and bitter, dizziness, vertigo, chest and lateral costal distention and pain, hiccup, bitter taste in mouth, insomnia, Tongue: red body thin-yellow or thin-white coating Pulse: slippery, wiry

Spleen/Stomach vacuity weakness
- Symptoms - vomiting, inability to eat, mouths were tasteless and without flavour, vomited clear water, epigastric distention and fullness, lassitude of the spirit, lack of strength Tongues: pale body, white coating Pulse: fine, slippery, weak

Phlegm dampness internally obstructing
- Symptoms- vomit was phlegmy, oily, slimy looking, fatigue, addicted to sleeping Tongue: swollen body, white slimy coating Pulses: fine slippery

Yin and Qi dual vacuity
- Symptoms- constant vomiting, dry heaves, emaciated bodies, eyes lacked spirit, thirst, mouths were dry, scanty urination, stools were bound Tongues: red body with scanty coating Pulse: fine, slippery, rapid

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