Advances in Mental Health

If you suffer from morning sickness, you're probably pretty tired of responses such as "just eat some crackers" and "you're just sitting up too fast" when you discuss your misery with friends and family members. Pregnant women are often mistakenly under the impression that there is little to be done for their morning sickness – it's just a stage they'll have to get through.

Fortunately, this is not the case. There are plenty of steps you can take to control nausea during pregnancy:

Visit your chiropractor

Ignore your Aunt Kathy when she warns you that having a chiropractic adjustment during pregnancy is dangerous. There are actually no known side effects to chiropractic care during pregnancy. Chiropractors who have been trained to work with pregnant women know exactly how to safely adjust the spines of pregnant women without placing unneeded strain on the abdomen.

They even have special tables designed just for pregnant women! Women who have regular chiropractic adjustments during pregnancy are less prone to nausea. Pressure on the spinal nerves, which is common as the baby grows, can contribute to nausea. Chiropractic adjustments can relieve this pressure.

Use lemon scents for aromatherapy

Scientific studies have found that inhaling lemon scent is effective for reducing nausea and vomiting in pregnant women. Try lighting a lemon-scented candle in your room as soon as you wake up, and enjoying the fresh scent for a few minutes before climbing out of bed. Lemon tea can be excellent for alleviating bouts of nausea that occur throughout the day, and even adding a little lemon zest to your bath can do wonders.

Practice yoga daily

You don't have to work up a sweat or hold poses that have you huffing and puffing, but do spend a few minutes per day doing basic yoga with plenty of deep breathing. Look for pregnancy yoga classes in your area, or even find an online yoga video to follow along with.

Focus on breathing deeply into your abdomen as you pose, as this will greatly help prevent nausea. If you're feeling nauseous when you start, spend 5 or 10 minutes laying on your back on your yoga mat. Focus on drawing the air in and out, and releasing the tension in your hips and pelvis. When the nausea passes, move on to your poses.

The best approach to dealing with nausea during pregnancy is a comprehensive one. Follow the three tips above, and also remember to stick to bland foods and drinks. By taking a preventative approach rather than feeling until you're super-nauseous to act, you can make pregnancy more tolerable and focus on the baby you're about to have, rather than your nausea.

To learn more, contact a company like Dimond Chiropractic Center with any questions you have.