Preventing/Reducing Morning Sickness and Hyperemsis Gravidarum (herbs & more!) - Page 7

[moss]

Originally Posted by Tzipporah 

Hi all--I'm back here with my fourth pregnancy and trying once against to get a head start on HG prep. (I used to be "HennyPenny" here btw, but I changed my username :) )

Anyhow since this pregnancy was VERY unexpected, I didn't get to try anything pre-conception, but every since my last pregnancy (my little one is 2.5 now) I have been drinking dandelion tea nearly every day for liver support. I found that I'm prone to gallbladder attacks and other digestive upset and constipation, and it helped curb it. My plan was to wait until I was done nursing and do a total detox before even considering another baby. But... well obviously that didn't happen!

I reckon I'm 4 weeks now. I started two days ago with:

• 2 cups of dandelion root tea every day (have been doing this forever anyhow)
• Milk Thistle 2xs a day (It's a higher than recommended dosage so I cut it back to twice a day until I get the right measurements.)
• probiotics daily
• vitamin C 1000 mg 3xs a day (I think I may be overdoing it, but I can't afford anymore herbs and there were on hand.)
• Mommy's Bliss: b6 25mg // ginger 200mg  4xs day.

so far I'm not sick, but I never get sick this early on. Not usually until about 6.5 weeks.

I eat a relatively low-carb diet compared to most people, but lately I've been letting a few more carbs into my diet b/c we've been struggling A LOT financially so I couldn't afford as many non-carb foods to fill our bellies. (That's a whole other issue to tackle!) When I do eat carbs they are whole grain. Sometimes I sneak sugary or honey things like my daily tea with honey or a cookie. Got to cut that out now! :)

Here is to hoping, and praying that I don't have HG this time!!!

Spark--I never did find out how things went for you. Are you still around MDC??

sounds like you have a plan in place that should work well.  there are lots of resources online about lowcarbing on a budget, i know you'll be able to make it work!! :)

[TzippityDoulah]

Hey this is Tzipporah/HennyPenny. I had my name changed since so many things have changed in my life :)

I am about 7 weeks now. I have the increasing symptoms of HG. Not a lot of vomiting thus far (thank God) but a very sour queazy stomach and I can't hardly keep the food down (or get it in.) However I have been able to get enough liquids and food so far. I stayed in bed or on th couch almost all day. I can't move around much without getting very dizzy and lightheaded. I've always been taking benedryl so I'm tired.

Having trouble taking the vitamin C b/c it doesn't sit well with my stomach. So I'm taking B6 and milk thistle. Can't drink the dandelion tea anymore b/c it's too harsh on my stomach. I can tell I have a lot of bile going on b/c so many things I eat taste VERY sour and gross like bile. I find if I stick to protein I feel the best and have the least sour stomach feeling. Carbs or sugar make me feel sick almost instantly.

[lovestolearn]

All the moms I know who eliminated grains and ate very low carb had little to no nausea.

[OTmama]

I agree with the low carb approach. This is my all-the-time diet/lifestyle and I was told by my first mw that this was the reason I felt so good t/o my pregnancy. My first pregnancy I had no nausea or vomitting at all! In fact I was baout 8 weeks before I knew I was pregnant:) and with my second I had some food aversions that lasted almost 6 months, but only mild nausea and no vomitting. I am hopeful that with the next one I will continue to avoid n/v by sticking closely to the low carb road!!

[TzippityDoulah]

I wanted to give an update, but first I wanted to say that not having N/V in pregnancy isn't that weird. The low carb could be the reason, but it could also be because it isn't your genetics, or because your hormonal levels don't bother your body etc. You never can know.  I have a lot of friends that don't get sick and some that do. All different diets.

So here is what I have been doing the last several weeks:

Week 5: I started the Milk Thistle, B6, vitamin C and ginger.

Week 6: I started to feel a little sick. Had ot cut Vitamin C b/c it was upsetting my stomach too much.

Week 6.5 HG started up and I could not keep down the ginger, vitamin C or B6 anymore. Got some of the MT down. Every time I took a vitamin I would throw up. Very sour stomach which makes me throw up bile.

Week 7 started Unisom: 1 whole tablet at night and a 1/2 tablet every 6 hours during the day. no relief. Could not longer keep down MT. Mostly painful nausea and dizziness. Not too much puking. I couldn't sit up anymore and had to stay laying down or I would fall. VERY weak all over. Couldn't get water to stay down or I got I sour stomach and threw up bile. Very thirsty and getting dehydrated.

Week 7.5 after some experimenting I realized the only thing I could possibly imagine getting down was carby things like pretzels and bread -- all of which gave me painful N/V. So I experimented with a piece of steak--which sounded DISGUSTING. It was all I could do to get a few bites down but then after about 10 minutes I feel considerably better. Not great. But better. Started Prilosec which gave me even more relief.

Week 8: fully switched the the low-carb diet and I am feeling tremendously better right now. NOT great. But better than ever before at 8 weeks in a pregnancy. Yesterday I even vaucuumed the living room. I haven't done anything but lay down since the sickness started so this was amazing. I'm EXHAUSTED from taking the unisom but I can't stop or I feel sick. I feel like a walking zombie and I do get nauseous sometimes even that I have to go lay down and sleep, but I haven't puked in over a week! I'm also taking the Prilosec daily (and zantac some of the time). I have up n the herbs b/c I'm feeling better from this diet than I ever did with the herbs (I used herbs all last pregnancy.)

So I'm hoping this low-carb thing works. I'm only struggling b/c I can't seem to eat ANY carbs without getting sick and I need some carbs. I can't be totally carb-less or my blood sugar drops too low. so I found that if I eat some protein and few bites of light carbs and then protein I am less likely to be sick. *shrug* I'm sick to death of eating meat meat meat, but I'm happy to not feel as bad. I had my first success with cheese last night. Until then it made me puke, so we're see. I'm working on eggs too. Frankly all of it sounds gross so I just force myself to eat it.

[TzippityDoulah]

p.s. I have a fructose allergy so I can't eat fruits or any raw veggies except avocados, so I'm really struggling nutritionally with this diet. I'm trying to eat green veggies but all this meat and veggies are expensive and we're have no income (my husband lost his job!) at the moment so it's a struggle to make it work. I can't afford organic or anything.

[lovestolearn]

Glad you are feeling a bit better.  Protein helps the liver to clear excess estrogen, which can cause nausea in some women, so it makes sense to me that the meat would help. 

Also blood sugar needs to be stable, so what you are doing with the carbs is perfect. 

Can you eat cheese? 

[TzippityDoulah]

I have tried cheese. Was making me sick but then I did it last night and it was okay. So I'm not really sure.

[MeaganH]

Thank you so much for posting this! I have been researching for months now and this is the first time coming across your article, and the first one that has sounded promising. I have suffered from severe HG with all my pregnancies. Although I have been pregnant three times we only have one child due to my complications with HG. Our last pregnancy this last fall was the worst yet. I lost 26 lbs in 31/2 months. I was put on TPN and hospitalized a total of 12 times. Unfortunately regardless of all measures that we taken medically I lost the baby at 19 weeks. They were never able to stabilize my HG even with the 7 medications I had been put on. My husband and I were losing hope on ever trying again because we just couldn't imagine going through a loss like that and all the hospitalizations. Our last OBGYN team had even given up calling my case "the worst" they have seen and were out of suggestions and even suggested I just get my tubes tied. I am only 26 years old and in no way ready to give up my chance to give my daughter a little brother or sister. I am going out today to get all these listed above and cannot wait to see where this leads. Thank you so very much again! 

[ilovetchotchkes]

I was so sick for the first few weeks it was borderline HG/severe morning sickness. I had 2 er visits due to it. 

I could not eat ANYTHING. Period, the end. Forget low or no carb. Honestly the only thing I could choke down (This is going to sound so gross) with out dry heaving was Kraft mac and cheese. 

I ended up having to go on Zofran when the ginger supplements and b6 did nothing. :( in so much as I couldn't even swallow them, i'd gag and throw up. I had to get the dissolving kind of Zofran. 

What's funny is there MIGHT be something to the low carb thing because with this pregnancy I am craving meat, lots and lots and lots of meat. And eating a lot of it too! And once I got the zofran and could eat, I started eating meat... and haven't needed the soooo there might be something to it. I haven't followed any regime except what my body is telling me I want. Lots of pickles and meat. 

[TzippityDoulah]

That sounds like HG to me. With my first I was so sick and never hearing of HG I seriously thought I had the longest stomach flu ever. I went to the ER several time and before I managed to find something to somewhat calm the vomiting, I had lost just shy of 30 lbs ( I was already thin!) The second pregnancy I lost 22. The third I took herbs and meds and changed my diet a little and only lost 10. This time I was every bit as sick but I took meds the moment I got sick and switched over to high protein diet as soon as I showed the slightest symptom of HG. I never lost more than a lb or two. I did have many days I was so medicated I couldn't lift my head (which makes me feel like the world's worst mother to my baby and my children) But by 12 weeks I was able to start eating most again. Now I have to be VERY careful of what I eat. very low carbs, and LOTS of protein or I start having full blown HG symptoms again. My biggest symptom this time around has incredible dizziness. So dizzy I felt I couldn't even sit up or stand so I had to lay down most of the first 12 weeks. If I tried to sit up I would start puking and feel like the earth was moving under me.

HG has been one of the hardest things I have ever dealt with in my entire life. It gets emotionally harder with each pregnancy (the last two were UNplanned!) and this time I admit I sobbed and sobbed when I saw that positive line because I knew what it meant. I feel bad about that--but my body has been so wrecked by HG that I just couldn't imagine another pregnancy. I've not been myself since 12 yrs ago with my first pregnancy. I was scared I might not live through it. It's terrifying!

I'm now 16 weeks and according to my husband this is the best pregnancy I have had so far. It's hard to be objective in the middle of it. I'm still terrified that every day is just coincidentally a good day and that I might wake up tomorrow barfing my guts out and end up in the hospital again. Now, I feel like I just having "morning sickness" and most of the HG symptoms have passed. I get sick if I don't eat or don't eat right, I feel passing queaziness, and sometimes I feel so overwhelmed by the feeling that I know if I don't lie down right that minute I will start puking. But I will take this any day over the hardcore HG symptoms.

All in all the herbs didn't give me a miraculous recovery, and I took them all last pregnancy. But I will admit they did give me some relief, and ANY relief is a good thing in my opinion. Kept me out of the hospital.

[TzippityDoulah]

btw , the ginger and b6 always made my situation worse. After taking either I would start my worst vomiting, so I quite that early on. Has anyone else had this issue?

[iixivboots]

bump

[loveandgarbage]

If I can get myself together today (a lofty goal) I'm going to head to the HFS and get milk thistle. I don't have HG but am experiencing severe MS. I can't eat more than two bites of food at a time without feeling like I'm going to throw up. I've averaged about 200 calories a day for the past week and in total have lost 10 lbs now.

I'm curious if those mamas who MT worked for knew if they had low-functioning livers? I eat a healthy diet (almost vegan, lots of fresh produce, whole grains, etc) but before getting pregnant for about a year I had 1-2 glasses of wine most nights and wonder if this is contributing to my MS this time around. With DS1 I had really, really mild MS-- would only affect me if I got too busy at work and didn't eat for several hours. With DS2 it was pretty bad-- but more like seasickness/wooziness so I felt like it started with low blood sugar and feeling that way is what me nauseous. I thought at the time it was related to still nursing DS1 around the clock and I couldn't get enough calories in. This time around I have little to no dizziness and the nausea starts in my stomach, if that makes sense. I also have GI issues (still unresolved, but high acid, possible ulcer and possible IBS).

Any more success stories? And how is everyone feeling? This really is the pits, huh?

[ilovetchotchkes]

Originally Posted by loveandgarbage 

If I can get myself together today (a lofty goal) I'm going to head to the HFS and get milk thistle. I don't have HG but am experiencing severe MS. I can't eat more than two bites of food at a time without feeling like I'm going to throw up. I've averaged about 200 calories a day for the past week and in total have lost 10 lbs now.

I'm curious if those mamas who MT worked for knew if they had low-functioning livers? I eat a healthy diet (almost vegan, lots of fresh produce, whole grains, etc) but before getting pregnant for about a year I had 1-2 glasses of wine most nights and wonder if this is contributing to my MS this time around. With DS1 I had really, really mild MS-- would only affect me if I got too busy at work and didn't eat for several hours. With DS2 it was pretty bad-- but more like seasickness/wooziness so I felt like it started with low blood sugar and feeling that way is what me nauseous. I thought at the time it was related to still nursing DS1 around the clock and I couldn't get enough calories in. This time around I have little to no dizziness and the nausea starts in my stomach, if that makes sense. I also have GI issues (still unresolved, but high acid, possible ulcer and possible IBS).

Any more success stories? And how is everyone feeling? This really is the pits, huh?

I've been feeling a LOT better. However, now i've gotten the heartburn and can't. Eat. Anything. Ugh. Here we go again. The heartburn is SO BAD it resembles the horrible morning sickness. Its like BOOKENDS! ha :( 

[loveandgarbage]

You poor thing. I had heartburn especially bad with DS2 and I'm not looking forward to it this time!

[iixivboots]

bumping again for more new preggos :) Feel better, ladies!

[iixivboots]

 

[JewelSun]

Ladies, I am joining this thread.  My first pregnancy was terrible.  Thank God, I survived.  I vowed that I would never do it again.  7.5 months (24 hours a day) of torture.  Now, however, I have decided to give my DD a sibling.  It looks like I am going for low-carb (don't know how this is going to work as I am a carb junkie) and I started on milk thistle last week.  I began taking B-6 when I came home with my DD.  It never worked during my first pregnancy, but I believe it was worth the try.  Let's see how this goes.  Anyone know how things worked out for Spark?

[Dove84]

What a great thread!  In my first pg I started vomiting 5 weeks 5 days, by 9 weeks I had lost 11 lb, couldn't eat anything, had an IV and finally got on Zofran (I had tried B6, diclectin, ginger etc).  Zofran helped me not to vomit but I was still nauseous and it gradually got better but I never got off the Zofran and was still vomiting every second morning until DD was born.

Before/during that pregnancy I basically had a SAD diet.  Around when DD was born we started eating more Traditional Foods, grass fed meats, cod liver oil, broths, less grains (3 servings a day, soured or soaked) etc.  When DD was 6.5 months old (I was still BF-ing) found out I was expecting #2.  I was really scared about how I would care for DD while being so ill, so I began taking ginger, B6 every morning, protein every couple of hours along with lots of good fats, for breakfast each day I have 2 pastured eggs with raw cheese.  I feel sooooo much better, I was sick once every morning for the first 12 weeks and nauseous all day, but that gradually disappeared by about 16 weeks.  I also began acupuncture at 15 weeks.  Now I don't even have food aversions, which last time were are bad as the vomiting!

I am having a boy this time, so I'm sort of worried that I am only feeling better b/c of it's being a boy, and if we ever have another girl (I hope so!) I will be really sick next time.

My plan for pg #3 and future ones is to look into the Milk Thistle and other supplements listed here, starting before TTC.  I will take Garden of Life or similar prenatal, along with all of the recommend supplements for MTHFR (I suspect I have it as DD is tongue and lip tied)  eat a low carb/possibly GAPS diet, start acupuncture beforehand, and look into Homeopathic remedies if feeling sick despite all my best efforts.  I've also been reading about Magnesium oil and Vitamin D, but the Vit D needs to be from the sun, which we don't get much of (it's not strong enough, at any rate) for over 6 months of the year.  Anyway, that doesn't seem to apply to me as #2 was conceived in March after a long winter of very little sun.