| Morning sickness occurs in 50 to 80% of pregnant | | | | women who have an "iron stomach". |
| women. Most cases of pregnancy morning sickness | | | | Can Essential Oils Help Reduce the Effects of Morning |
| occur between the 4th and 6th week of pregnancy | | | | Sickness? |
| and lasts until the 14th to 16th week. Even though it is | | | | There is really no reason why pregnant women |
| called "morning sickness," this problem can actually | | | | cannot use essential oils for common problems like |
| occur any time of the day or night. Unfortunately, | | | | morning sickness. Essential oils do not act like |
| some women will experience morning sickness all | | | | pharmaceutical drugs. Physicians in the past have |
| throughout their pregnancy. | | | | prescribed pharmaceutical drugs with disastrous |
| No one knows for sure what causes this ailment but | | | | results. One only has to remember in the 1960's when |
| the theories that currently exist say that a combination | | | | over 10,000 babies were born primarily in Europe and |
| of rapid changes occurring in the pregnant woman's | | | | Africa with severe birth defects because their |
| body plays a big part in the queasiness. It would | | | | mothers took the drug thalidimide to treat morning |
| appear that the rapid increase in hCG (the pregnancy | | | | sickness. Drugs of any kind can be dangerous to the |
| hormone) and estrogen play a part in the appearance | | | | developing fetus especially in the first trimester. |
| of morning sickness. Once hCG raises to a certain | | | | Essential oils however are nature's medicines and do |
| level the symptoms begin. Many women then start | | | | not have the same effects as these drugs. With that |
| feeling relief around the time that the levels of hCG | | | | said, even nature's medicines taken in excess can be |
| start to decline in their system. | | | | harmful both to the developing fetus and to the |
| Another change that occurs during pregnancy is a | | | | mother. |
| heightened sense of taste and smell. Smells and tastes | | | | Suggested Essential Oils for Morning Sickness |
| that once were appealing take on a whole new effect | | | | Ginger, peppermint, spearmint |
| and may become very unappealing and may lead to | | | | Dilute 50-50 and massage 1-3 drops behind each ear |
| an untimely run for the bathroom to throw up. It is | | | | and over the navel 2-3 times hourly |
| thought that the increase of estrogen is responsible for | | | | Inhale the oil directly 4-6 times hourly as needed |
| this change. | | | | Or place one drop on the tongue. |
| It is also thought that women who have a weak | | | | Another option is to have the oil beside the bed and |
| stomach or are prone to throwing up (due to stress, | | | | before moving the head, reach for the oil and begin |
| illness, birth control pills, etc) can experience pregnancy | | | | inhaling. Movement is often the trigger for morning |
| morning sickness more often and severely than | | | | sickness. |