Homeopathy for Morning Sickness

Morning sickness during pregnancy is a common prenatal symptom, affecting as many as 90 percent of pregnant women. Symptoms of morning sickness include queasy feelings, nausea and vomiting. The problem usually begins about the ninth week of pregnancy, peaks around the twelfth week, and in most cases disappears a few weeks later.

Morning sickness, which does not just occur in the morning but can plague women all day, can be debilitating. One study found that more than half of all pregnant women surveyed felt that morning sickness interfered with their ability to perform at work.

Pregnant women must be careful what kind of pharmaceuticals and herbal remedies they consume because of potential harm to the developing baby. One option to mitigate the symptoms of morning sickness during pregnancy is homeopathy. Homeopathic treatments are considered safe during pregnancy, when taken as prescribed. The homeopathic Law of Infinitesimals dictates that the lower a dose of the remedy, the stronger its effectiveness. To make a homeopathic remedy, the curative is diluted many, many times until only a tiny amount remains in a huge volume of the diluting liquid. As a result, side effects from homeopathic remedies are extremely rare, making it ideal for the treatment of pregnancy-related symptoms.

Common Homeopathic Remedies for Morning Sickness

Homeopathic remedies are chosen based on the patient’s unique symptoms rather than on the disease or condition. Therefore, it is important for the pregnant woman to recognize the specifics of her morning sickness—when it occurs, what triggers it, what makes it worse, how her stomach feels, and how the rest of her body reacts.

Homeopathic medicine recognizes that no two individuals are alike, and the individual's characteristics, both mental and physical, must be taken into consideration when prescribing an effective cure. It is no surprise, then, that there are many different curatives to treat morning sickness. The most common treatments for morning sickness are listed below. Women should consult a homeopath to determine the correct remedy and dosage.

• Asarum is most effective for women who have morning sickness that lasts most of the day and that is easily triggered by almost any stimulus, but especially noise.

• Colchicum is used for retching and vomiting that comes on suddenly. This type of morning sickness is often triggered by the sight or smell of food. The stomach feels sore, icy or bloated, and it is difficult for the woman to keep down any food or drink.

• Ipecacuanha treats constant, severe nausea. The woman produces a lot of saliva and may vomit bile or undigested food. Her stomach feels empty and "sinking." She has little or no appetite or thirst, but even when her stomach is empty, the nausea continues. The morning sickness is made worse by certain smells, motion, and oily, rich foods. It improves if the woman spends time outdoors or in fresh air.

• Kreosotum is appropriate for women who vomit because they are producing a large volume of saliva that they swallow and regurgitate. Often the vomit has a putrid odor and the stomach feels as if it is burning.

• Nox vomica treats nausea that occurs in the morning. Often women retch and retch but do not bring up any solids, but they may bring up small amounts of bitter bile. Nausea is worse in the morning and after eating. It is also aggravated by moving and is improved by staying still. This type of morning sickness often is accompanied by stomach cramps and sometimes other muscle cramps.

• Pulsatilla is indicated for morning sickness accompanied by a bitter taste in the mouth, a coated tongue and aversion to most food and drink. The nausea tends to be worse in the afternoon than in the morning.

• Sepia treats morning sickness accompanied by a gnawing, empty feeling in the stomach that does not improve after eating. Smells, or even the thought of food, can make the nausea worse, even though the woman may crave sour foods.

• Tabacum treats abrupt, violent retching and vomiting, similar to the type of nausea that develops during seasickness. Motion, light, noise and being in an overheated room worsen symptoms, while exposure to fresh air and lying down improves them.

How Homeopathic Healing Works

Homeopathy is a system of holistic medicine that was codified by German physician C. F. Samuel Hahnemann in 1796. Homeopathic medicine is always personal and individualized. Before prescribing a cure, the homeopathic physician considers the individual's constitutional type, including physical, emotional and intellectual qualities.

When prescribing any cure, the homeopathic practitioner takes into account the type of symptoms, their location, timing, the personality of the patient and whether certain activities make symptoms better or worse. The curative prescribed is based on the Law of Similars. Briefly, the Law of Similars states that a condition is cured by treating it with a remedy that produces the same symptoms as the disease.

Homeopathic remedies are designed to help the individual heal by facilitating the integration of mind, body, spirit and nature. Homeopathic remedies generally work slowly or need to be repeated at regular intervals. Many of these remedies are continued on a regular long-term basis to prevent the return of symptoms, such as throughout the period of pregnancy typical of morning sickness.

Finding a Licensed Homeopath

The American Board of Homeotherapeutics (ABHt) under the auspices of the American Institute of Homeopathy grants a Diplomate in Homeotherapeutics (D. Ht.). This indicates that the individual has had advanced training in homeopathy. To be eligible to receive the D. Ht., the individual must be a licensed medical doctor (M.D.) or osteopathic doctor (D. O.) in the United States or Canada. The candidate must have taken at least 150 hours of coursework in homeopathic medicine, practiced homeopathy for at least three years, and passed oral and written examinations examination administered by the ABHt.

However, homeopaths can be from a variety of healthcare backgrounds, including nurses, naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, and acupuncturists. Homeopathic practitioners may be designated as CCH (Certified Classical Homeopath) or DHANP (Diplomate of the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians), depending on the institution that certified their training.

Additional Resources

The American Institute of Homeopathy provides information on training and credentialing of homeopathic physicians. The site also has information on the history and theory of homeopathy and research on the treatment of a variety of disorders.

The British Natural History Museum has a searchable database of plants and fungi used in homeopathy.

The National Center for Homeopathy contains an extensive list of print and Web homeopathic resources, as well as publishes the national magazine Homeopathy Today.