In sickness and in health

Severe nausea accompanied by relentless vomiting requires medical help because this can dehydrate and rob your body of essential nutrients. For common nausea, experienced by 60 per cent of pregnant women, you could try some of the following self-help remedies and see which work best for you.

• Try taking two or three teaspoons of apple cider vinegar (not any other kind) in warm water first thing in the morning. Apple cider vinegar is pH neutral and may help to neutralise excess stomach acid.
• Ginger tea can be used freely to help. Ginger has been thoroughly researched over the years. A recent review of scientific evidence, published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia, found that ginger was beneficial in treating all kinds of nausea. To make a tea, pour boiling water over a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger root. You can also add the juice of half a lemon and sweeten with honey if you like. In winter it’s a warmer, in the summer it can be a refreshing iced tea. This mix has the bonus of helping to ward off low blood sugar, headaches and fatigue as well as relieving nausea.
• If you are out of the house and can’t brew up, any food item containing ginger should help. Some women swear by stale ginger ale, others prefer the crystallised ginger available in some specialist cook shops. Others use it liberally in cooking in both sweet and savoury dishes.
• Acupressure can also be very effective. Several recent studies, including those published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine and the Journal of Nurse Midwifery, show that pressure on the pericardium 6 (or P6) point can provide fairly quick relief from nausea, though it may not help to reduce vomiting. To find this point place your hand palm up and measure two thumb widths above the most prominent wrist crease; P6 is just above this point, in line with your middle finger. Some chemists sell wristbands, which stimulate the P6 point. These have also been shown to work for some women.