Managing Morning Sickness with Ayurveda

More than 50% of pregnant women experience morning sickness during pregnancy. According to Ayurveda morning sickness, known as Gharbhini Charddi, is caused due to one of three reasons:

1. Aggravation of Vata (Space and Air elements) which can cause the air to move the wrong way in the body, resulting in pregnant women experiencing travel sickness.
2. Unable to satisfy pregnancy cravings
3. Growth of the embryo, which pushes upwards which results in nausea

While not all of the causes maybe under our control, Ayurveda does offer a series of remedies that may help in managing morning sickness; just be mindful of your constitution and how your body is reacting to certain foods while identifying your personal triggers before trying the below remedies:

• Ginger: If you have an aversion to strong smells or taste during pregnancy, I would avoid ginger but if you can tolerate it, begin each day by a teaspoon of ginger juice every morning in a cup of water or tea infused with a few pieces of ginger. Avoid artificial ginger flavors and when possible choose fresh ginger root.
• Mint: Mint helps quell nausea. Chewing on fresh mint leaves or drinking a light pepper tea can be extremely helpful; this can be done numerous times during the day or when you feel an onset of nausea. .
• Lime Juice: Often underrated as a nausea remedy, drinking fresh lime juice with a little bit of rock salt and sugar can be a great remedy for morning sickness and keeping your body hydrated as you lose excess water. If lime juice alone isn’t something you can tolerate, try adding a tsp of lemon juice to coconut water and sip on this throughout the day.
• Rose Water: Take a cup of milk, add a drop of rose water, and boil it. Drink this milk warm to eliminate nausea. If you are able to digest, try adding a tsp of ghee to the mixture. This remedy is best tried before bed to control morning sickness.
• Maintaining a consistent eating schedule: Try to eat every two hours; you’ll know when your worst times are for “morning sickness” (which often isn’t in mornings). Make sure you have food ready at least every two hours for that time of the day and avoid getting hungry; excess stomach acids often trigger nausea.