Homeopathy for Morning Sickness

There is nothing like severe, unrelenting nausea to put a damper on even the most elated mother-to-be. Just at the time when many a pregnant woman is bursting with excitement and anticipation, morning sickness hits with a vengeance. While hoping for the misery to pass quickly, she is likely to be aware that the symptoms may well persist throughout the first trimester. Infrequently, the nausea may persist until childbirth. Although called “morning sickness,” the nausea may last throughout the day. Nausea is by far the most common symptom, though vomiting, fatigue, and depression may be present. Apart from the discomfort and inconvenience, the most troubling complication of prolonged morning sickness is malnutrition and failure of the mother to gain appropriate weight. These may result in low birth weight of the child and, in extreme cases, congenital health problems. Hyperemesis gravidarum, severe, uncontrollable vomiting in pregnancy, often associated with liver disease, may cause dehydration and acidophilus and acidosis, requiring hospitalization and intravenous fluids. While many women are loathe, or at least reluctant, to use medication for fear of damaging the fetus, the more severe and persistent the morning sickness, the more likely their resistance will weaken and they may be willing to do nearly anything to stop feeling so terrible.

This is why homeopathy is the ideal treatment of choice for nausea of pregnancy. Homeopathic medicines are completely safe for pregnant women as well as newborns. In our experience of over thirty years, they are extremely effective for morning sickness. Contrary to the misconception that homeopathy is slow to take effect, the mom-to-be should begin feeling significantly better within a day to a week. She may need to repeat the medicine once or twice, depending on the potency prescribed. Homeopathy is so effective for morning sickness that we have yet to treat a case unsuccessfully. The woman may self-treat using a kit, or purchasing a 30C potency of the indicated medicine at a health food store or pharmacy, or she may prefer treatment by a homeopath. When we prescribe for morning sickness, we typically use a 200C or a 1M potency, which works quickly and dramatically, and often requires no repetition.

The Most Common Medicines for Morning Sickness and Their Indications

Although a woman may need any of over two thousand homeopathic medicines for her constitutional medicine, or remedy, we have found six to be the most common acute remedies for morning sickness. If a woman is already being treated constitutionally, for her whole person, and some of the chronic symptoms return along with the nausea, she will likely need a repetition of her constitutional remedy.

• Cocculus (Indian cockle): Nausea from the sight or smell of food. Motion sickness with dizziness worse from looking at moving objects or looking out from a moving vehicle. Must lie down during morning sickness. May have headache and vomiting with the nausea. This is a well-known remedy for exhaustion or other symptoms resulting from loss of sleep due to caring for a loved one (could be a child, sick relative, friend).
• Colchicum (Meadow saffron): Severe vomiting and retching. Intolerance of odors, especially cooking food. Nausea from the smell of cooked meat, fish, or eggs. Cannot even bear the thought of food, even though she is hungry. Symptoms are worse from motion and from turning the head. Sensitive to the rudeness of others.
• Ipecac (Ipecac root): Vomiting is main indication, but the terrible, constant nausea is not relieved by the vomiting. Clean tongue despite vomiting.
• Sepia (Cuttlefish): Nausea of pregnancy with aversion to the smell or thought or food, even her favorites. Snappiness. Aversion to partner. No sexual energy. Constipation. Desire for vinegar, dancing, and vigorous exercise.
• Tabacum (Tobacco): Deathly nausea. Motion or seasickness, with violent vomiting, from the least motion. Feels wretched. Sinking feeling in stomach. Better from cold, fresh air. Aversion to the smell of tobacco.
• Veratrum album (White hellebore): Violent, projectile vomiting and diarrhea. Abdominal cramping. Icy cold with cold sweat. Very active, restless, busy. Desire for ice, cold drinks, juicy fruit, pickles, lemons, salt.

Three Cases of Colchicum for Morning Sickness

Elena

This young woman is a Chilean friend who attends our Vinyassa yoga class. Normally bouncy and outgoing, we noticed that she appeared to be a shadow of her usual self. Looking pale and uncomfortable, she confided that she was feeling awful due to morning sickness. We asked what she was feeling and, within two minutes, she gave us a textbook picture. She couldn’t stand eating anything. Even smelling food. We asked what it was like to think about food and she looked disgusted, as if she would vomit on the spot. We delivered to her a dose of Colchicum 200C. She called the next day to say it was a miracle. That she was completely better.

Janice

Four months ago Janice shared with us that she was thrilled to be two months pregnant. The only problem was morning sickness all day long. “I feel nausea and dizziness. I have an unusually strong sense of smell. Certain smells make me sick. It can be anything. I can open the refrigerator and smell things that no one else in the family smells. Something that tasted great a few days before now smells awful, repulsive. I can’t stomach them. The same thing happens in the bedroom and the bathroom. Moving makes the nausea much worse. I’m worse from an empty stomach. Cool are makes me feel better.”
Janice took Colchicum 30C from her home kit upon our instructions. The day after taking the remedy Janice felt “super sick and tired.” After that she began to feel much better and was able to eat much more. “I have had more energy and have felt better all around.” She needed to take a second dose about a week later. “The Colchicum was a lifesaver. It helped so much. For the first time in my life, I am not anemic. My blood pressure is great. It is a miracle that the baby and I are doing so well.”

Anna

“I was so looking forward to my third and final pregnancy. Having gone through it twice before, I expected it to be a breeze, a piece of cake. I was definitely wrong! Almost immediately the morning sickness set in. At fourteen weeks I was four pounds lighter than when I begin, so I knew that I had to do something fast. Driving was impossible unless I carried a barf bag with me. Pop Tarts and Ramen noodles were my survival diet.”

“Conventional medicine does not offer a completely safe option for morning sickness. My OB prescribed Hydroxyzine, but it offered only temporary relief with no guarantee that it would not harm my baby. I consulted with Dr. Reichenberg during my fourteenth week and she prescribed meadow saffron (Colchicum). Over the next two weeks, my morning sickness diminished and I gained six pounds. Six weeks later I went back to see her. Though physically much improved, I felt like I was riding an emotional roller coaster with no brakes. Judyth gave me another dose of the same medicine. Within forty-eight hours I felt like my normal self. During my eighth month, the morning sickness returned along with muscle pain in my shoulder, loose bowels, and insomnia. Again she repeated the meadow saffron and, as before, I felt immediate relief. I can’t explain why it can cure morning sickness, pregnancy blues, muscle pain, loose stools, and sleeplessness. Nor why the remedies Judyth has given me for mastitis and my children for a variety of physical and behavioral problems have worked so consistently and beautifully. I can only say, ‘IT WORKS!’