Morning Sickness and Chinese Medicine

Moring sickness usually occurs during the first trimester of pregnancy, between the 5th and 12th week, woman experiences some degree of nausea. If it is severe the woman may have aversion to food, or vomiting. These women may be stressed out and always feeling sick. Note: needling is always done with gentle stimulation, 2 points per person is usually enough, never insert deeply, stay away from low abdomen.

Chinese Medicine Differentiation and Treatment of Morning Sickness:

Disharmony between Liver and Stomach vomit up bitter fluids, stressed out, hypochondriac fullness/pain

Principle of Treatment: soothe Liver, harmonize Stomach, descend Qi

Acupuncture points – sedate, hand and foot Jueyin, foot Yangming, Pericardium 6, Ren 17, Liver 3, Ren 12, Stomach 36 - vomit bitter fluids- Gall bladder 34

Spleen Stomach deficiency clear fluids, poor diet and digestion, fatigue, loose stools, pale complexion

Principle of Treatment: regulate and strengthen Spleen

Acupuncture points – Tonify, Moxa, foot Taiyin and Yangming, Stomach 36, Ren 12, Pericardium 6, Spleen 4

Phlegm-Damp vomit Phlegm-fluids, sweet sticky mouth, no appetite, chest/abdominal fullness, bloating, T- swollen with white greasy coat, P- slippery

Principle of Treatment: regulate Qi, transform Phlegm, harmonize Stomach, relieve vomit

Acupuncture points – Moxa, neutral, foot Taiyin and Yangming, Spleen 9 and Stomach 40, Kidney 21, Ren 12, Stomach 36, Pericardium 6, Ren 17

Alternative Treatment Methods for Morning Sickness

Ear Acupuncture- LR, ST, Shenmen