Chances are, you are here because someone had mercy on you and shared this blog, after you posted in every possible mom group, asking how they dealt with everyone’s favorite typical side effect of pregnancy…. Morning sickness. Funny thing is (I know, there’s nothing funny about puking your guts out or all-day nausea). We talk about it as if it is a rite of passage in pregnancy, like it’s perfectly normal. Hell, even the Duchess of Cambridge Kate has been all over the news about it. Though it is quite common, I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s “normal”. I really wonder what other cultures in other countries would have to say about it? -That’s research for another day….
At the risk of sounding “preachy”… the thing is, our SAD (Standard American Diet), could be to blame. Lack of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients are being lost in the soil and growing process. Add to that the chemical cocktail of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and whatever other cides they throw in. The fast food industry is a booming corporation in the U.S. because it’s cheap (supposedly), and easy. All our processed and packaged “foods”. It’s enough to make one wonder why there’s a “health/natural foods” section…. (What does that mean for the rest of it??) The abundance of foods that are altered or “enriched & fortified”.
Sure, you could try the “preggie pops”, or the ginger tea/chews/candies, the prescription medications that haven’t been tested in pregnancy (and are in question for causing birth defects). But you’d be masking the underlying problem…
Fact is, most of the nutrients in our body require the “cofactors” of other vitamins/minerals. For example- Electrolytes. Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, and Sodium all need each other to maintain the proper balance. If you’re low on one, you are likely low on the rest! Why does this matter? I’ll tell you…
Those electrolytes are not only important for many of our bodily functions including, but not limited to: digestion, sleep, heart rate, and hydration. They’re also important for preventing morning sickness (let’s face it, it’s not just a morning time ritual. It can be an all-day thing!) Your body starts to use a lot of your nutrient stores when pregnant. Pregnancy increases your blood volume to about 250-450 ml of red blood cells alone. Source. If it doesn’t have what it needs readily available, it will start to pull from your body.
What’s a woman to do?!
Simple -ish. Keep up on your stores. Especially that Salt! *Gasp* “But salt is bad for you & it causes swelling!” Wrong. Bad salt is bad for you. Low salt is bad for you. Too much salt isn’t good either. But in pregnancy, it may even be a preventative measure for pre-eclapmsia or HELLP. Read more here.
“Human salt requirements are widely variable depending on an individual’s level of physical activity, state of health or illness, and the external temperature and humidity. There is a great deal of concern today about over consumption of salt in our country. Studies have shown that excess salt intake from infancy onward may result from the intake of prepared foods and snack foods which contain a great deal of salt, but little else nutritionally, and have come to comprise a large part of the diets of many people. While the concern about over-salting may be legitimate in terms of overall public health, there is one group of people for whom over-salting is not a problem–pregnant women. In fact, pregnancy is one condition in which the body requires more salt in order to remain healthy. Numerous changes in the mother’s body during pregnancy explain this increased need for salt.
Of first importance is the growth and development of the placenta. This organ, unique to pregnancy, makes possible the exchange of all nutrients and waste products between mother and baby. As the baby grows and requires more nourishment, the placenta increases in size to provide it. If the placenta does not grow well, neither can the baby.
As pregnancy progresses, the placenta needs a great deal more blood flowing through it in order to work efficiently. In normal pregnancy, the mother’s blood volume must expand by more than 40 percent to meet this metabolic need. Salt is a chief element in maintaining this dramatically expanded blood volume. One of the properties of salt is that it causes the body to retain fluid which, under normal conditions, is retained in the bloodstream for use in placental perfusion. Salt restriction during pregnancy limits the normal expansion of the blood volume. A blood volume below the level needed to service the growing placenta produces disastrous consequences.
Depending on the degree of salt restriction and subsequent blood volume limitation, the placenta may grow slowly or not at all; develop areas of dead tissue (infarcts) which cannot function; be unable to accomplish the transfer of all needed nutrients to the baby; or even begin to separate from the wall of the uterus, causing hemorrhage and cutting off the baby’s oxygen supply. Obviously, when the ability of the placenta to function is impaired, the baby’s growth, development and even life are imperiled” Source:
If I haven’t bored you with the facts and you’re still reading, Congratulations! I have a solution for you! You may have heard of “Laboraide” before. It’s basically the healthy & homemade version of Gatorade. Not only is it easy to whip some up, it can save money if you buy your ingredients in bulk, and once you have restored your levels, you may not even need it again until labor! It’s also delicious. [Secret: I drink this on our hot days here in Arizona. My husband gets it after a long day of work or when he’s getting muscle cramps. My kids get it during illness (especially croup), and when any of us are feeling grumpy and restless! I call it our ‘calming potion’.]
Here’s how to make it:
*This is not intended to diagnose or cure. As always, discuss it with your care provider if you have any questions about whether it is right for you!
- This recipe can be helpful for pregnancy nausea which is mostly due to hormonal fluctuations & low salt (which results in low stomach acid, which is needed to digest protein & minerals, and can cause heartburn as well.) The endocrine system & hormones rely on the basic electrolytes; salt, magnesium, potassium, and calcium to function properly. The endocrine system is the gland that produces hormones that regulate: mood, reproduction, sleep, metabolism, sexual function, and growth and development.
- Magnesium & calcium are necessary for deep sleep (when rapid growth hormones are produced), for less painful BUT EFFICIENT contractions, to prevent water retention, sore muscles, or high blood pressure.
- It is also a great source of Vitamin C which creates a strong bag of waters, aides in the production of collagen (which is helpful to prevent tearing), helps prevent stretch marks, helps pick up iron in the body, dissolves Lactic acid; which can build up in the muscles causing sore muscles, it can stop bleeding and aides in preventing illness.
**You do not need all 3 magnesium supplements, you can pick just one or two.
In a Quart Jar:
- 1 Liter of organic coconut water (potassium) (You can add cream of tartar for more)
- ¼-1/2 tsp. Salt – for sodium & chloride (himalayan, REAL salt, celtic sea salt)
- ½ to 1 ½ tsp. Concentrace Mineral supplement
- 1-2 tsp liquid magnesium chloride or Natural Calm (magnesium citrate isn’t preferred for increasing magnesium levels though)
- Juice of 3 limes or 2 lemons (Vitamin C)
- To sweeten: Honey.
- I personally Add a splash of juice (pineapple is my fave) or sliced fruits to make it tastier!
- Add water to fill the rest of the way.
Tip: If you’re in a pinch and you need a minute before you can go get all these ingredients, you can eat some Lay’s regular potato chips! Grab ya a big ol’ bag and go to town! Hey, you’re eating for two now right? Right…