Morning sickness is a common and challenging experience in pregnancy. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) views morning sickness as a disharmony involving one or some of the energetic pathways of the Stomach, Spleen, Liver, and the Chong Mai—one of the eight extraordinary meridians. By understanding the body as an interconnected system, TCM offers unique diagnostic and treatment approaches tailored to each individual’s specific pattern.
MORNING SICKNESS
Chong Mai
The Chong Mai is an important energy pathway that starts in the lower abdomen and travels toward the chest. This pathway is closely linked to the uterus, stomach, and kidney and plays a big role in reproductive health, including fertility, menstruation, childbirth, and pregnancy. By regulating the flow of energy in the Chong Mai, we can help improve digestion and ease morning sickness.
Patterns
Pattern identification is key for practitioners to treat nausea and vomiting from morning sickness during pregnancy. Using pattern differentiation requires the practitioner to acquire a patient’s health history and assess the tongue and pulse to gain an understanding of what's going on. This helps the practitioner select a care plan to help ease morning sickness, including:
- Points to choose for treatment
- Herbal remedies
- Dietary advice
- Lifestyle changes
Causes/Triggers
Common factors that can trigger nausea and vomiting in pregnancy from a Western perspective include:
- Rapidly changing hormone levels (HcG or estrogen)
- The brain stem's response to hormones produced in pregnancy
- Fatigue
- Heightened stress levels
- Emotional response to your pregnancy
- Strong smells
- Eating greasy or spicy food
- Empty stomach
Understanding and recognising your cues is helpful to prevent and manage nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Simple tips include:
• Getting plenty of rest
• Managing stress levels
• Creating a calm environment
• Keeping bland, easy-to-digest snacks on hand to avoid an empty stomach
Exploring new ways to add rest and reduce stress can support you to not only cope with morning sickness but also find new tools to support your overall well-being. Eating small, frequent snacks like crackers and cheese or a few almonds or raisins can help keep nausea at bay. For meals, try gentle and nourishing options like congee or potato soup; these starchy foods are easy to digest and can be made using a variety of recipes available online. Congee or potato soup can reduce nausea, strengthen digestion, and build qi.
Treatment
Your doctor may offer medication to prevent vomiting, or intravenous fluids if vomiting is so severe that it causes dehydration. Chinese medicine can work in harmony with Western medicine practices; TCM practitioners and acupuncturists follow the guidance of your attending physician and are additional forms of support, helping you through a more holistic lens while keeping your safety and well-being a priority.
COMMON TREATMENT POINTS
There are common acupuncture points for morning sickness; however, there are different ways to treat it depending on the person. Each practitioner may make their own point choices depending on how many weeks pregnant you are, their diagnosis, and their professional background.
Practitioners may choose points that are on the arms, legs, back, feet, chest, or abdominal area. Points always depend on the TCM diagnosis and safety of the patient, and can vary depending on the practitioner's style of needling.
Here are three of the more common points that are often needled—and one of them, PC6, you can try on your own safely at home by doing acupressure (see directions below).
ST12
It’s common for acupuncturists to choose points on your upper abdominal area above the belly button earlier on in pregnancy. One main point is called ST12 or “Stomach 12,” which is the front Mu point of the stomach channel. It is used for both balance and regulation. ST12 acts like a reminder for the stomach to remember what to do, allowing the energy of the stomach to balance and restore its downward flow to stop nausea and vomiting and to help digest food more efficiently.
ST36
Also referred to as “Stomach 36,” ST36 is located on the lower legs below the knees. It also controls the abdomen, which means it can help balance and correct the flow of qi in the stomach, helping to settle nausea and vomiting. ST36 is also a point used for nourishing the blood and qi—an important function when growing a little human because the body is in high demand of both—and this point can help individuals who may be deficient in this area as well.
PC6
“Pericardium 6,” or PC6, is commonly used in acupuncture for nausea and vomiting. It is also a safe point to try acupressure at home.
Acupressure is simply pressing on an acupuncture point to stimulate it instead of using a needle; it requires continuous pressure for at least a few minutes to be effective. Many people choose to wear sea bands, which are bracelets created to keep direct pressure on these acupoints. Sea bands are mainly for motion sickness but are useful for morning sickness too.
PC6 is located by first measuring a specific distance from the wrist crease; start by placing your index, middle, and ring fingers of the other hand together (side by side) on the inner wrist at the crease. The point is located at this distance and in between the two tendons that run along the center of your forearm. You’ll feel a slight dip between the tendons, and this spot is where PC6 lays—often people feel soreness when it’s pressed, but this is normal.
You can try acupressure on PC6 (either wrist) by pressing on the point with tolerable, direct pressure for at least five minutes to help relieve feelings of nausea and vomiting. If you prefer, you can have someone help you press on both wrists at the same time (if you don’t have sea bands). Doing acupressure is a great tool, but if the discomfort persists, seeing a TCM practitioner is helpful, as having points chosen for your specific needs is key for success.
TCM treatments including acupuncture, herbal, or dietary therapy may ease nausea, support digestion, and support overall well-being, even in more challenging cases.
In addressing morning sickness, TCM emphasises the restoration of harmony within the body, particularly through the regulation of the Chong Mai, Stomach, Spleen, and Liver. After assessing you and identifying what is causing the morning sickness, specific acupuncture points are selected to help restore balance and stop nausea and vomiting. Some people find relief from using acupressure on PC6 or by wearing sea bands, monitoring hydration, having frequent snacks, and getting adequate rest. Having an individualised approach by working with a TCM practitioner or acupuncturist not only helps to alleviate symptoms but also nurtures the body’s energetic foundation, supporting both mother and baby during this crucial time.
