morning sickness
Nausea: A Good Thing?
by Sheri Wallace

Is that it?

Midwife Nancy Koerber, CPM, has delivered babies for over 18 years. She is the co-owner of New Dawn Midwifery in Asheville, N.C., and suffered from debilitating morning sickness during her third pregnancy. "I literally couldn't even drink water. I survived on frozen blueberries and ice chips" she recalls. She is happy for the research into the causes of morning sickness because she says she has seen too many women dismissed, with their symptoms labeled as purely psychological. "This downplays the impact morning sickness has on pregnant women. Some women are simply not able to function because of morning sickness, and research into the true causes will empower these women and justify their lifestyle changes during this period."

Koerber feels that there are probably multiple causes for morning sickness, with one of them being an intolerance of the HcG hormone. But she is quick to call this study "interesting" because she and her partner, Jan Verhaeghe, CNM, have long noticed the hypoglycemic symptoms in some of their patients with morning sickness. "I see a lot of women with these symptoms, and when we have them combine smaller meals with protein sources, eat more frequently, and keep something on board all day, with protein being a significant part, the symptoms are not as severe."