Podcasts Devoted to Extreme Morning Sickness! Don't Miss This!

I'm so excited to share this with you all!

Rachel, a correspondent of mine and multiple-time hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) mama, has started her own website with regularly-released podcasts exclusively devoted to the subject of HG (a.k.a. extreme morning sickness).

In her podcasts, Rachel talks to HG survivors and activists as well as researchers (professional and amateur) who are investigating causes and cures. Each podcast is professionally edited, quite interesting, and relatively short. I'm currently working my way through her current archives and am enjoying them greatly.

Visit Rachel's website and check out her podcasts! This is a great way to connect with other HG mothers, and also for maternity care providers to learn more about extreme nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP). 

HyperG Pregnancy: A Podcast About Hyperemesis Gravidarum

HG mamas and researchers, Rachel is always interested in talking with HG survivors and mamas who are engaged in HG experimentation and research. Email her at hypergpregnancy@gmail.com or leave a comment on her site if you'd like to chat with her!

Enjoy! Thanks to Rachel for providing this awesome resource!

Expecting Great Things!

Hello, dear readers!

I realized that I have not yet stopped by to announce that.... we are expecting! We are very grateful for and excited about the Lord's newest blessing to our family, and we can't wait till the new little one puts in an appearance - Lord willing, this coming Thanksgiving or thereabouts!

I am doing pregnancy updates every fortnight on my other blog, so hop on over if you'd like to share in our journey!

Extreme Morning Sickness: A Success Story!

I've realized that I really should be cross-posting morning sickness information from my other blog, so here goes!

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I wanted to quote from the comments to highlight another hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) success story - an HG mama whose efforts have resulted in a subsequently HG-free pregnancy. Her method and the method I'm using have both similar and dissimilar points, but an underlining similarity of plan and purpose. Here are her own words! (All emphases mine.)

Pre-pregnancy:

"I've been following your blog for quite some time and really enjoy it, thank you. I've been researching gestational diabetes and insulin resistance and believe these may be the underlying cause of some cases of severe pregnancy sickness, along with inflammation. This can be fixed before pregnancy and does not require a very low carb diet. Avoiding omega 6 fats is a very important part of treating insulin resistance. I also don't necessarily think low-carb during pregnancy is safe, after reading a few journal articles that say it causes epigenetic changes and obesity in offspring. Perhaps getting insulin resistance under control before pregnancy could be done instead of the ultra-low carb diet. I would prefer to do this and stay out of ketosis, while still taking advantage of a higher fat/higher protein diet.

After reading the book "Pregnancy Sickness", I do not feel vegetables and herbs are safe during the first trimester. Berries are a low-carb fruit that could be subbed for veggies. Boiling meat is the best way to avoid both toxic charring and bad smells. Coconut milk/oil/flour is high in fats and/or fiber and doesn't have the bad omega 6 oils. Nuts have toxins and omega 6. Milk and especially cheese spikes insulin so probably not a good idea. 

I'm planning to start trying in a few months and I have a blog so I will keep you posted on my diet and if it works. I want to be low-carb but just above ketosis. I have strips to test this. I am trying to merge low-carb, paleo, "pregnancy sickness protocol" and manage insulin/inflammation all at the same time.

Some supplements that help manage insulin are magnesium, alpha-lipoic acid, and DHA/EPA. B vitamins seem to be of great benefit for pregnancy and health problems, especially "non-folic acid" forms of folate such as: folinic acid and methyl-folate. (Excess B vitamins are lost in the urine). My body does not process folic acid so my doctor has me on methyl-folate instead (Deplin). Of course B6 is a must for pregnancy sicknesses.

I read an article that said alpha lipoic acid helped infertile women concieve but am not sure if it is safe during pregnancy. Magnesium and DHA are safe and recommended, along with vitamin D which boosts the immune system, reduce inflammation, seems to prevent developmental disorders, and also prevents severe flu complications. I also think there should be a greater focus on vaginal health (ie vaginosis and candida) and anemia, especially getting these under control before pregnancy for better outcomes.

And...

"Well my thought is the same as Dr. F: that insulin resistance leads to infertility and NVP/HG. He used to treat with metfomin, now uses a low carb diet, but there are other ways to lower insulin resistance:

• weight lifting (the more muscle that can store glycogen, the less insulin resistance) 

• avoiding omega 6's 

• supplements: magnesium, alpha lipoic acid, vitamin D, DHA, probably B vitamins 

• lowering overall inflammation with a gluten-free paleo/GAPS/SCD diet.

"No fancy ideas here, just a compilation of ways other than low-carb diet to control insulin:)

"Metabolic problems in moms such as insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity have been linked to autism in the children (recent research). One more reason to get insulin under control way before TTC. 

"Power of 10 and Body by Science are excellent books to teach high intensity weight lifting. This type of workout is done one a week and build the most amount of muscle in the fastest amount of time. They also noted that when pregnant women did the workouts before and during pregnancy, they had low incidence of diabetes, and much easier labor. The mechanics of the workout (slow controlled movements while avoiding holding the breath) are very similar to what women do in natural labor. Having high muscle mass in pregnancy leads to a much quicker recovery.

"It's just amazing how all this stuff ties together. I think a huge problem is our modern lifestyle, if my theory is right, it makes NVP/HG way worse.

"I just had my HemoglobinA1C and insulin retested, going to see if the weight lifting and diet and supplements have lowered the A1C."

And the results!

"Hi, I am the one who left the long comments above. I had a healthy pregnancy (despite placenta previa and borderline glucose numbers) and healthy baby, 8 lbs 1oz. He is now one and I expecting again, 6 weeks and feeling great. I used the supplements I mentioned. If I had been able to exercise I might have had better glucose but it wasn't full blown GD. I needed a lot of mag, 800 mg a day. Didn't throw up once, no HG or nausea. :)"

Many congratulations to this mama!

Magnesium and Morning Sickness

Re-posting from my morning sickness blog!

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If you're doing any research into NVP (nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, i.e. morning sickness) prevention, you have surely run across the magnesium-NVP link. There are many people out there who believe that magnesium deficiency is (fully or partially) behind pregnancy nausea - fascinating stuff!

An interesting fact is that almost all Americans are magnesium-deficient already, due to the modern farming practices that have resulted in magnesium-deficient soils, and thus magnesium-deficient foods. Considering how vital magnesium is to the human body, it's not surprising that we're experiencing widespread detrimental health effects from this situation. For more information, see "The Magnesium Miracle."

I wanted to collect the articles that I have on magnesium and NVP for quick reference. Definitely check them out!

Regardless of whether magnesium supplementation is "the answer" for some women dealing with severe NVP, it behooves all of us to consider magnesium supplementation - either through oral supplements like Natural Calm, or through products like Magnesium Oil (applied to the skin - buy here) or Epsom Salts (used for baths). An additional option is magnesium injections, which can be obtained through a naturopath.

Remember that magnesium absorption may be affected by pregnancy, so it's probably important to raise your magnesium levels before conception.

I've seen lots of great health benefits through magnesium supplementation, and it's now on my "always" list of supplements. Highly recommended!

Articles:

1. Raising Arrows: Magnesium Supplementation and Morning Sickness
2. Modern Alternative Mama: Magnesium May Solve Common Health Issues
3. Mommypotamus: The REAL Cause of Morning Sickness
4. Wellness Mama: How I Avoided Morning Sickness
5. Article: The Miracle of B Complex B-12 and Magnesium Injections

You will notice that most of these articles are about normal morning sickness, not HG. However, it's one of those things that can only help - why not try it? Solving nutritional deficiencies and strengthening our bodies is always a positive step in preparing for pregnancy, regardless of whether or not it's "the answer" for each individual woman. I would list magnesium supplementation as an essential for preparing for pregnancy, especially in post-HG women. 

Thoughts, dear readers? 

Video: Surprise Twin Homebirth!

Have you all seen this video yet? It was posted a year or so ago, but I just recently ran across it.

Wow, what a birth!

This birth is a planned midwife-attended homebirth - the surprise comes when "birthing the placenta" suddenly transforms into "Um, that's another baby!"

The midwife mentions in the early part of the video that the mother had mentioned "twins" several times, and both midwife and mama commented that Baby A was rather small for a singleton (heh heh heh). And then... Baby B makes his entrance!

I have read several surprise-twin birth stories - and my husband himself would have been a surprise twin had his mother not insisted on an X-ray. But this is the first surprise-twin birth video that I've seen, and I was overjoyed to find such a treasure.

One thing that surprised me greatly was the fact that Baby B's birth seemed even rougher on mama than Baby A's birth. I had always assumed that the second birth of a twin arrival would be super-easy. Not so! However, I've seen the same thing in other twin birth videos. Perhaps because the mother is already tender from the first birth, and the second is just adding insult to injury? Not sure.

Enjoy! And congratulations to this sweet family!