Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: Morning Sickness Relief

Question:
I saw a news story on one of the local news stations here in Utah about a new device that goes on your wrist that sends out small electrical stimuli that is supposed to help morning sickness. They didn't say what the name of it was though. Does anyone have any idea. It had a dial on it that let you adjust the amount of the pulse. The local news station does have a web site but I couldn't find anything on it. www.4utah.com If anyone knows anything let me know.....my wife has got morning sickness right now and I'm trying to help her.

Answer:
That sounds very like a TENS machine. TENS stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and is recommended as a potential way of relieving pain during labour (amongst other things). When I bought mine (in preparation for labour -- still to see any use) the leaflet suggested attaching the electrodes to one's wrists as a potential help for travel sickness or morning sickness. They're widely available in the UK; don't know about the US. Get your wife to find the two tendons on the inside of her wrist (they're right in the middle, about a quarter of an inch apart). Then tell her to put the first two fingers of her other hand across these tendons, with the middle finger resting on the very base of her palm (looks a bit like how a nurse takes your pulse). Where her *index* finger is now lying, at the point between the two tendons, is the acupressure point. When she is feeling nauseous, get her to rub/apply pressure to this point. If she feels relief from this, then it is almost definitely worth buying either Sea Bands or even perhaps this device. If she doesn't, then her nausea is probably too severe to be helped by this method and you'd probably be wasting your money. I've had severe morning sickness (to the point of hospitalisation) twice, and while it didn't help with that, I find I get almost instant relief from car sickness, sea sickness, slight nausea or indigestion etc. I used the wrist bands during my first trimester. The cost me $12.50 in an over-priced gift shop on a cruise ship. They look like elastic sweat bands. They have small plastic nubs on them that you strategically place over your pulse point on your wrists (directions with an illustration come with them). They didn't help me that much because I was severly seasick and experiencing morning sickness at the same time (not a combo I would recommend), but when I got back on land -- my doctor did suggest them and said they had helped some patients.