The following is a guest post from Emilie from The Toups Address.
Down for the Count
That’s where I live during the entire 1st trimester of my pregnancies, and this one was no exception.
Nausea, vomiting, dizziness and total general fog! It’s no fun and any momma that has experienced these horrible symptoms knows exactly what I’m talking about.
I mean how am I going to take care of these two toddlers daily with 24/7 stomach virus symptoms with no end in sight?
Could it be a Magnesium Deficiency?
I know this is far from anything you have heard at your OB’s office but low and behold, it’s time to try out magnesium for your morning sickness.
Nearly ALL Americans are magnesium deficient. Why?
“Our human ancestors evolved in a world in which healthy drinking water came directly from streams, rivers, and lakes, rich in mineral content. The human body became reliant on obtaining a considerable proportion of its daily mineral needs from natural water sources…. the average American ingests substantially less magnesium than the RDA.” (source)
Back to Morning Sickness…
Since magnesium balances our cortisol levels, which stops us from huge sugar highs and lows (which causes the nausea and vomiting) we need it crucially during pregnancy. But wait…..our pregnancy hormones actually inhibit our absorption of magnesium which is why we need to supplement.
This pregnancy I had the WORST morning sickness of all time. I think I even spent an entire day in bed. Literally, I’m not kidding. As soon as I read about magnesium I set out to make some!
Note from Katie: Of course Emilie knows others have had worse morning sickness…but this was the worst she’s experienced, and it’s awesome that this supplementation worked for her. I wish it would work for everyone, but I know there’s not a “one size fits all” answer to anything that has to do with the human body. It doesn’t hurt to try if you’re down and out, though.
I bought Ancient Minerals bath flakes, dissolved some in warm water and created a spray that I used as often as 3x a day.
Let’s just say the first day I used it, it kind of stung! This is a totally normal reaction when magnesium deficient. So I made my solution a little weaker and voila….no more stinging.
It took three days to finally notice a difference, but on the third day I woke up and totally felt a little better, even ate a decent breakfast. I continued using the oil every day and still am using it now at 20 weeks. I’m feeling great.
Use the coupon code KS10 for 10% off your entire order at Perfect Supplements (use the coupon KS10 for 10% off!)! They have various forms of magnesium as well as grassfed liver capsules, both really optimal for pregnancy! The Garden of Life prenatal is whole foods, not un-bioavailable mashed together minerals like most OTC prenatals. (I didn’t supplement quite enough in my last pregnancy, and I got cavities to show for it. -Katie)
Weekly Pregnancy Updates
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Shouting From the Rooftops
I’m telling everyone I know, because this worked amazingly well for me. It’s super easy to make and can change your life…..no, seriously.
Morning Sickness Magnesium Spray
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of warm water
- 2 Tbs of Ancient Minerals magnesium flakes
Method:
- Dissolve the magnesium flakes in the warm water and transfer to a glass spray bottle.
- Use 2-3x a day on body.
- Best to start on the legs and work your way to the abdomen after some magnesium stores are built up.
- Especially if it stings a bit, try applying 20 minutes before showering or wipe it off after 20 minutes with a washcloth.
Where to Buy Magnesium
You can compare prices at:
- Perfect Supplements (KS10 for 10% off)
- Radiant Life
- Amazon
For the most gentle application (no itch like the spray and no time needed like a bath), try magnesium lotion. Added benefit: This may also help your body calm down for sleep at night, so keep it on your bedside table and make it a habit.
Another note from Katie: EDIT 11/20/14 – a comment came in that shares a few sources about magnesium and pregnancy in particular. I don’t have time to track them down with my own research (a new baby is the reason this guest post is here, after all!), but this is from a long-time reader who I feel I can trust. She says this kind of magnesium, the magnesium chloride that is in the salts, can be dangerous in pregnancy. Her midwife told her to only get magnesium from her prenatal supplement. Sooo….check out the comment and sources HERE and see what you think! Emilie and I are certainly not doctors, nurses, midwives or anyone with any credentials…always take care to do your OWN research before treating yourself, especially in pregnancy.
See more about my own morning sickness remedies and how ginger can help with nausea. ~Katie
Meet Emilie, a wife and mama of two toddlers with another bundle on the way. She is passionate about real food, natural remedies and milking their family milk cow Belle, all on their homestead in South Mississippi. Emilie blogs at The Toups Address and can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Jo says
I am 20 weeks in my 5th pregnancy. My nausea during my first 4 pregnancies was the all day kind. Did not want to eat or drink. Lost weight. This time I have used Ancient minerals spray and taken Natural Calm. It has made all the difference. Still had nausea but it was so much better this time around. So thankful.
'Becca says
Nausea is miserable, and I’m glad you found something that worked for you, but I think it’s irresponsible not to mention these two safety concerns:
1. Magnesium chloride is possibly unsafe in pregnancy. This is the form of magnesium used in the product you’re recommending.
2. It’s crucial to take into account how much magnesium is in any prenatal multivitamin you may be keeping down.
Prior to my last pregnancy, I had been taking high doses of magnesium oral supplements for several years because for me it was effective at preventing migraines and PMS. My midwife advised me to stop immediately and take only the magnesium in the prenatal vitamins. She said the Daily Value is fine, but an overdose of magnesium can be dangerous in pregnancy because it affects the circulatory system and kidneys.
Here’s what helped me with pregnancy nausea.
Anyway, I hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well!
Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship says
‘Becca,
Thanks for this! I’d not heard that before and I’m so glad you commented – I edited the post directing people to check out your sources and do their research… 🙂 Katie
Andy says
In response to Becca’s comment:
I looked at the website that was provided as a source to say that Magnesium Chloride is possibly unsafe during pregnancy. They were referring to oral supplementation. Yes, you can overdose on Magnesium if you are taking large amounts orally, but when you put it on your skin, your body just absorbs what it needs.
Also the link ‘what helped me with pregnancy nausea’ -I think there was some good info in there, but I think there are some safety concerns. Especially the part where she recommends marijuana during pregnancy.
Becca says
Do you have a source for the claim that you can’t overdose on topical magnesium?
Did you read the article linked from mine about the safety of marijuana in pregnancy? I have read extensively on the subject as a social science researcher, and most of the well-conducted studies show nothing as dire as what popular culture would have us believe; most studies that show negative effects fail to account for things like tobacco and alcohol use, mother’s age, nutrition, and other factors known to affect pregnancy.
What else did you think was a safety concern?
Jennifer says
I obviously meant magnesium in the above post ^! My darn autocorrect strikes again!
Jennifer says
I’ve been pregnant 10 times. 9 of those times, I was super sick, laid on the couch pretty much 24/7 and could barely force down food without gagging. Then I read about supplementing with magnesiym. So, I took magnesiym (Natural Calm) twice a day for 18 months before I got pregnant for a 10th time. Unbelievably, I was just barely sick. Dare I say, I felt really good! I would get a little nauseated when I didn’t eat, but NOTHING like the other pregnancies. For me, it worked. I tell everyone now to supplement *before* pregnacy and it should help. I also found that eating a lower carb/high fat diet helped with this as well. It helped with the blood sugar fluctuations!
Cam says
This also didn’t work for me. Is there a reason to believe it does for anyone? Honestly, 3 days might have just been the time you needed to get over the hump of feeing sick. Do you have any information linking magnesium levels to nausea?
Ashley says
Magnesium worked great for me this last time around! Thanks for sharing the word in case there are other women it could work for too. Also, I took this article to be geared toward “regular” morning sickness, not the medical condition Hyperemesis gravidarum.
Junita says
My 3rd child is turning one next week. Morning sickness got worse with each pregnancy. This last one lasted for 6 months. We had just come through GAPS and had been reading a real food diet for 3 years. As soon as I was pregnant I started on that exact magnesium oil and continued it through my pregnancy. I ended up on the couch so sick I couldn’t move for 4 weeks straight, not even able to ride in a car, then started feeling some better, but began throwing up. That lasted for about a month, throwing up at least once a day if not more. By the time 7 1/2 months rolled around I finally got my strength back and was able to function as normally as you can at that stage. So it didn’t work for me. And I had thought I finally found the thing to do. So I don’t know if I’d recommend this to anyone because it didn’t work for me.
Goldnrod says
I tried making magnesium oil & spraying it on & found it very uncomfortable. It was like bathing in the ocean & not being able to rinse off afterward.
Later on, when I was drinking reverse osmosis water, I added mineral drops to my water & it certainly improved my health. I’m too old for pregnancy, so I have no idea if it would help with morning sickness, but it would be worth trying. I used Source Naturals and then Swanson liquid trace minerals.
Bev says
Soaking in an epsom salt bath helps too but I know that isn’t feasible to do everyday.
ERIN says
For those who have tried it and it hasn’t worked, just keep supplementing! Sometimes it can take up to a year to get levels up depending on how deficient you are. Even if your nausea is caused by something else, it’s still a great supplement in general. Of note, too, it’s apparently easier to absorb through the skin, so the oil and soaks are a great route!
Raia says
I’ve been drinking liquid magnesium, and while it hasn’t helped with my morning sickness (yet, anyway), I still crave it – so I guess that means I need it!
Liz S says
I tried manesium oil, starting a couple months before my last pregnancy, with high hopes it would help curb the nausea. Unfortunately, I was still quite sick. I’m glad to hear that it can work for some people though.
Kate says
I find this post to be insulting and in bad taste. While I am sorry you might have had to spend an entire day in bed with your morning sickness (and I am sorry, morning sickness is not a horror I would wish on my worst enemy) I can guarantee you did not have the “worst morning sickness ever”, and for those of us who spent 8 or 9 months in the hospital, on bed rest, hooked up to IVs, etc. I promise you one day in bed hardly qualifies on the radar of bad morning sickness.
And while I have no problem with your suggested magnesium treatment, I have a problem with the presentation. For those of us who were forced to have mass-doses of anti nausea drugs pumped through our systems for months on end (and yes I say forced, I, like most people I know agreed to this treatment only after loosing so much weight that we were actually endangering our own lives and those of our children) giving us yet another “magic cure” is at best just more noise, and at worst another layer of guilt for expecting moms that really do suffer from “the worst morning sickness ever.”
Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship says
Kate,
I’m sure I would have been in the same stubborn “I don’t need that!” boat as you had I experienced such morning sickness. I honestly can’t imagine getting through it! You get the super mom award even before baby is born.
So I understand this is a button-pushing topic for you, understandably so. I’m sure Emilie only meant HER own worst morning sickness, and she was just so excited to find something that worked for her that her enthusiasm comes across as “this works for everyone!” I added a little note to the post to make sure we don’t sound like it’s really the miracle cure, as I know people who tried magnesium as well with no success. 🙁
Thank you for your honesty and know that we hurt for you hearing about such a rough pregnancy. God bless, Katie
Melissa says
Katie,
You have the most eloquent way to respond to replies that seem prickly! What a gentle response! That is why so many people feel comfortable sharing their opinions on your blog as well as look to it for inspiration & guidance(I do!)
Thank you!
God Bless!
~Melissa
Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship says
Thanks, Melissa…everyone is important around here… 🙂 Katie
sarah says
You did a grey job replying to this post. This women went a little overboard. Great article!