Morning Sickness: Acupressure Points & Self-Care

Morning sickness is nausea and vomiting that can occur at any time of the day during pregnancy. It most often begins in the first month and usually eases by about the 14th to 16th week, though some people have symptoms for the whole pregnancy.

Traditional use: in TCM, points such as PC-6 and ST-36 are traditionally used for nausea in pregnancy. Points on the abdomen are traditionally avoided in pregnancy, so they are left out here. What research says: MedlinePlus notes that acupressure wristbands or acupuncture may help. A 2015 Cochrane review judged the evidence for P6 (PC-6) acupressure limited and found a lack of high-quality evidence for any single treatment, which does not mean the treatments do not work.

Recognizing Symptoms

Physical Symptoms

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting

Primary Points for Morning Sickness

Select a point to learn more.

Additional Support Points

Select a point to learn more.

Self-Care Acupressure Routines

Morning Sickness Routine (5-10 minutes)

  1. Sit comfortably or lie on your side, breathe slowly and deeply
  2. Press PC-6 for 1-2 minutes each arm
  3. Apply light pressure to ST-36
  4. Optional: SP-4

Everyday Considerations

Self-care

  • On waking: Eat a few plain crackers or dry toast before getting out of bed
  • Meals and fluids: Eat small, frequent snacks instead of large meals, and drink plenty of fluids
  • Ginger: MedlinePlus calls ginger proven effective against morning sickness

When to Seek Medical Care

Contact your provider if

  • You vomit more than 3 times a day, or cannot keep food or liquid down
  • Home remedies do not help
  • You lose a lot of weight
  • Your urine is dark and concentrated, or you urinate very little

Contact your provider immediately if

  • You vomit blood or material that looks like coffee grounds