Morning sickness, sciatica…pregnancy comes with a variety of delightful side effects. While saltines or a heating pad may help, many pregnant women try acupuncture to relieve the symptoms.

Acupuncture, a Chinese healing practice, is based on the concept that inserting tiny needles into certain points in the body helps promote and restore the flow of qi, or energy, in the body.  Restored balance eases physical and mental ailments and symptoms.

But does it work? 

A Wiser Pregnancy survey of more than 1,500 women found that a moms-to-be try acupuncture to treat a range of symptoms. While success varied, many pregnant women did find the treatment effective: Read the rest of this entry »

How did you first know you were pregnant?  Were you regularly checking several home pregnancy tests?  Was it a missed period that first tipped you off?  Or something different?

For our cheerful Wiser Pregnancy mom-to-be blogger, surging hormones in the early stages of pregnancy meant lots of uncharacteristic burping.  A home pregnancy test confirmed that a new baby was indeed on the way.

However, for many women, physical pregnancy symptoms aren’t the first clue.  According to a Wiser Pregnancy survey of more than 1,500 women, almost half (48.3%) of women first know they’re pregnant when they miss a period.  Another 28.9% of women first know they are pregnant when they take a home pregnancy test. Interestingly, a doctor’s visit alerts only about 5% of women that they are pregnant.

On the other hand, nearly 20% of women first know they’re pregnant based on physical pregnancy symptoms.  Potential clues include:

• Morning sickness (6.8%)
• Other pregnancy symptoms, such as burping (5.2%)
• Swollen, tender breasts (4.2%)
• Weight gain (1.3%)
• Frequent urination (0.7%)

How did you first know you were pregnant?  Did you experience any tell-tale physical symptoms?

A lucky minority – 42% of women – don’t have to deal with morning sickness.  The rest of us search – often fruitlessly – for ways to control our nausea and limit trips to the bathroom or nearest trash can. 

According to a Wiser Pregnancy survey, 40% of women seek a doctor’s advice for morning sickness remedies, yet the advice isn’t always helpful. 

Which begs the question: What do pregnant doctors do for their own morning sickness?

About 35% of doctor-moms (pregnant OB/GYNs, internists and general practitioners) report having “significant nausea” during pregnancy.  Interestingly, these women’s approach to treating morning sickness differs quite a bit from their patients’.

One of the most noteworthy differences is that pregnant doctors are more likely to take prescription medication to alleviate nausea – 49% use it, compared to 20% of other women.

Also, a higher percentage of doctor-moms try common morning sickness remedies than other moms-to-be. 

Take a look: Read the rest of this entry »

As most pregnant women know, morning sickness is a lie – that wave of nausea can hit any time. And when it comes, there are few effective remedies for it, according to a new WiserPregnancy survey.

The survey found that pregnant women try, on average, 3 to 4 remedies for morning sickness. Yet none control the condition: Almost two-thirds of respondents (62%) report that no remedies are “highly effective.”

The three most popular remedies to try:

• Eating smaller meals more frequently (76% of women try this)
• Getting more rest (64%)
• Avoiding trigger foods (62%)

Unfortunately, the most effective of these – avoiding target foods – isn’t:  Only 27% of the women who avoided those foods found it “very effective.”

Read the rest of this entry »