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The Things People Say
It’s no secret that we think ReliefBand is a great example of wearable tech that kicks nausea’s behind. But, we thought that maybe you’d like to hear what others are saying about ReliefBand. And it turns out, those people think we’re pretty great, too:) MedicalDaily says we’re good at stopping nausea brought on by morning and motion sickness, and that induced by virtual reality (VR): “Strapping on a headset, which puts you in a different world, can be a stomach-churning experience; not now with a wearable that fights nausea.” Tekla Perry at IEEE Spectrum has quite a bit to say about wearing ReliefBand—we recommend reading her entire post, but here’s a snippet: “It was a hairier drive to the city than usual that evening—due to road closures for Super Bowl events in San Francisco, we had to turn the navigation over to Waze, which sent us winding through narrow alleys and making frequent turns to get to our destination. To my shock, I felt fine. Absolutely fine. And my husband was feeling pretty good as well. ‘That’s the first time we’ve ever gone anywhere that you haven’t at least sighed, if not complained, when I came to a fast stop,’ he told me.” Ms. Perry also has ideas for improving ReliefBand. We love it when people who use our product take the time to share suggestions with us! A member on Mothering.com forum explained what she’d tried for morning sickness, then got to the point about her experience with ReliefBand: “Anyway, it WORKS!” That’s pretty self-explanatory! On TheiMum.com website, reviewer Alison discovered flying is a whole new ballgame with ReliefBand on your wrist: “I loved how easy it was to put on and use – it literally took five minutes after getting it on to be ready and having it in use – the first time! I flew with no nausea and frankly wished that I could have had this band during my last pregnancy. It’s easy to turn on and off which means you can use it when you need it and not when you don’t which is great especially when you are pregnant or travelling for short periods of time.” Well, we could go on. And on. But you get the idea. We want to hear from you. Praise if you feel it, or ideas for improvement if you’d like to share. We are listening!
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Riding The Rails
Train travel sounds so romantic, at least to those of us who don’t use them for our daily commute. The Orient Express, the 20th Century Limited, the Flying Scotsman — their very names evoke a sense of luxury, intrigue, and yes, darn it, romance. But, if you suffer from motion sickness, train travel can bring forth a sense of nausea, cold sweat, and dizziness. If the rails call to you, or you’re required to ride the rails to work, we have a few tips for fighting off motion sickness. Sit facing forward. Request such a seat, if possible, or if the only available seats are facing toward the rear of the car, ask the conductor if he or she could turn a seat around to face the front. Don’t read or try to watch a video. Just like in a car, it’s better to keep your eyes looking forward or even close them if you don’t need to watch for your stop. Stay in your seat, if you can. Walking around on a moving train will almost certainly increase your feeling of motion sickness. A soft breeze blowing in your face helps. Bring one of those battery-operated hand fans with you, or just fan yourself with a magazine. If you can open a window, all the better, but that’s not always possible on trains. Sip water or ginger ale during your trip. Eat light snacks—nothing too greasy or fatty—just something to keep in your stomach, as that helps with nausea. ReliefBand helps to control the symptoms of motion sickness for many people. If you haven’t tried one yet, it’s definitely worth investigating. If you have tips to share with others, please do so in the comments! Anyone who’s battled motion sickness knows it’s not something that can just be ignored. Any help is appreciated. Image courtesy of Lawrence and David Barera
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Goodbye Morning Sickness
You’re pregnant! It’s a happy time, filled with plans, a rapidly changing body, and not a little anxiety. When morning sickness shows up, it’s not a welcome guest. So, what do you do? Have a nosh every three hours, or so. Stomachs do better with a bit of food in them when it comes to fighting nausea. Don’t choose greasy or fatty foods. Proteins are good, and basic crackers or plain carbs fill the space without causing too much upset. Try to keep air blowing toward your face, even a little breeze helps. Stay hydrated—it’s important for general health and if you are vomiting occasionally, it’s even more critical that you keep those fluids incoming. Ginger is known to help combat nausea. If you like the taste, find ways to incorporate it into your routine, maybe drink ginger tea or ginger ale as part of your hydration process. We can’t finish a list like this without mentioning ReliefBand. Many women find that it helps control the symptoms of morning sickness. Whatever you plan to try, talk with your provider to see if she has any suggestions and to make her aware of your plans. We wish you a happy and nausea-free pregnancy! Image courtesy of flickr/gareth1953
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Take A Pass On Morning Sickness
Are you looking forward to getting pregnant, but not to morning sickness? Of course! No one wants to experience nausea and vomiting at any time, and definitely not during the days and months that are supposed to be filled with joy. But, for many, morning sickness is just going to happen. Typically, it starts a few weeks into the pregnancy and is over by the beginning of the fourth month. We all have friends or family members who did not experience a “typical” pregnancy. For them, morning sickness was a constant companion during the majority of the 40 weeks. Ugh. The statistics jump all over the place, but most women will experience morning sickness. Some healthcare professionals believe that morning sickness is a good sign, as it indicates a strong pregnancy, so that’s a plus . . . right? If you end up in the majority and have morning sickness, there are things you can do to alleviate the nausea. We recommend that you start out by wearing a ReliefBand, because, you know, that’s who we are and we know that it works for a lot of pregnant women. Also, eating a little bit several times a day seems to help. It’s enough to keep the stomach acids from getting to you but not so much that you’re stuffed and uncomfortable. Eat foods that make sense – nothing greasy or fatty. And nothing too smelly – food smells can bring on the nausea. Make sure you get plenty of fluids throughout the day. It helps to stay hydrated. Some people put lemon slices in their water or tea because they feel it helps with the nausea. Ginger is a favorite of those experiencing nausea from motion or morning sickness. Ginger tea might do the trick. There’s a form of extreme morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum. If you have any questions or concerns about what you’re experiencing during pregnancy, call your healthcare provider to discuss your symptoms. Morning sickness is normal, but hyperemesis gravidarum can put you in the hospital. Don’t hesitate to talk to someone if your nausea is too much. Image courtesy of Pixabay
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What Is Morning Sickness?
You’re pregnant (yay!) and preparing for the next 40 weeks—what’s first? Maybe call the family, let them know the good news. Walk around each day on a little cloud thinking about names, and about the future astronaut or singer or writer growing inside you. After a week or so, the cloud and happiness are still there, but reality gets added to the mix, so you start to plan. You walk around the house, mentally rearranging furniture and people. Clothing is inspected and rated on stretchiness. A healthier diet is a must, but a compromise is reached—you’re keeping the double cheeseburgers and ditching the pepperoni. Now comes the part that no one plans for but almost everyone experiences: morning sickness. Morning sickness is the phrase used to describe the nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, or the NVP. It’s also called nausea gravidarum. If it’s really bad, it’s called hyperemesis gravidarum. The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, suffered from this severe form of morning sickness during both of her pregnancies. Scientists aren’t certain why women have morning sickness when pregnant, but they think it has to do with the hormone levels changing during pregnancy. The mechanics of the nausea and vomiting have to do with the vagus nerve, also called the wandering nerve. It’s a long nerve that’s actually two stems dangling from the cerebellum and the brainstem and running all the way to the abdomen. It has offshoots and tendrils that wander around our organs and end up in the oddest places. The vagus nerve is always talking to the brain, telling it what’s going on with the body. When you get into the NVP loop (nausea and vomiting during pregnancy) it’s the vagus nerve sending signals to the vomiting center of the brain. The brain says OK, and before you know it, you’re vomiting. There are lots of things to try when dealing with morning sickness. For instance, avoid foods that trigger the NVP response and gets lots of fresh air. Certain smells may make you turn green, so try to avoid those. Some say ginger, as in ginger tea or cookies or biscuits may help. As your partner in the fight against morning sickness, we’ve developed ReliefBand™, which is worn on the wrist, and through regulated stimulation of certain nerves, blocks those signals from the vagus nerve to the vomiting center of the brain. The ReliefBand™ is cleared by the FDA as an over-the-counter product to be used for the relief of mild to moderate nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy. Talk with your doctor about morning sickness and visit us at http://shop.reliefband.com. Image courtesy of: Anna Gutermuth
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