A Really Big Study of Alternative Therapies During Pregnancy...

Photo from Shape.com...because I don't have fresh ginger in my hospital room

 
...and the conclusion: of all the herbal remedies pregnant women use, ginger is the only thing proven to work.

Here is the article from the New York Times.  Excerpts below.

• "The researchers found that ginger was the most thoroughly studied remedy, and the one found most consistently effective. It relieved morning sickness better than a placebo, and was as good as Dramamine at doing so."

• "But the evidence for other popular herbal options was lacking. Cranberry, often used against urinary tract infections, a common occurrence in pregnancy, was found ineffective. There was no evidence that garlic helps with preeclampsia, or that raspberry leaf shortened labor. And while castor oil appears to be free of side effects, it has no ability to induce labor." 

If you're anything like me, herbal remedies sound appealing from time to time because it seems like a way to skip additional pharmaceuticals.  Ah well...guess the take away is "Use with suspicion."