The morning sickness I experienced with my first baby was debilitating. I woke up feeling sick and progressively felt worse throughout the day. I I couldn’t eat, keep down my prenatal vitamins or stand the smell of anything, including unlit candles. You get the picture.

That was a year ago. Since then, I started seeing an acupuncturist for postnatal depletion. (Her name is Hannah Tran for those of you in Atlanta, Ga.) After two months of weekly treatments, supplements and herbs, I have my appetite back, I sleep better and my energy and vitality are restored. I feel more like myself. Honestly, it was a total transformation.

Through this process, I asked Hannah about morning sickness. She said that true morning sickness happens, well, in the morning, and that it should be easily managed if you eat every few hours to keep your glucose stable. If you’re feeling sick throughout the day or at night, that isn’t morning sickness; it’s a sign of depletion. In other words, your body doesn’t have the nutrients it needs, and that’s a problem for you and your baby. (Side note: at the time I got pregnant, I had been on high-quality prenatal vitamins for eight months and eating healthy for years, and I still was depleted.)

The morale of the story is it’s not normal to suffer. Unfortunately many women suffer through all-day morning sickness (and painful menstruation for that matter), so we normalize it and assume that it has to be that way.

It doesn’t.

If this happens to you, know that this is your body telling you it needs support. (And if you’re afraid of needles, just go for the herbs and supplements. Every bit helps.) Do it for yourself, and do it for your baby!