You have heard the talk about morning sickness, and to correct you, this term “morning sickness” is actually a misleading term. Some pregnant women have nausea that becomes worse in the morning, but lightens up in the rest of the day. The medical term for this condition is actually “nausea and vomiting of pregnancy” It’s estimated that up to 75 percent of pregnant women experience some vomiting or nausea, especially in their first trimester. About half of pregnant women have vomiting without nausea. While this condition may occur anytime of pregnancy, it tends to last all day for many women. Even mild cases of nausea could leave you worn down, and experiencing bouts of nausea and vomiting round-the-clock can make you miserable and exhausted.
For majority of women, having morning sickness is among the first signs of being pregnant. Although it’s an unpleasant condition for the pregnant woman, morning sickness doesn’t present health risks for the baby and it’s considered to be a normal part of pregnancy. Actually, some studies tend to agree that morning sickness in time of pregnancy may signify a healthy pregnancy having lower miscarriage rates or stillbirths.
A few things to note
There are some things you may want to know regarding nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) and they include:
- It can occur at night or day
- It’s not known why it occurs
- It may be a sign of having a healthy pregnancy.
Causes of Morning Sickness
Woman will have morning sickness in the first trimester and while the exact cause may not be known, there is general consensus that hormonal changes are a culprit.
Estrogen levels: Increased circulation of estrogen at time of pregnancy may bring about morning sickness. It is estimated that estrogen levels can get to as high as 100 times during pregnancy than when not in pregnancy. That said, no evidence to suggest that there is difference in the levels of estrogen between women who are pregnant without or with morning sickness.
Levels of progesterone: A woman who is pregnant will have increased levels of progesterone. With more circulation of this hormone, it relaxes the womb or uterus muscles to help prevent having early childbirth. Progesterone may also relax the intestines and stomach causing excessive stomach acids and gastroesophageal reflux disease, that in turn lead to morning sickness.
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG): The developing embryo will first produce hCG before the placenta produces it. Experts hold the view that there could be some relationship between morning sickness and this hormone.
During pregnancy a woman may have more than usual sensitivity to odors something that may stimulate nausea episodes.
When Does Morning Sickness usually Start and End?
Women start experiencing nausea around 6 weeks of their pregnancy, nonetheless, the condition may start as early as the 4th week. Morning sickness tends to worsen over coming months. Half of women experiencing nausea and vomiting at time of pregnancy will have complete relief at around 14 weeks. In others women, it may continue for another month before easing up, but it could come back later or it comes and goes during the entire period of pregnancy.
Is It Normal For Morning Sickness To Persist The Entire Pregnancy?
While it is uncommon to have morning sickness persist the whole period of pregnancy, it is pretty normal for some mothers. There are a few women who have their morning sickness lasting into even third trimester. The point here is that, if you have extended morning sickness, you may want to talk about it with your doctor.
A morning sickness that lingers around for so long may create miserable times for the expecting mother, and in severe cases, it could result in dehydration. It may also prevent the woman from gaining healthy weight.
Will Morning Sickness Affect Your Baby?
Having mild to moderate nausea or occasional vomiting may not cause harm to your baby. You may find that in the first trimester you don’t gain weight, again this may not be a problem. What you want to ensure is that you remain hydrated and take some food down. Your appetite will be back soon and that will make you start gaining weight.
In situations where nausea in pregnancy is keeping you from taking a balanced diet, you may want to supplement that with prenatal vitamin so that the body gets the needed nutrients. That said, if you have severe, prolonged vomiting, you may want to know that it has been associated with higher risk of having preterm birth or having newborns smaller for their gestational age, or having low birth weight.
What to eat when you have morning sickness?
Women having mild cases of nausea and vomiting may just use simple measures to get relief. There are safe, effective medications that may be used to settle the stomach, however, before you take any medication at time of pregnancy make sure you consult with a doctor or a pharmacist. The following suggestions are without hard evidence, however, midwives and obstetricians recommend them:
- Keep eating small bits of snacks and meals frequently during the day to ensure the stomach is not empty. You may go for complex carbohydrates or high protein foods, however, make sure that you eat them slowly.
- Whole grain foods are great as they contain fiber and make it easy to pass stools. Constipation is quite common in pregnancy
- Eat foods like walnuts, bananas, sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots and kale.
- Try getting up slowly in the mornings and not jumping right up
- Avoid smells and foods that could trigger nausea
- Refrain from fatty foods that take more time to digest, and don’t eat spicy, fried, and acidic foods because they are likely to irritate the digestive system
- Have fluids between meals, but avoid drinking too much fluid at a go that makes the stomach feel full
- Open the window to get some fresh air; you may even consider taking a light walk
- Relax your body and mind and talk to friends to ease stress.
