Important Information Every Pregnant Woman Should Know About Morning Sickness
Morning sickness is the nausea and vomiting that is associated with pregnancy. Commonly, the symptoms of morning sickness are most severe in the morning and tend to ease up during the day. However, morning sickness can occur at any time and for some women pregnancy nausea extends throughout the entire day.
Typically, 75% of pregnant women experience nausea and sometimes vomiting during their first trimester. Pregnancy nausea usually begins around the sixth week of the pregnancy, but morning sickness can start as early as the fourth week of pregnancy. Approximately half of the pregnant women who experience morning sickness will feel complete relief by the time they reach week 14. The symptoms of morning sickness will ease up for the majority of the remaining the women within the following month.
There is a very small group of women who will continue to suffer from severe morning sickness that can evolve into hyperemesis gravidarum. Hyperemesis gravidarum is marked by unrelenting nausea and vomiting that prevents the mother from properly absorbing nutrients and fluids. This condition can lead to rapid weight loss, malnutrition, and dehydration.
The exact cause of morning sickness is unknown. While morning sickness information is not conclusive, it is thought that it is most likely the result of the elevation of hormone levels that occurs after a woman conceives. What is known about it is that certain types of women are more likely to suffer from morning sickness.
Typically those who are experiencing a multiple birth pregnancy are more likely to suffer from morning sickness. This is thought to be the result of the higher levels of HCG, estrogen, or other hormones in their system. Women who have a history of vomiting or nausea after taking birth control pills are also more likely to suffer from morning sickness during pregnancy. This pregnancy nausea would be due to the body’s response to estrogen.
Genetics is also thought to be a factor in determining who will suffer from morning sickness. Women whose mothers or sisters experienced severe morning sickness are more likely to suffer from it as well. Additionally, women who have a history of migraine headaches are more likely to be ill with morning sickness during pregnancy.
There has long been a debate about whether morning sickness differed depending on the sex of the child a woman was carrying. There is one study that was conducted that found that women who were pregnant with girls were more than 50% more likely to be unwell due to morning sickness.
It has also been suggested that women who are more likely to have a miscarriage are less likely to be suffering from morning sickness during pregnancy. This is based on the theory that a woman would tend to have lower levels of those hormones associated with pregnancy if the placenta or the baby were not developing properly. These lower levels of hormones would result in a lower incidence of pregnancy nausea. However, there are many women who do not suffer from morning sickness and give birth to healthy babies.
There are several suggested ways to ease the effects of morning sickness. Eating smaller and more frequent meals during the day can aid in the relief of morning sickness. Many women find it beneficial to avoid having either an empty or completely full stomach. Avoiding those smells or foods that aggravate their nausea is also important.
Another important factor in helping to minimize the nausea of pregnancy is getting sufficient rest; when pregnant, women need to consider their need for a higher level of rest. Many women have found additional relief for their morning sickness through acupressure or motion sickness bands.
