What Are The Causes of Nausea During Pregnancy?
While most women view pregnancy as a wonderful miracle, that viewpoint is often tested in the first few months when they begin to experience the nausea and vomiting of morning sickness. There are no definitive answers as to what causes morning sickness. However, it is not surprising that the body would react to the many changes that are happening during the onset of pregnancy.
After conception, a woman’s body releases several different hormones. In the same manner as many drugs, the hormones that are released at the onset of pregnancy can result in several unpleasant side effects. One of these side effects is nausea and vomiting.
Generally, it is thought that the hormone HCG is the likely culprit for causing nausea during pregnancy. The initials HCG are short for human chronic gonadotropin. HCG is produced shortly after conception by the embryo; eventually, the placenta makes HCG. It is the function of HCG to maintain the production of progesterone; progesterone is another hormone that is essential during pregnancy.
There is also the possibility that progesterone may be what causes nausea during pregnancy. The production of progesterone in pregnant women increases because it relaxes the uterine muscles as a means of preventing premature childbirth. It is possible that progesterone also causes the stomach and intestines to relax; subsequently, this could lead to the production of an excess of stomach acids that result in nausea and vomiting.
Estrogen, which is a hormone that is always present during a woman’s childbearing years, is also considered a possible cause for morning sickness. The levels of estrogen rise rapidly during the early stages of pregnancy.
Another theory about why morning sickness occurs is that it is the result of a vitamin B deficiency. It has been noted that taking a vitamin B6 supplement appears to alleviate the nausea of early pregnancy. However, it is unclear as to why B6 supplements provided relief to pregnant women. One of the studies that were conducted indicated there was not a significant difference in the amount of B6 in women suffering from nausea and those not experiencing nausea.
There has also been some indication that taking a multivitamin beginning at the time of conception and continuing through early pregnancy aids in the prevention of severe morning sickness. Once again it is not clear why this is the case.
There also exists the opinion that the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy might not be the reason for the nausea and vomiting associated with early pregnancy. There is the possibility that these symptoms are the result of other changes occurring in the body. It is possible that morning sickness is due to a woman’s heightened sense of smell as well as to her increased sensitivity to these smells. It is not uncommon for an expectant woman to be affected by certain aromas that may trigger her gag reflex.
Another suggestion that is offered as a cause of morning sickness is that the nausea is a response to the bodily stress caused by pregnancy. It is possible that the gastrointestinal tracts of some women are more sensitive and thus affected to a greater degree by the changes of early pregnancy. While there is not any conclusive evidence, it is possible that the vomiting and nausea occurring may contribute to increased stress levels for some women. This increase in stress may in turn exacerbate the morning sickness.
Fortunately, in the majority of instances nausea during pregnancy does not persist for the entire pregnancy. Characteristically, the nausea and vomiting have subsided by the end of the first trimester. At this time, the many changes occurring as a result of being pregnant seem to level off; this in turn seems to result in a lessening of the symptoms of morning sickness.
