Morning Sickness

Nausea and morning sickness is common in early pregnancy, typically beginning about 3-4 weeks after conception and diminishing later in pregnancy, usually by the start of the second trimester. Some women continue to experience morning sickness well into their second trimester and even beyond. Despite its common name, morning sickness can occur at any time of the day, although it tends to be the worst early in the day.

Morning sickness has long been believed to be a sign of a healthy pregnancy and is linked to a lower miscarriage rate. There is some evidence that pregnancies affected by morning sickness do better than pregnancies in which there is no nausea at all. As you?re hunched over the toilet bowl, you can cling to that knowledge and maybe it will make you feel a little better.

The cause of the nausea and vomiting during pregnancy remains unknown, although it appears to be related to the production of pregnancy hormones, particularly HCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin) and also high levels of estrogen. Other possible causes include fluctuations in blood pressure, rapid lowering of blood sugar levels, carrying multiple babies, emotional stress, an enhanced sense of smell, excess acid in the stomach and a high-fat diet.

In most cases, morning sickness won?t harm you or your unborn baby. However, morning sickness can become more of a problem if you can’t keep any food or fluids down and begin to lose a lot of weight. Should your vomiting become severe, you should notify your doctor or midwife if you are unable to keep anything down for 24 hours. This degree of vomiting may require IV hydration. The most severe morning sickness is called hyperemesis gravidarum, which sometimes requires hospitalization.

Women that experience morning sickness are likely very interested in finding ways to cope with it and minimize the nausea. There is no single guaranteed remedy for morning sickness, but there are a few things you can try.