Living With Morning Sickness
If you haven’t heard of morning sickness, then it’s likely that you haven’t been pregnant or around or near someone who has.Although not a disease, this condition commonly affects many women. Morning sickness is best described as nausea or the feeling of being ill in the stomach and is caused by pregnancy. Approximately half of all pregnant women will be affected by the symptoms.
Occurrences of vomiting and nausea are generally best described by the term morning sickness. It is most likely to happen in the early morning hours in pregnant women, hence the name.
There are two pieces of good news associated with morning sickness. The first is that you can’t get sick while you are! The second is that it is frequently a sign that your pregnancy is progressing normally, despite the fact that it can strike at any time.
Perhaps the most comforting fact about morning sickness is that it doesn’t last forever.
Morning Sickness Causes
There are a number of theories relating to the cause of morning sickness. Generally, however, the exact cause is unknown. Having said that, the prevailing theory today is that morning sickness is related to a pregnancy hormone, gonadotropin.
Generally speaking, morning sickness occurs mostly during the first trimester. Nausea and vomiting can be one of the first signs of pregnancy and usually starts around the 6th week.
Although common, symptoms surprisingly will only affect a small number of pregnant women (less than 10%), who have symptoms that continue beyond week 18 of pregnancy.
Morning Sickness Symptoms
The symptoms of morning sickness may vary widely with women experiencing a range of effects.The nausea and vomiting often go hand in hand. Other signs include extreme tiredness or feeling sleepy, craving for certain foods, frequent urination, back pain and constipation.
Some expectant mothers may feel that their morning sickness is serious. Usually however, there are no unfavourable effects on the mother and no negative effects which may harm the baby.
Recent research indicates that morning sickness is helpful for the foetus. It is now generally agreed that morning sickness can be a positive sign because it means the placenta is in a healthy state of growth
Numerous studies have shown that a lower risk of miscarriage may be associated with morning sickness.
The term given to severe morning sickness is Hyperemesis gravidarum. This happens with chronic vomiting which can cause weight loss and significant loss of fluids. The statistics are low.This type of morning sickness can affect approximately one in one thousand pregnant women.
Women expecting multiple births may experience more severe symptoms of morning sickness.
Food & Morning Sickness
Morning sickness symptoms can be managed to some degree. Eating frequently can offset the symptoms of nausea which tends to be felt the most when the stomach is empty.
Cold, simple foods comprising of seasonal produce are suggested.
In studies conducted on morning sickness relief, ginger was shown to alleviate the symptoms. Ginger can be consumed in the forms of hot and cold ginger drinks, or on toast with jam or in biscuits and cakes or other baked goods.
Eating, sucking or sniffing lemons can also be helpful. It is worth remembering to drink liquids in between meals as opposed to an accompaniment to meals.
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Filed under: Wellness
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