Nausea and morning sickness in pregnancy, unlike it's name suggests, occurs any time of the day or night. It is common, affecting up to 70 percent of pregnant women and can be more severe in a first pregnancy.
During the first fourteen weeks, morning sickness is caused by elevated levels of certain hormones.
These hormones affect the entire digestive system, causing waves of nausea, vomiting, constipation and gas. Estrogen, in particular, may cause special sensitivity to odors and mildly offensive smells grow more powerful, even sickening. Nausea and vomiting may also be aggravated be emotional stress and fatigue.
Usually, it begins at four to eight weeks of gestation and subsides by 14 to 16 weeks. But some women struggle with nausea and vomiting throughout their entire pregnancy. In rare instances, nausea and vomiting may be so severe that a pregnant woman cannot maintain proper nutrition, which can cause weight loss, dehydration, liver damage, and can even be life threatening to the mother and/or baby, if left untreated. This serious condition is known as hyperemesis gravidarum and it affects about one in every 300 pregnant women.
Remedies for Morning Sickness
Small, frequent meals and taking things slowly - By eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day, you can help alleviate your nausea. It is best to avoid having your stomach completely empty or completely full, since both can make morning sickness worse. If nausea is worse when you first wake up, try having a box of soda crackers on your night-stand and nibbling on them or sipping weak tea- before getting out of bed. Rising slowly in the morning, instead of jumping out of bed and rushing out the door, will minimize morning sickness (and also light-headedness).
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