Overview
For women who become pregnant, it may be those small hints that alert them of this new change. For example, certain foods may start to make them feel nauseated, they may start craving certain foods, and they may have breasts that are swollen and sore to the touch. However, morning sickness is one of the biggest hints that women have that there is something going on. Morning sickness is also known as nausea gravidarum, and is common in almost every woman who has become pregnant.
There are pregnant women who only have this during their first trimester. While others have this their entire pregnant. It can be triggered by smells or nothing at all. However, though it is called morning sickness, this does not affect women just in the morning, it can come at any time of the day, sometimes all day long.
Why Does Morning Sickness Happen?
HCG, also known as human chronic gonadotropin, is a hormone that starts to rise in the body when you become pregnant. Once this rises, it also triggers the release of estrogen, which is believed to cause the morning sickness that women have. In addition, progesterone in the body causes the stomach and intestines to relax, which can cause acids in the stomach to increase, leading to nausea and vomiting.
The Good News about Morning Sickness
There is good news about morning sickness. This is not just a form of torture, there is a reason for this. It is believed that the morning sickness is a way to ensure that the baby stays safe while in the womb. When you are pregnant, your immune system is not what it once was, this means that you are ingesting items that you may not fight off like normal. Morning sickness is the bodies way of getting rid of these toxins before they affect you or the fetus.
Getting Relief
There are several ways in which you can get relief. For the most part, women stop reporting morning sickness around the 12th week of pregnancy. Your doctor may recommend vitamin B6 to help with the morning sickness. But, in most cases you need to deal with this on your own. This includes:
- Avoiding smells that trigger this nausea
- Get plenty of rest and relaxation
- Try eating smaller meals more frequently
- Eat dry toast or biscuits during those times in which your morning sickness is extremely bad
- Ensure that you are staying hydrated as being dehydrated can make nausea worse
- Utilize ginger in the form of tea or soda to help relax the stomach a bit more and help with the sickness.