What is Morning Sickness in Pregnancy ?

Morning sickness is the first apparent symptom of pregnancy noticed by a woman who has conceived. Though it is called morning sickness but nausea could occur at any time during the day.

During the first trimester of pregnancy it is more predominant and peaks around the 9th week. The symptoms fade away as the pregnancy enters the second trimester although in some cases it could continue up to the 20th week. In some women morning sickness and its accompanying symptoms like vomiting are so severe that it results in dehydration and the woman has the feeling of being really sick. She throws up many times in a day, leaving very little fluid and food in her body and this makes her lose weight.

What causes morning sickness in pregnancy ?

• During pregnancy hormonal changes take place to enable the foetus to develop and the body to adjust to the major change that has occurred. The cause of morning sickness is often related to these changes which take place in the body of a woman after she conceives. It is also said to be hereditary in nature. Those who have a family history could suffer more. Your mother could guide you more on this.

• Another theory suggests that this could be due to the developing foetus which occupies more and more space inside the stomach, thus pushing food and fluids upwards, and these tend to come out as vomit. In case a woman is carrying twins or triplets, instances of morning sickness will be more severe. Also if the woman is suffering from migraine pain or is suffering from sickness due to motion, morning sickness will be severe.

Remedies for morning sickness during pregnancy

Doctors attending upon the woman do prescribe medicines which will help nausea. If not treated properly, this could affect the proper development of the baby. No herbal or other untested medicines should be risked as they could harm the fetus. Those who suffer morning sickness during their first pregnancy are likely to have some symptoms the next time around, although to a lesser degree.

In some cases there is a strong urge to vomit but much fluid does not come out. This type of morning sickness is relatively harmless but causes discomfort. In case the vomiting is at frequent intervals and the out flow of fluid is quite high, immediate treatment is required. Dehydration caused due to loss of body fluid could harm the development of the child. In case the problem remains untreated, there could be chances of organ failure in case of the woman, and premature birth of the child.

Generally it is suggested that the woman eats dry crackers frequently. She should keep them beside her bed and nibble one on slight symptoms of sickness. However, this works in milder cases only. To overcome this problem it is recommended that the woman should eat small meals at frequent intervals and drink a lot of fluid when there is no feeling of nausea. Soda drinks or carbonated drinks, spicy and junk food, and food with high acid content should be avoided. The doctors will suggest intake of vitamin B6 supplement to reduce nausea.