Q: Causes of morning sickness?
Posted
Monday, August 11, 2008 3:55 PM
Q: I am constantly nauseas! Why?
A: Before your pregnancy, you probably imagined that when you woke up in the morning, you’d be nauseous, throw up, and then go on with your day. Well…not so much. Whoever decided to call it “morning sickness” was probably sleeping through the day because it doesn’t discriminate between the morning, afternoon, or evening.
There’s no clear answer as to why nausea occurs during pregnancy, although it’s believed that it’s due to hormonal changes (that seems to be the answer to everything these days). Generally the nausea isn’t too overwhelming, and by mid-pregnancy, you should be relieved of it, mostly. But, if your nausea and vomiting are excessive, then talk to your doctor because it may be hyperemesis gravidarum, a rare complication that results in a poor intake of fluids and food (and a hungry baby).
Although you can’t really prevent morning sickness, studies show that women who took multivitamins before conception are less likely to get nauseous -- so, if you’re TTC, start sucking those vitamins down now.
-- Sandra Plasse
American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists. Your pregnancy and birth. 4th ed. Washington, DC: ACOG; 2005.
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