Morning Sickness

Morning sickness is one of the early pregnancy symptoms. Along with the joys of pregnancy comes the uneasy feelings of nausea. Morning sickness affects women in different ways; morning sickness and pregnancy go hand-in-hand for some women while some don't even experience morning sickness at all.

Because it is one of the first signs of pregnancy, it works to protect your baby. As a pregnancy sign, it alerts you to your possible pregnancy. Also, because morning sickness means that you feel nauseous, you probably won’t be drinking, smoking, or engaging in other activities that are bad for your health.

What Causes Morning Sickness?

It is currently believed that morning sickness is related to a pregnancy hormone, human chronic gonadotropin.

Your lifestyle may also have a direct effect on morning sickness. Women who don’t get enough rest seem to be more prone to morning sickness. Additionally, women who are under stress also seem to experience more nausea and vomiting

Morning Sickness Symptoms

You’ll know you have morning sickness when the nausea hits you, potentially leading to vomiting. These are the only signs of morning sickness. Morning sickness is sometimes brought on by smelling certain foods; pregnancy hormones have sharpened your sense of smell, leaving you vulnerable to the smell of certain foods that bring on symptoms of morning sickness.

When Does Morning Sickness Start?

Morning sickness usually starts in the first stage of pregnancy - somewhere between the fourth and sixth week - and is therefore one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. You should find that your morning sickness usually ends between the 14th and 16th week.

Morning Sickness Remedies

Although you probably won't find an absolute cure for morning sickness, there are several techniques that will help you alleviate the symptoms of morning sickness:

Get out of bed slowly
Eat small meals as this will help keep your blood-sugar level steady and will keep your stomach filled
Listening to specially formatted CDs can successfully ease the symptoms: these are as close to morning sickness cures as you can get
Snack on easy-to-digest foods, such as whole wheat toast, baked potatoes, pasta and fruit
Try eating cold foods
Avoid greasy foods
Avoid spicy foods as much as possible
Keep the kitchen well ventilated to air out those lingering cooking odors
Drink water to avoid dehydration
Exercise to help you sleep at night and relieve stress
Natural remedies for morning sickness : morning sickness can be relieved with eating ginger

If you are vomiting more than twice a day, contact your doctor.

Share your experiences

Morning sickness is one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy, but what other symptoms do you have? And what have these first few weeks of pregnancy been like for you? If you're in your first trimester, then visit Pregnancy Stories and share your experience of being pregnant.

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