Morning sickness is the nauseated feeling you get during pregnancy. Morning sickness is a misnomer. The technical medical term is “nausea and vomiting of pregnancy”.  Morning sickness can be, but is not always, accompanied with vomiting.

Morning sickness symptoms are at its worst early in the day, hence its name. For some pregnant women, the symptoms ease up over the course of the day and for most women, last all day long. The intensity of symptoms can vary from woman to woman. Although this condition is often called morning sickness, most women have symptoms throughout the day.

Nausea and vomiting can be one of the first signs of pregnancy. While you are pregnant, nausea and vomiting are normal and are considered part of a healthy pregnancy  because it means the placenta is developing well. Placenta is the organ that connects the baby to your uterus.

Morning sickness is not harmful to you or your baby. But very rarely if you experience excessive vomiting and cannot keep your food down, experience dehydration, and weight loss you may have hyperemesis gravidarum. When these symptoms appear you have to get  treatment. Hyperemesis gravidarum can be harmful to you and your baby if severe and left untreated. It is due to the possible lack of nutrients and electrolyte imbalance.

Occurrence of morning sickness

Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy usually starts around 6 weeks of pregnancy, but it can begin as early as 4 weeks (four weeks after the woman’s last menstrual period). Symptoms usually peak at about 11-13 weeks. Up to 70% of all women get mild to moderate symptoms during the first three months (first trimester) of pregnancy. These symptoms are usually gone by the fourth month. However, for a few it is still a problem after four or five months until delivery.

Symptoms of Morning Sickness

Symptoms of morning sickness can include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Psychological effects, such as depression and anxiety.

Fever, diarrhea, and severe abdominal pain are not associated with nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. It may be something other than morning sickness.

What causes nausea and vomiting during pregnancy?

The actual causes of nausea and vomiting are still not known. It is probably brought about by the combination of physical and metabolic factors. Possible causes include:

1. High levels of hormones: The hormonal changes taking place during pregnancy trigger nausea and vomiting.Hormones like pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin, estrogen, and progesterone.

1. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG): Elevated levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) may play a role in inducing vomiting. This hormone rises rapidly during early pregnancy. It is not known how hCG contributes to nausea but nausea tends to peak around the same time as the levels of hCG. Women have higher levels of hCG while carrying multiples, are associated with higher rates of nausea and vomiting.

2. Estrogen: This hormone also rises rapidly in early pregnancy. Human chorionic gonadotropin stimulates the maternal ovaries to secrete estrogen which in turn causes the nausea.

3. Progesterone: An increase in progesterone relaxes the muscles in the uterus, which prevents early childbirth, but may also relax the stomach and intestines, leading to excess stomach acids and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

4. Another hormone thought to be involved is serotonin. Serotonin is a brain chemical that affects both the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. These effects are believed to induce vomiting.

2. An enhanced sense of smell and sensitivity to odors. Certain aromas instantly overstimulate normal nausea triggers. Some women’s gastrointestinal tracts are simply more sensitive to the changes of early pregnancy.

3. Several studies have shown that during pregnancy, the upper GI tract may slow down and thus contribute to increased nausea and vomiting.

4. Fluctuations in blood pressure, particularly lowered blood pressure. Low blood glucose levels too bring about nausea and vomiting.

5. Altered metabolism of carbohydrates.

6. An increase in bilirubin levels due to increased liver enzymes.

When should I consult my doctor?

• If you vomit more than three or four times a day.

• If your vomit contains blood or looks like ground coffee.

• If you lose more liquid than you can keep down.

• If you are dehydrated.

• If you are worried about your condition, or believe that something serious is the matter.

• If you lose weight.

Will my nausea affect my baby?

The mild to moderate nausea and occasional vomiting commonly associated with morning sickness won’t threaten your baby’s well-being. Vomiting and retching may strain the abdominal muscles and cause localised aching and soreness, but the physical mechanics of vomiting won’t harm the baby. The foetus is perfectly cushioned inside its sac of amniotic fluid. In fact, numerous studies have discovered that moderate morning sickness is associated with a reduced risk of miscarriage. However, prolonged vomiting such that it eventually leads to dehydration and weight loss can deprive the child of proper nutrition and increase the risk of the baby being underweight at birth.