Sunday, July 19, 2009

What causes morning sickness?

What causes morning sickness
What is exactly morning sickness? The word has been used by most pregnant women but actually, it is a misnomer. Morning sickness is the condition that makes you feel queasy for some months. Understanding the condition of pregnancy morning sickness and its relation to the growing baby will make the feeling of nausea and vomiting a bit easier to endure. This condition is caused mainly due to rapid hormonal changes in the body during the pregnancy period. In the early stages of pregnancy, it can prove a bit difficult to handle the rapid hormonal changes occurring in the body. However, your body will adjust later and this is the reason that most women do not experience morning sickness after the first trimester.

Hormonal changes include an increased amount of estrogen, HCG and progesterone levels. This is combined with enhanced sense of smell and more stomach acids than usual. It is not surprising that women feel sick during their pregnancy term. Although it is not totally clear how the hormones cause the condition of morning sickness, there are some theories that are also accepted by the medical community.

Progesterone tends to relax and soften the muscle tissues in order to prepare for labor and delivery in a pregnant women’s body. It can also further help to prevent preterm labor by keeping uterine muscles relaxed. Unfortunately, it also relaxes the muscles that are involved in the digestive processes. This further leads to slower food processing, resulting in excess stomach acid.

No one still knows the reason behind HCG levels causing pregnancy morning sickness. However, it is still considered to have some sort of connection just because morning sickness seems to go worse with a rise in HCG level in the beginning of the pregnancy period. They will start to decline towards the end of first trimester. This is the time when pregnant women experience a gradual improvement in the condition of morning sickness.

Consumption of the right amounts of nutrients can prove helpful in curing morning sickness. However, for those women who have a hard time to consume a balanced diet, prenatal vitamins can prove helpful, as this will cover up the nutritional gap. They are certainly a good choice. However, it is best to consult a doctor before taking any prenatal vitamins. Make sure you have chosen suitable prenatal vitamins or else you will end up taking prenatal vitamins, which may worsen the condition of morning sickness.

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