Morning Sickness Causes & Cures
HEAD IN THE BOWL AGAIN, MAMA?
Morning sickness is often the first sign of pregnancy, as it can start as early as 2 weeks after conception. Despite the name, the sufferer can feel ill at any time of the day or for some poor souls – all day! As an empty stomach is thought to be one of the triggers then mornings are a common time for it to appear.
Not every pregnant woman will experience morning sickness, or pregnancy nausea, although most do to some degree, and it can vary from a feeling of mild nausea or queasiness ranging up to feeling truly ill and unable to keep any food or liquids down. Interestingly, the severity of the effects seems to be greatest in women with a history of migraine or travel sickness.
WHAT CAUSES PREGNANCY NAUSEA?
It’s not known exactly what causes it morning sickness, but most doctors agree that the changes in hormone levels that pregnancy triggers are the most major factor. One of the effects of these hormones is to change the way your digestive system works, which can lead to higher levels of acid.
Another possible cause is that many women experience a heightened sense of taste and smell while pregnant, which can make pregnancy nausea feel worse when unpleasant or strong odors are around.
Finally, tiredness and stress play a key role, and most pregnant women are fatigued or anxious a lot of the time!
HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?
Morning sickness can occur over the full range of your pregnancy, but most women find that it more or less disappears by around 14 weeks when hormone levels in the body start to stabilise.
HOW CAN YOU REDUCE YOUR SYMPTOMS AND FEEL WELL AGAIN?
There are dozens and dozens of traditional ‘cures’ for the feelings of nausea, with every mother having an opinion on the subject! The fact is that every woman’s body is different and so no single thing will work for everyone. However, there are some simple things to try which can help most feel better.
As previously mentioned, an empty stomach can be a cause, so snack little and often to keep hunger at bay, and keep a couple of biscuits by your bed for if you wake up during the night.
Sucking on an ice cube can help.
Fresh ginger is reputed to calm the stomach, MaterniTea has a specific pregnancy nausea tea blend called StabiliTea, designed to help ease the quease and settle the tummy. Made from Ginger root, Organic Honeybush and Peppermint. Sipping on this tea hot or chilled is a nice way to reduce pregnancy nausea side effects and keep your body hydrated. You can even turn this tea into ice cubes to suck on.
Lining the stomach with a few mouthfuls of plain yogurt can help to settle the tummy in preparation for other foods. Remedies for travel sickness can also help, so it might be worth trying the magnetic wristbands you can buy, but you should never take any medication while pregnant without consulting your doctor.
Although it may be the last thing you can think about doing right now, exercise is a great way to relieve nausea symptoms. By getting out into the fresh air, circulating your blood and oxygenating your muscles the effects are often positive when it comes to combating the awful yet common pregnancy side effect.
WHEN TO SEEK HELP FOR MORNING SICKNESS
Morning sickness is a natural part of pregnancy and will not harm your baby in any way, but in severe cases you may be unable to keep any food or fluids down and if this continues you could become dehydrated, which is very dangerous for your baby. If your urine starts to become very dark in colour this is a sign that your fluid levels are too low, and you should speak to your midwife or doctor.
