Most women don’t think of morning sickness as helpful, but it can be an excellent sign of pregnancy.
It usually begins between the fourth and sixth week of pregnancy. This is often the first sign most women get that they are actually pregnant. Therefore, morning sickness is a clue to start taking better care of your health for you and your baby.
No one knows the exact reason pregnant women experience this time of nausea and vomiting. When you become pregnant, your body is going through many hormonal changes, which are normal. The pregnancy hormone is believed to be the cause of morning sickness. Not much research has been done on the subject. Low blood sugar is also believed to be a contributing factor of nausea and vomiting during early pregnancy.
Morning sickness does not mean you will be sick and vomiting every morning. It can occur at any time of the day or night. It varies from woman to woman and can be brought on by many different things. Knowing what can cause your morning sickness to worsen can be helpful in preventing severe symptoms. Unfortunately, in some cases, nothing can be done to lessen the severity of morning sickness. If you are vomiting more than twice a day or think you may be losing weight, contact your doctor. He or she may prescribe medication that can lessen the symptoms of morning sickness.
Morning sickness can occur regardless of your lifestyle, but there are many factors that may contribute to causing it to be more severe.
Here are 7 tips that might help prevent your nausea and vomiting:
- Do not let your stomach get empty. An empty stomach can lead to severe nausea.
- Move slowly when getting out of bed in the morning.
- If possible, eat a few crackers before getting out of bed.
- Drinking plenty of fluids during the day can prevent dehydration.
- Get lots of rest, taking naps during the day if possible.
- When cooking, keep your kitchen well ventilated to avoid lingering odors.
- Get a light amount of exercise, which will help you sleep and get rest.
Check back on our blog next week, when we’ll share part 2 of this series. It’ll have even more tips for coping with morning sickness!
