Morning sickness during pregnancy - remedies and cures

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The dreaded prospect of morning sickness is well known to most women long before they experience pregnancy. Tales of woe from friends and family who have been completely debilitated by feelings of nausea for weeks on end may loom large as soon as you find out you've conceived.

About 75-80 percent of pregnant women experience nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP), also known as morning sickness. The term morning sickness is a bit of a misnomer however, as the queasiness can overcome you at any time of the day. Symptoms usually occur from week five or six and generally ease off after the first trimester of pregnancy is complete. Some women suffer terribly from NVP while others breeze through pregnancy with only a slight feeling of queasiness. If your own mother suffered badly from morning sickness it is more likely that you will. In rare cases nausea continues throughout the pregnancy.

For something so common there is little understanding of what exactly causes morning sickness and many women complain that they get little medical help or sympathy in dealing with their symptoms. About 8.5 million working days are lost each year due to morning sickness, but very little research has been done into the condition. Experts believe that low sugar levels may be to blame, which would explain why snacking all day rather than eating three main meals, helps many women overcome the symptoms. High levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), the hormone secreted by the placenta, have also been blamed.

Although morning sickness will make you feel wretched it is usually harmless. The main cause of concern is dehydration and about one in 150 women ends up on a drip in hospital because of fluids lost due to repeated vomiting. It is important to keep your fluid levels up to avoid this. Drinking fluids half an hour before or after meals, rather than when eating, may help if liquids contribute to your symptoms. If the smell of food becomes tortuous you may want to eat cold foods rather than hot as this will reduce odours.

During the first trimester of pregnancy you are likely to feel quite tired, suffering from morning sickness will only compound this so make sure you rest well. Don't lie down immediately after eating however, as this may make you feel worse. Move slowly and deliberately and avoid over exertion.

Several homeopathic remedies are also available but you should speak to your health care provider before taking any of these. Ginger is often said to be effective, as are wristbands that stimulate acupuncture points. Some women even swear by eating dry crackers before they get out of bed in the morning.

In most cases morning sickness has to be endured and because you look healthy and show no outward signs of being pregnant you'll get little sympathy. It's worth remembering however, that morning sickness is harmless to your baby, so don't complicate your condition with stress and worry. Speak to your doctor if you feel that you are not coping well or visit SOS Morning Sickness for more information on the condition.

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