Pregnancy Sickness Explained
Pregnancy sickness is one of the more unwanted side effects of expecting a baby, but unfortunately it is one of the most common with well over half of all women who are pregnant experiencing it.
Most women have it in the first trimester (the first three months) of pregnancy, starting in about the second month and continuing with it until the fourth or fifth month. A small minority never experience it at all although this usually seems to be first-time mothers and they will probably have it in any subsequent pregnancies. An unlucky few will have it throughout their pregnancy which can be especially draining and exhausting. Some just feel slightly queasy while others will need the bathroom several times a day. There is no hard and fast rule of who will get it and to what intensity. Everybody is different and it seems that no one can put a concrete guarantee on exactly why it happens. There are numerous theories but none have actually been proved.
Pregnancy sickness is more commonly known as morning sickness but this is a misnomer as the nausea can strike you at any time of the day as numerous women will attest. It is true that many will wake up feeling sick and nauseous but it doesn’t stop there. You can be on a bus, or at work, and the feeling can descend on you again. If you’re trying to keep your pregnancy quiet for a few months, more often than not, somebody at work will twig when you head for the bathroom at a double quick pace every ten minutes.
Theories as to why it happens usually centre on hormones. There is no doubt that pregnancy will cause havoc with your hormones and it is thought that this fluctuation could be a major factor in the sickness symptoms. At the beginning of your pregnancy, the production of progesterone is increased in order to relax the muscles of the uterus. This stops early labour and helps increase your immunity level. This, however, may also have an effect on the stomach and induce a feeling of nausea.
If you just step back and look at it objectively, it makes sense that the body will have some sort of reaction to the massive changes it has to go through. You are suddenly having to support an extra life inside you and it is obvious that major adaptations will have to be made. This is no easy task and it is not at all surprising to think the stomach could be upset in all the upheaval.
As your pregnancy progresses, and the baby gets bigger, you may find that you often feel sick after a meal. This is quite normal as space is naturally getting a little cramped. When you fill your stomach, the baby, out of necessity, will push on the newly ingested food and make you feel ill. Sometimes this sickness can be accompanied by a bit of heartburn as well. Don’t worry – move around a bit. Women often find a different position eases the feeling. Also try to eat smaller meals, and more often, so the stomach has more room to digest without the baby pushing on it.
Pregnancy sickness is a major trial in the months leading up to your baby’s arrival but the joy of holding that newborn miracle soon makes any discomfort melt away.
