Pain Before Gain - Morning Sickness Causes
If you are experiencing morning sickness, you're in good company. Approximately 75% of pregnant women have some type of morning sickness during their first trimester. Morning sickness usually starts around six weeks, although it can start earlier, at about four weeks. It usually gets worse before it gets better. About 50% of women who are sick report that they feel much better by 14 weeks. Most other women begin to feel better about a month later, although some women are sick throughout the pregnancy.
What Causes Morning Sickness?
Of course, the big question is what causes morning sickness? If we understand the causes, then the hope is that we can cure what ails us. Unfortunately, no one has an exact answer to this question. It is certainly due, in part, to the chemical changes occurring in your body. These changes include increased estrogen and progesterone levels and sensitivity to smells. There is also more stomach acid in your body that can irritate your stomach and cause nausea.
Perhaps It's the hCG
One theory that is widely accepted as a possibility is the buildup of hCG. This is the human chorionic gonadotopin in your system that is produced after the egg becomes fertilized. It increases until the 12th week, at which point these levels start to decrease. Many researchers think that this may be the cause of morning sickness, and that when the hCG levels decrease, the morning sickness decreases as well.
Smell That Food!
Nausea may also be caused by the enhanced sense of smell that many pregnancy women have. Many women say that they develop an enhanced sensitivity to odors while pregnant, and that certain smells make them most sick. Certain aromas may trigger a woman's gag reflex, and these situations may be a result of the increase in estrogen in the body.
Vitamin B Deficiency
Some people think that morning sickness is the result of a problem with Vitamin B. Taking Vitamin B6 supplements during pregnancy does seem to help some women. However, this doesn't mean that they had a deficiency before taking the vitamins. One study even showed that there was no difference in the levels of B6 in women who had morning sickness and those who didn't.
Unfortunately, the causes of morning sickness are not cut and dry. This is simply one challenge that many women have to overcome in order to have a beautiful baby in their arms. It's important to remember, while experiencing morning sickness, that it will pass eventually, and that it's all part of the pregnancy process of producing a wonderful result - a new baby!
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