Pregnancy is an emotional roller-coaster ride for any woman. Even physically, it pushes you to your limits. During this period, the body is going through many changes, making every day an uphill struggle. One such challenge is coping with morning sickness. It is by far one of the most unpleasant experiences one can endure.

What Is Morning Sickness All About?

It is one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy. It causes nausea, dry heaving, and other such symptoms. Contrary to the name, morning sickness can occur at any time. For some, the sign wanes as the day progresses, while others feel nauseated throughout the day. In this article, we cover the trajectory of morning sickness. So, keep reading to have all your questions answered.

When Does Morning Sickness Start?

Morning sickness varies from person to person. For some, the symptoms make an appearance after 5 weeks of pregnancy. On the other hand, some might experience morning sickness as one of the first signs. Ideally, morning sickness begins after two weeks of missing your period. The symptoms can be mild or severe, depending on the person.

When Is The Peak Of Morning Sickness?

Typically, morning sickness is at its worst when you are 9 to 10 weeks pregnant. This can be caused by the peaking of human chorionic gonadotropin hormones, which occur simultaneously. While morning sickness can cause you misery, it doesn’t have any long-lasting effects. Normally, it stops after the first trimester. However, research shows that the symptoms intensify when the baby starts developing organs. According to many researchers, morning sickness could be a defence mechanism to protect the fetus from toxins.

When Does Morning Sickness End?

The symptoms become manageable once the second trimester starts. After peaking for 8 to 11 weeks, morning sickness stops bothering you altogether. Of course, there are some exceptions. Some women have complained about feeling nauseous in the second trimester of pregnancy. In some rare cases, morning sickness assails them even in the third trimester.

Feeling nauseous during pregnancy is a healthy sign. If you experience morning sickness, you are less likely to face a miscarriage. So, even if morning sickness follows you to the second trimester, there’s nothing to worry about. It’s probably because you have a sensitive digestive system. Still, it’s better to consult your doctor to ensure the safety of your soon-to-be baby.

As a mother, it’s only natural for you to be over-protective of your baby. However, not every symptom poses a threat to your child. As long as you eat healthily and get enough sleep, your little one will be safe. In some cases, however, it’s okay for you to be vigilant. There have been cases where expecting mothers experience unusual symptoms. If not resolved soon, it can be a cause for concern. Therefore, you should keep an eye out for anything unusual. If you are undergoing a severe case of morning sickness, then talk to your doctor. The golden rule is to seek professional help whenever you are unsure and know the ways to deal with morning sickness. Prioritize your safety over everything else.

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You are all excited to finally find out that you are going to have a baby and can’t wait to break this news to your family. But how did you realize you are pregnant? Apart from the obvious symptoms, morning sickness is one sign that your baby is on its way. Ever wondered what is morning sickness and why does it occur? And is it really only morning sickness? Let’s find out.

When you are pregnant, your body undergoes a lot of changes, and some of these changes are due to certain hormones working full shifts, like hCG – human chorionic gonadotrophin and oestrogen. Your body produces these hormones in significant quantities as the placenta has achieved the appropriate growth and has the capability to transfer the nourishment of the baby in the womb.

Morning sickness usually begins during the 5th or 6th week of the pregnancy but this is not necessary in all cases. Some women start feeling morning sickness as early as the 5th week in their pregnancy.

Although it happens in the mornings, hence the name morning sickness, but in some cases the vomiting can occur any time during the day or even throughout the day. At the onset, anything that made you feel nauseated before pregnancy can easily tick you off to vomiting. A smell that didn’t go well with you, sight of something you don’t usually like, etc.

The extreme form of morning sickness is called hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). If you are queasiness lasts all day, ending you in you being sick a number of times during the day, unable to eat or drink, then you may well have HG.

HG can cause dehydration and weight loss. Seek help from your doctor as soon as possible.

In most cases, HG will end by the time you’re about 20 weeks pregnant. Unfortunately, for some women, it does not go away completely until the end of pregnancy.

So, what causes hyperemesis gravidarum? And are there any risks involved? Should you be worried?

Although the exact cause of HG is unknown, a few factors are likely to be involved, including hormonal changes. Some women are more likely to get HG than others. Most likely if,

• You are expecting your first child
• You are expecting a girl or twins/triplets
• Women in your family had HG during their pregnancies
• You suffered HG in your past pregnancy
• You are prone to motion sickness or migraines
• You had weight issues during pregnancy

Although morning sickness or HG can make you feel miserable, it is a good sign. It means that the levels of hormones in your body are high, protecting your pregnancy. Rest assured that you should be through the worst by week 16. it’s very unlikely that your baby will be harmed. Without effective treatment, there is a risk that your baby may be smaller than average at birth. But it’s unlikely that your baby will be affected in this way.

Try not to worry about eating a balanced diet, especially if you can’t hold anything down at this stage. Your baby can catch up on his nutrients later on in your pregnancy when you’re feeling better.

There are steps you can take to help lessen, and cope with, the symptoms of HG:

• Consult your doctor early on and explain how bad you are feeling, and that you’d like treatment.
• Seek your partner’s assistance with basic household chores like grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning. Get you family and friends to come over and babysit your first-born whenever possible.
• If you have history of nausea from certain foods and smells, it is best to avoid them as much as possible during the pregnancy as the slightest sight or smell can trigger the queasiness syndrome in you. If cooking smells make you feel sick, try eating only cold foods.
• Drink water regularly in small sips that will keep your body hydrated at all times. You can also try sucking on ice-cubes as that can may also help in such situations.
• It is important to keep eating regularly, even in little quantities, whenever you can. You can catch up on good nutrition later, as your baby will get her nourishment from your body’s reserves.
• Get as much rest as you can. Tiredness can make nausea and vomiting worse.

Don’t feel guilty about how you feel. You are ill and it is absolutely not your fault.

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More than what we read about morning sickness, we’ve heard a lot about it from many pregnant women. Morning sickness is an unpleasant accessory to one’s pregnancy. Probably this is nature’s way of preparing a woman for the eventual hardships that she will face shortly. Studies reveal that 80% of pregnant women suffer from morning sickness during pregnancy. Although it is an irritable health condition, it does not cause any harm to the mother and child in the majority of cases unless the symptoms are extremely severe.

What is Morning Sickness?

Despite the word indicating “morning”, it is not necessary that this condition turns up only in the mornings. It may affect pregnant women at any time of the day. Surprisingly, it can even be in the middle of a night. This may include nausea and vomiting or just the vomiting sensation without the actual vomiting. Though I’ve heard many women complaining of this discomfort till their 5th month, it is more common in the first trimester of the gestation period. But few women may have this even in their third trimester. Call a doctor if there are persistently extreme symptoms if you pass dark coloured urine or very less amount of it, if you feel faint or dizzy, and if the blood in vomiting and high heartbeat is seen.

Here are some ways by which you may get some relief from your morning sickness:

Divide Your Meal in Multiple Small Portions

Nausea worsens if the stomach is empty. Frequently eating small portions of your meal helps the sugar levels on an even tone. Keep nutrition-rich snacks aside for munching throughout the day. If vomited, big meals are a waste without serving the purpose and hence go for the smaller ones.

Go For a Protein Rich Diet

Consume foods that are easily digestible and are rich in protein and vitamin B. Keep oily, acidic, and spicy foods away as such contents can erupt nausea.

Pick Cold Meal Not to Get Cooking Smells

I was on my toes during my pregnancy days when garlic was being used in cooking and boiling. It used to drive me nuts. Cold foods do not emit the food aroma as hot food does. This subsides your nausea to some extent. Continue having cold foods till your nausea becomes a passé cloud.

Increase Drinks in Between Meals

If you have a tough time keeping down the volume of fluids, avoid taking them during meals. However, add fluids in between the meals as it is essential to be hydrated during your pregnancy.

Sniff the Aroma of Citrus Fruits or Ginger

Citrus fruits such as lemon, orange, and sweet lime may help you ease your vomiting sensation. Ginger also works similarly if sniffed. Add lemon and ginger to your green tea or black tea to get rid of nausea.

Keep Perfumes and Scents Away

Surprisingly perfumes and aromatic scents trigger nausea. Body odours are quite irritating as I disliked my husband’s body odour which I earlier liked very much. The poor creature had to always be away from me. Avoiding these can help you get better.

Take Anti-nausea Tic Pills On Prescription

Take a suggestion from your doctor in using the anti-nauseatic pills if you have too many issues with it or if the nausea is persistent even after the first trimester.

Get a Fresh Breath

Get out and take a fresh breath in a garden or greenery. Avoid areas with heavy blooms as pollen may erupt the nausea tic elements in you. A fresh breeze can take away nausea.

Try and figure out these tips to conquer morning sickness. Understand that this is a temporary element and you will see days with the perfectly rising sun. Enduring this discomfort would prepare you for the required toughness when you become a mother.

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It was almost one and a half month that we found that we were pregnant. Both of us are equally excited about our first-born. But along with the joyride that pregnancy brings in, there are a number of perennial hazards too that an expectant couple face. While the mom actually goes through the pain and all body changes, the dad is the one who deals with all the mood swings and at the same time ensures enough treatment and care for the mom.

Here, I am talking about morning sickness, which is the most common phenomenon during pregnancy.

As we woke up one morning, my wife started complaining about certain restlessness that she was going through. During our last visit to the clinic, our doctor warned us about morning sickness during the initial phase of pregnancy. So, I was a little prepared for the situation. So, I asked her what was wrong. When she ensured me that it was just a little nausea and nothing else, I started planning my day. As soon as I was about the leave the home for work, she told me that she was staying home, as she was really not feeling well.

I tried to understand how she was actually feeling. She said that initially it was only nausea but later she threw up twice during and after bath. As suggested by our doctor, we both agreed that she should stay home and take rest, because morning sickness also occurs due to lack of sleep.  Second thing I did was, I opened all the windows of the home to allow some fresh air to come in. But my wife was still feeling unwell. So, I tried to make her feel better by spraying some of her favorite perfume onto her palm. Well, thank God, I tried that! She started feeling much better.

I made sure to keep enough drinking water close to her, because she needs to be well-hydrated during the stage. My wife does not want to eat a full plate of food since she has gotten pregnant. So I kept sufficient portion of her favorite food items into the refrigerator. And I left for work. When I came back later that day, my wife was completely okay. I thought it was over, but little did I know what were there in store for me in the next couple of mornings.

Next morning, after I came out of the washroom after having a bath, my wife started feeling unwell, just like the previous day. I repeated what I did last day. She again felt sick in the next morning, same time. At that moment, something occurred to me! Our doctor once mentioned that morning sickness is mainly smell-associated and is often random. It’s difficult to draw a pattern. But if you can find a pattern, maybe you can treat it too. Yes, I found out that the main reason for my wife’s morning sickness was the fragrance of my shaving cream, which I used to apply every morning.

As I found out the reason, I immediately got rid of it. Now my wife’s morning sickness is very random, as expected.

The post Dad Diary – Dealing With the Perennial Hazard – Morning Sickness appeared first on Stem Cell Banking Guide and Pregnancy Tips For New Parents.