Pregnancy sickness is one of the most unwanted side effects of expecting a baby but it is also one of the most common. Over half of all women will experience it at some time during their pregnancy. It is most likely to occur during the first trimester and will normally start during the second month. It could continue until the fourth or fifth month and even longer for a small proportion of women. Pregnancy sickness throughout the entire time until birth is even possible but luckily these cases are rare. A relatively low percentage, estimated at around 15%, will never experience the problem at all. This normally seems to apply to women who are pregnant for the first time.
The effect and severity of the condition is very hard to predict or plan for. Some will just feel a little queasy while others may be vomiting consistently day after day. There are no clear guidelines as to who will get pregnancy sickness and how severely it will affect them. Everybody is different and will have a slightly different experience. No one can even provide a definite cause for exactly why it happens. There are numerous theories, several with medical studies to support them, but none have even been definitively proved.
Pregnancy sickness is often referred to as morning sickness but this is not really an accurate description. The problem can really occur at any time of day rather than just the morning. While it is certainly true that a lot of women will wake up in the morning feeling sick, you need to be aware that it doesn't stop there. The same nauseous feelings could strike again at any time and any place. This might be traveling to or from work or while you are out doing the shopping. This can be an even bigger problem if you aren't ready to tell everyone about your pregnancy. It can be difficult to keep it a secret when somebody at work notices you heading for the bathroom continually.
There are various theories as to why the condition happens and mostly they are based around hormones. It is logical to think that your pregnancy will totally throw out your hormones and lead to the various fluctuations which are thought to be a major factor that leads to the condition.
In the early stages of your pregnancy, your body will naturally increase production of progesterone which is a hormone that relaxes the muscles of the uterus. This works to stop the potential for early labor and also assists with increasing your immunity levels. It is thought, however, that it could also impact on the stomach and induce feelings of nausea.
It's no real surprise that your body will have a reaction of some kind to the massive changes that it is going through. There is now an extra life inside you that needs support which will mean that your body will be adapting to the new role. It is easy to see how all this change and upheaval could lead to stomach upset.
As you progress through your pregnancy, and your new baby starts to get bigger, you are likely to begin feeling sick after you have eaten a meal. This is to be expected as their is limited space available and the baby will press against the newly ingested food. This can easily make you feel ill and you may also get a touch of heartburn. To alleviate this problem, just try to move around or adjust to a different position - this will often reduce the queasy feelings. You should also try to eat smaller meals throughout the day rather than 3 main meals. This will give your stomach more room to digest the food without the baby pushing against it.
Pregnancy sickness can be a traumatic experience for expectant mothers. If you understand what it is, and how to adjust to it, then hopefully you will be better able to adapt when it comes.
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