Morning sickness is a symptom of pregnancy which shows nausea and vomiting as prominent symptoms. It is also known as nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP). Even though it is known as morning sickness it can be seen anytime during the day. Morning sickness usually starts around 4th week of pregnancy and may continue up to 16th week of pregnancy or sometimes even beyond that. A more serious form of morning sickness is known as hyperemesis gravidarum. This can cause an unwelcome weight loss.
Can You Get Morning Sickness Before A Positive Pregnancy Test?
It is possible that you experience morning sickness before you detect a positive pregnancy test. However, you are unlikely to develop morning sickness before you can detect a pregnancy.
The morning sickness is considered to be related to the hormone hCG, which is a pregnancy related hormone. This is the hormone detected by pregnancy tests. This hormone is considered to be influencing the morning sickness with its lesser or greater amounts.
Those women who are unable to conceive or have been trying to conceive since long, or those who are on contraceptive pills, are likely to experience nausea, tender breasts and skin changes even before their period is missed. Also, those women who have a longer cycle or those who ovulate earlier in their cycle can also show symptoms long before they even think of taking a test. Overall, while it is very unlikely to develop morning sickness before the possibility of pregnancy, it is possible to start morning sickness before you get a positive pregnancy test, which is because, the hormone that is responsible for detection of positive pregnancy is the same one responsible for the feeling of getting nauseated in pregnancy.
Signs And Symptoms In Morning Sickness
Nausea and vomiting are the major signs and symptoms observed in morning sickness
Causes Of Morning Sickness
The precise cause of morning sickness is not known yet
However, some studies and experts believe that it is due to the different levels of hormone HCG in pregnancy
Some also believe that the more is the amount of HCG the severe is the morning sickness
Some studies also attribute morning sickness to some psychological factors
Some studies link it to increased estrogen levels
However, such a nausea related to increased estrogen can also be seen in oral contraceptive pills or hormone replacement therapy medicines
Some link it to an increase in progesterone levels
The progesterone is responsible for relaxing the uterine muscles. This prevents early or untimely childbirth
However, it may also relax the stomach and intestinal muscles, which may lead to an increase in the stomach acids and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)
According to some, HCG is directly not responsible for the nausea
The HCG stimulates the ovaries of the mother to produce more estrogen, which in turn leads to nausea
Some even believe that morning sickness may be a trait of evolution that provides protection to the baby from the toxins consumed by the mother. Following theories may be supportive of this-
Morning sickness is seen in pregnant women and not in non-pregnant women, which may indicate that it is a way of the body to adapt to the new life and not consider it as a pathological change, but a physiological change
Fetus is the most susceptible to toxins at the age of three months
This is also the time when morning sickness is at its peak level
There may be toxins present in food which may invoke an aversion for taste or smell in the mother
It is also seen that the feeling of nausea develops after the mother encounters a particular taste or smell.
Conclusion
It is possible to experience morning sickness before you go for a pregnancy test. However, it is not likely to develop morning sickness before you can have a positive pregnancy.
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