Morning sickness is a condition characterized by the presence of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. The condition is also known as nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. The causes of morning sickness include emotional distress, altered hormonal levels, excessive fatigue, and weakness.
Does Everyone Get Morning Sickness?
Morning sickness is not a mandatory proposition in pregnancy. The woman who is able to tolerate the hormonal changes and other factors are less prone to develop morning sickness.
Morning sickness is the condition seen during pregnancy. The patient presents the symptoms of nausea and vomiting. Unlike the name indicates the condition may develop at any time during the day.
Every pregnancy is different and also different is the ability of the person to respond to hormonal changes. Morning sickness is generally caused due to significant changes in the hormonal level. Thus, it is not necessary that every pregnant woman suffers from morning sickness and with similar severity. In some cases, different women encounter morning sickness at different stages of pregnancy.
As an estimate, almost 70% of the pregnant women suffer from morning sickness; with almost 50% have vomiting. Approximately 15% of women have the occurrence of daily vomiting. Hyperemesis, a severe form of the condition, is found in 1-2% of women. Almost all the women who suffer from vomiting also have nausea.
There has been a common misinformation that women with no or less severe morning sickness are more likely to have miscarriage rather it indicates that the overall buildup of the body is such that it encounters the changes in hormonal levels and tolerate pregnancy more effectively as compared to women who are suffering from morning sickness due to changed hormonal levels.
It has also been found that a woman who had morning sickness in one pregnancy may not suffer from it in the subsequent pregnancy.
Causes Of Morning Sickness
Morning sickness is caused due to the following reasons:
Altered Hormonal Levels. Significant changes in the hormonal levels are seen in pregnant women. Studies indicate that it is the primary reason for morning sickness. Estrogen level of women is increased during pregnancy. Further, there is also an increase in the level of progesterone which is required for sustaining the pregnancy. Increase in HCG is also the likely cause of nausea and vomiting.
Multiple Pregnancies. Women with multiple pregnancies are more likely to have morning sickness as compared to women with a single pregnancy. In fact, nausea and vomiting start in women with multiple pregnancies prior to the positive test result of pregnancy.
Emotional Stress. Psychological conditions such as stress, anxiety, and depression also cause morning sickness. Severe nausea and vomiting, in absence of any other reason, indicate that the woman is under severe emotional stress.
Excessive Traveling. Some women also suffer from morning sickness, if they travel excessively during pregnancy. It has also been noted that if the women suffer from motion sickness prior to pregnancy, she would have increased severity of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
Excessive Weakness. Weak body, during pregnancy, does not able to withstand under the physical and psychological burden of pregnancy. Also, the body is not able to tolerate the changes in the hormonal level and severity of morning sickness is high in such patients.
Underlying Condition. Apart from pregnancy, various medical conditions, unrelated to pregnancy, such as liver disease or hypothyroidism also increases the risk of morning sickness.
Defense Mechanism. Another reason which is evolved as a cause of morning sickness is a hyperactive defense system of the body, which protects the mother and the fetus from toxins. It has been postulated that the immune system of the body becomes weak during pregnancy, thus the body takes extra care during eating. This may result in vomiting. Further, the fetal vulnerability towards toxins is high during the third trimester, which is also the time for increased severity of morning sickness.
- American Pregnancy Association. (2021). Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy. https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/morning-sickness-during-pregnancy/
- Mayo Clinic. (2021). Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/expert-answers/morning-sickness/faq-20475207
- Fejzo, M. S., & MacGibbon, K. W. (2019). Hyperemesis Gravidarum: Current Perspectives. International Journal of Women’s Health, 11, 343-354. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S159541
- Koren, G., & Madjunkova, S. (2014). The Protective Effects of Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy Against Adverse Fetal Outcome—A Systematic Review. Reproductive Toxicology, 47, 77-80. doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2014.06.008
- Niebyl, J. R. (2010). Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy. New England Journal of Medicine, 363(16), 1544-1550. doi:10.1056/NEJMcp1003896
Also Read:
- Morning Sickness at Night: Causes, Symptoms, Prevention, Treatment
- Can You Get Morning Sickness Before A Positive Pregnancy Test?
- Do You Get Morning Sickness With A Boy?
- Natural Remedies For Morning Sickness
- Can Morning Sickness Start At 1st Week Of Pregnancy?
- Does Morning Sickness Feel Like The Flu?
- How Do I Know If I Have Morning Sickness?