Early morning sickness starts very early in pregnancy. In most of the cases, it is the initial indicator of pregnancy. The condition develops in the initial 6 weeks of the pregnancy.
What Does Early Morning Sickness Feel Like?
The early morning sickness feels like nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weight loss or failure to gain weight, anxiety and depression, tachycardia, headache, and tiredness. The cause of morning sickness is unknown but alteration in hormone level is deemed to the reason in most of the cases.
Most of the symptoms of morning sickness are caused due to the inability of the body to tolerate hormonal changes. Following are the symptoms of morning sickness.
Nausea. Nausea is experienced by the patient during pregnancy. The symptoms are more commonly observed in the morning; however, the severity varies through the day. The patient suffering from nausea has the urge to vomit.
Vomiting. Vomiting is the process of forcefully discharging the contents of the stomach. This may either be the effect of the central nervous system or may also be due to stomach irritation. Excess vomiting may also lead to a severe condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum.
Dehydration. Due to excess vomiting, the patient feels dehydrated. Dehydration may lead to reduced water content on the mucous membrane and the patient may suffer from dry mouth. The patient has increased thirst.
Reduced Urination. As the patient suffers from dehydration, there is a reduction in the frequency of urination.
Weight Loss. Pregnant women suffering from morning sickness is not able to digest the food and also discharging the food out of the stomach. This results in weight loss or failure to gain weight.
Headache. The patient suffering from morning sickness is dehydrated. The blood fails to properly circulate in the vital parts of the body, including the brain, leading to headache.
Tachycardia. As the volume of the blood lowers due to dehydration, as seen in severe morning sickness, the heart beats at a relatively faster rate.
Tiredness. The patient feels tired due to excessive vomiting. Low level of sugar also increases tiredness and fatigue. Excessive vomiting also leads to energy exhaustion and muscle spasm.
Loss Of Appetite. Although the patient suffering from morning sickness feels tired, there is a loss of appetite seen in morning sickness due to excessive vomiting.
Psychological behavior of the patient also leads to loss of appetite.
Depression And Anxiety. Morning sickness also leads to psychological symptoms. The patient with severe morning sickness suffers from anxiety and depression.
Causes Of Morning Sickness
Although there are no determined causes of morning sickness; however, it has been hypothesized that various changes, on a physical, mental and emotional level, occurs in the body, and morning sickness is the reaction of these bodily changes. The causes of morning sickness are as follows.
Hormonal Alteration. Pregnancy causes an alteration in the hormonal level of the body. The hormones involved in pregnancy are estrogens, progesterone, and hCG. All these hormones play a vital role in the conception and development of the fetus. In pregnancy, levels of these hormones are significantly altered leading to reactions in the body which are presented in the form of nausea and vomiting.
Compromised Immune System. The immune system of pregnant women is compromised. Thus, the body of the pregnant women becomes overcautious and the immune system shows its effect in slightest of the changes. Vomiting is increased to protect the fetus from the negative effects of the toxins.
Reduced Blood Sugar. The blood sugar of the pregnant women is reduced which may also lead to morning sickness.
Morning sickness is the condition occurs on a pregnant woman and is characterized by nausea, vomiting, and dehydration. Although, due to the time of its common occurrence, the condition has given this name, it can occur at any time of the day. The condition is most common in 1st to 4th month of pregnancy, however, almost 10% of the cases are found after 4 months of pregnancy.
- American Pregnancy Association. (2019). Morning Sickness: Causes, Concerns, Remedies, and Tips. https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/morning-sickness-causes-and-treatments/
- Mayo Clinic. (2021). Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/morning-sickness/symptoms-causes/syc-20375254
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). (2019). Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/morning-sickness/conditioninfo/causes
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). (2018). Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/morning-sickness-nausea-and-vomiting-of-pregnancy
- The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC). (2013). Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy: SOGC Clinical Practice Guideline. https://sogc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/gui245CPG1301E_000.pdf
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