The end reward for all that good food and healthy living.
Morning sickness was on my radar some months back when Mrs C was baking Daisy our daughter. Many women experience morning sickness during the first trimester, nausea, vomiting and many other unpleasant symptoms.Although its not a huge worry, the fact that morning sickness can be triggered by the sight, smell or taste of some kinds of food (possibly protecting the embryos from factors that may be harmful). Women who experience this during the first few months of pregnancy are less susceptible to having miscarriages but the struggle to keep food down is a huge concern when your growing a baby inside you. The primary cause of morning sickness is debatable but many theories exist.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
- Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a glycoprotein hormone produced by the implantation of the embryo in the uterus which increases until you reache the 12th week of pregnancy. As the level of hCG increases, so does the of feeling of nausea and vomiting. In some women morning sickness is reduced or passes altogether after the 12th week, as the level of hCG also begins to decrease at this time.
- Progesterone, another hormone that is dominant during pregnancy and is a factor when considering morning sickness. This hormone softens the muscles in the body, including the muscles of the stomach and the intestines and is believed to help prevent preterm labor, as softens the muscles of the uterus. Sadly it also softens the digestive tract, affecting its function,leading to slow elimination of bodily wastes which equals excess acids in the stomach. As progesterone rises to a high level, the pregnant woman also begins to feel nauseous.
- Another theory (my particular favourite from clinical experience) on the causes of morning sickness includes hypoglycemia or low blood sugar as a contributory factor. Pregnant women often suffer from hypoglycemia as a result of the placenta draining energy from the mother. This condition has a nauseating effect, as much of the mother-to-be energy is drained and consumed by the developing embryo. The next blog post (hopefully tomorrow depending upon if Daisy will let me sit at the Mac long enough) will go into more detail on hypoglycemia and morning sickness. Loss of body weight, dehydration, metabolic deficiencies and nutritional deficiencies are all key when it comes to Morning Sickness. Women on meagre (low calorie, even unintentional) diets that just make sure they don't eat "too much" are at risk as are those who eat a lot but nothing of any real value i.e they are malnourished due to eating junk. Nourish your body with the food it needs, especially if you intend you grow another human!!
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