from Your Pregnancy magazine
Image: Ablestock

The term "morning sickness" came about because women initially experienced their nausea upon rising in the morning. Today it is thought that the motion of getting out of bed very quickly makes some women more susceptible to experiencing NVP when they first wake up. Having savoury biscuits or crackers at hand on waking forces a woman to get up more slowly, take your time and eat crackers before getting up. This has helped many women keep nausea at bay – at least the intensity and duration anyway.

At least 50 to 80% of pregnant women will experience nausea and vomiting in their pregnancy and about 20% will continue to experience it beyond 20 weeks of pregnancy.

What brings it on?
The cause of NVP is still unknown, but there are many theories and hypotheses. Pregnancy hormones, psychological factors, low immune systems, genetic predisposition, vitamin B6 deficiency, changes in carbohydrate metabolism, increased sensitivity to odours, slower emptying of stomach contents and even the gender of the baby (girls make you more sick) have been cited as possible causes.

The exact cause is difficult to pinpoint, as there are so many changes occurring in the body during pregnancy. One theory that seems to make sense is the suggestion that it is a way of protecting the mother and developing baby from potential toxins in her environment. The most likely triggers of NVP are coffee, meat and the smell of cigarettes.

Research has shown that if women at the foods that they were craving, it would actually stop their nausea, and prompt a start to eating more healthily. Though a healthy diet is essential, if a few handfuls of potato chips help women feel up to eating anything else – then so be it!

Finding the antidote