Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy is commonly called morning sickness, although it can occur at any time of the day. The majority of pregnant women have some nausea or vomiting in the first trimester, usually starting at about six weeks. Morning sickness then increases until letting up at around 14 weeks. This is not to say that it can not come and go or last for the entire pregnancy for some women.

Causes of Morning Sickness During Pregnancy

The exact cause of morning sickness is not known but some factors are thought to contribute to it. The factors are:

• Human chorionic gonadotropin (hGC) levels rise during the time that morning sickness is the worst. The hormone is thought to somehow contribute to nausea.
• Estrogen levels also rise during early pregnancy and are thought to add to feelings of nausea.
• Enhanced sensitivity to smells experienced by pregnant women may trigger the gag reflex.
• Progesterone production from the corpus luteum (the follicle from which the egg was expelled).

Some women are more predisposed to having morning sickness than others. Factors include:

• Carrying a girl
• History of migraines
• Multiple pregnancy
• History of motion sickness
• Morning sickness in previous pregnancy
• Morning sickness with birth control pills
• Your mother had it

Morning Sickness Remedies

If morning sickness has got you down, try these tips:

• Arise slowly from bed in the morning and eat a few crackers before you get up.
• Don’t let your stomach get empty. Eat small frequent meals.
• Have high protein snacks.
• Avoid smells that offend you and get plenty of fresh air.
• Don’t eat greasy or spicy foods.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Suck on hard candy.

When to call the doctor

If morning sickness goes beyond occasional vomiting you may need to see your doctor. Call your doctor if you can not keep anything down for 24 hours or if you begin to lose weight. Also call your doctor if your urine is dark colored, your heart is racing, or you throw up blood. If severe morning sickness is diagnosed by your doctor, treatment may include medication, hospitalization, or IV fluids.