Morning sickness is traditionally one of the first signs of pregnancy, with unexplained feelings of nausea and dizziness coming as soon as two weeks after conception. The term ‘morning sickness’ isn’t actually particularly accurate, as the symptoms can appear at any time of day or night – but given that an empty stomach can make the nausea feel worse, it does tend to appear more often in the early mornings.

What Causes It?

Not every pregnant woman will experience it, although most do to some extent. The strength of the symptoms can range from a mild nausea to a debilitating sickness and inability to keep food or liquid down. The effects often seem to be worse in women who suffer from travel sickness or migraine, although this isn’t proven.

The exact reasons for morning sickness aren’t yet known. It’s commonly held that changes in hormone levels are behind it, but precisely how it occurs is still something of a mystery. Certainly, the digestive system of a pregnant woman will undergo changes as it gears up to feed the developing baby, and this is probably at the root of it. Also, it’s widely observed that the sense of smell and taste is heightened during pregnancy, and this increased sensitivity could also lead to nausea as the body reacts to increased stimuli.

In most cases, morning sickness will disappear at around the 12 to 14 weeks point, but as with all things during pregnancy this will vary from person to person. Some women barely experience it and it goes away after a week or two, while others less fortunate have medium to strong symptoms for the whole pregnancy.

Morning Sickness Cures

There is no real cure for morning sickness, as it is a reaction to hormonal changes and until hormone levels stabilise, there is always likely to be some symptoms. There are however ways to alleviate the discomfort, with home remedies handed down through the ages which may or may not help.

The most basic advice which seems to have the widest success is to ensure that your stomach is never empty. Snack on a wide range of healthy foods throughout the day, and have something at hand to eat if you wake up during the night. Avoid food with high sugar values though, as this can lead to a sugar rush followed by even worse symptoms. Foods high in carbohydrates and fibre are best – for example, ryvita biscuits or similar.

If you’re vomiting a lot, make sure you take on plenty of liquids too to stop you getting dehydrated, which is the only serious danger related to morning sickness.

Sucking on an ice cube can help reduce the nausea, and fresh ginger is also a widely recommended way of calming the stomach. Many find that the common cures for travel sickness can help, such as wrist bands, but don’t take any medications without first checking with your midwife.

The best cure of all though is to try and get plenty of rest, although for working women with nightly bouts of sickness, this is easier said than done.

Always be aware though that morning sickness is a natural part of a healthy pregnancy, and so long as you keep your fluid intake up and eat nutritious foods as much as you can, it will do neither you nor your baby any long term harm.