No one likes to be wakened in the wee hours of the morning with the sudden urge to throw up. And while you’re in the midst of suffering from morning sickness, it can make you wonder how this could possibly be anything good. And it seems like nobody tells you before you’re pregnant that morning sickness isn’t just for mornings. It can strike any time of the day or night, and can be triggered by any number of tastes or smells that never bothered you before. Perhaps worst of all, there simply is no cure. It’s probably small comfort while you’re enduring the symptoms that others tell you that morning sickness is simply part of a healthy pregnancy. So, you might ask, is morning sickness really a good sign?
Simply put, yes, that most unwelcome of all the side effects of pregnancy is actually a good sign that your pregnancy is progressing normally. That’s not to say that anything is wrong with you or your baby if you’re one of the fortunate ones who don’t suffer from morning sickness. Somewhat over half of all pregnant women experience morning sickness. Sometimes, women will experience morning sickness with one pregnancy, even though they had no morning sickness during previous pregnancies. While it is unpleasant, it is nothing to worry about. Most experts agree that morning sickness, along with cravings and food aversions, are just nature’s ways of helping mothers to avoid infectious organisms while Mom meets her nutritional needs and those of her baby.
So, are there times when morning sickness is something to be concerned about? The answer is, no, not when it’s morning sickness. However, be aware that there are other causes of nausea for pregnant women, some of which are somewhat more serious than morning sickness. If you experience severe nausea that causes you not to be able to keep anything down over the course of two meals, or if you are unable to keep fluids down for four hours or more, contact your doctor or health care professional. Additionally, if morning sickness symptoms continue long into your second trimester, you should seek your doctor’s advice.
So, while you feel like you’re losing meals you haven’t even eaten yet, try to remember that this is a normal part of pregnancy, and can be a good sign that everything is well with the precious little one being formed inside you. Eat lots of small meals, don’t skip meals, and make sure to keep saltines handy at all times.
