Pregnancy advice for Expectant Irish Families

Although it’s a done deal for pregnant women to suffer from morning sickness, not all expectant mothers suffer from nausea. It is a common misconception that morning sickness is the sign of a healthy pregnancy, because there are many pregnant women who are able to deliver healthy babies despite the fact that they never had any nausea during gestation.

So, what causes nausea during pregnancy? It is well-known that certain smells, tastes, and even sights can trigger the gag reflex in expectant mothers. Smoke and alcohol can also induce nausea during pregnancy, but it is the several bodily changes in the woman that cause morning sickness. Let’s take a look at the main causes of nausea during pregnancy:

1. Increased estrogen levels: It is widely believe that the sharp rise in estrogen in a woman’s body during the initial stages of a pregnancy is responsible for causing morning sickness.
2. Increased hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) levels: hCG also rises sharply during early gestation and stimulates the ovaries to produce estrogen, which in turn leads to nausea. Additionally, pregnant women who have even higher levels of hCG (such as those who are expecting twins or multiple births) tend to be more susceptible to frequent bouts of morning sickness as compared to women who are only expecting one child.
3. Pregnant women with low levels of blood sugar or hypoglycemia may also be more susceptible to nausea, though this claim has not been clinically tested or verified.
4. Increased progesterone levels: Progesterone levels are spiked during a pregnancy since this hormone prevents premature childbirth by relaxing the uterine muscles. However, in doing so, the hormone may also relax the intestines and stomach, thereby increasing stomach acids or triggering GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) and making an expectant mother suffer from nausea.
5. Increased bilirubin levels in the liver

Apart from the above, the other less common causes of morning sickness are:

1. A history of motion sickness
2. A history of nausea as a negative symptom of taking birth control pills
3. Genetic predisposition to morning sickness during gestation
4. A history of migraine headaches

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