Let us know about Is nausea during pregnancy a good sign. When it comes to pregnancy, the term ‘ morning sickness ‘ has become a buzzword. The two are so inextricably linked that any mention of one without the other can set off alarm bells in a woman’s head. Suffering from nausea is never a pleasant experience, whether you have a child or not. But morning sickness can be more than just a sign of nausea and vomiting , which can also be a sign of a healthy pregnancy. Let’s start Is nausea during pregnancy a good sign.
Is nausea during pregnancy a good sign?
If you’re wondering whether suffering from nausea means a healthy pregnancy for you, you’re pretty close to being right. Both are the result of biological changes inside your body and are definitely linked together. Still, not having morning sickness does not mean there is a problem with your pregnancy.
In pregnancy, the hormone HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, reaches its peak early in pregnancy as a result of the formation of the placenta . These levels continue to rise during the early stages of pregnancy, which is mainly when nausea symptoms are at their worst. Furthermore, after completion of 14 – 15 weeks of pregnancy , the intensity and levels of this hormone gradually start decreasing as the fetus starts living on its own. This is also the time when many women note their morning sickness lessening or handling it better.
Women who experience motion sickness or nausea frequently have more problems during pregnancy than other women. This becomes difficult when going to work or even taking a short vacation for yourself. In contrast, some women may rarely experience nausea or none at all. This is also normal and a good chance of proceeding to a healthy pregnancy.
How does nausea help with pregnancy?
Only pregnant women can understand the problem of feeling nauseous throughout the day. But, there is a good side to this phenomenon as morning sickness is known to affect the health of a pregnant woman in a positive way. Here’s how morning sickness helps pregnant women:
1. Removes toxins from the mother’s body
- Through vomiting, those toxins present inside the body get naturally cleared or come out, which can be harmful for the mother and the child.
- This also happens when eating certain foods, as those things can pose a threat to the mother’s health.
- In the early stages, a pregnant woman’s immunity decreases to facilitate implantation in the uterus, resulting in nausea acting as a defensive mechanism.
- Women who follow a predominantly vegetarian and light diet experience less morning sickness for this reason.
- Most of the symptoms are seen in the first trimester because the fetus is at its weakest during this time and it protects it the whole time.
2 . Maintains correct level of hormones
- Pregnancy prompts the body to start producing hormones like estrogen and HCG to meet the needs .
- These increased levels of hormones trigger sudden nausea, causing morning sickness.
- On the contrary, having morning sickness indicates increased levels of hormones which is a strong indicator of healthy fetal progress.
3. Reduces the risk of miscarriage
- Several studies have shown that women who continue to have morning sickness throughout their pregnancy have a much lower risk of miscarriage , even 50% or less.
- Women under 25 who experience morning sickness have four times the risk of miscarriage compared to women who do not experience it.
- In women who are 35 or older, the risk reduces by about twelve times or even more.
- The duration of experiencing morning sickness also plays an important role. If older women continue to feel nauseous throughout their pregnancy, their chances of miscarriage are only 20%.
- Women who experience strong symptoms of morning sickness are reassured by the fact that their risk of having a miscarriage is severely reduced as a result.
4. Shows that the fetus is getting proper nutrition
- The increased levels of hormones that cause nausea in the first place are a result of the formation of the placenta.
- The placenta plays a vital role in providing the developing fetus with all the nutrients and blood supply it needs to develop into a baby.
- A larger placenta provides a good amount of nutrition, which leads to more hormone production, making morning sickness more pronounced.
5. Birth of smart children
- It may come as a surprise, but a study has found a link between mothers who experienced morning sickness during pregnancy and higher IQ ratings in their children.
- Although this connection has yet to be conclusively recognized, since women suffering from nausea rarely consume foods that contain harmful substances, this fact may be responsible for the higher IQ of children.
- It protects the brain of the growing fetus from any defects or disorders, allowing it to develop to its full potential and become a smart and intelligent child when it grows up.
Frequently asked questions
New mothers still have some more questions when it comes to taking care of their own and their baby’s health. Here are some commonly asked questions.
1. What are the health risks of severe morning sickness?
Severe morning sickness is also called hyperemesis gravidarum. It increases the risk of certain health problems, such as:
- Brain disorders: Constant nausea and vomiting flush out vital nutrients from the body , due to which the weight of the mother and the baby also reduces. This creates deficiency of some vitamins in the body , due to which many brain related problems affect the mother. Its symptoms begin with problems in vision ,toThese symptoms are similar to those experienced by alcoholics as well as people with gastric problems , in which the body fails to absorb the nutrients from food.
- Psychological problems in the child: Several studies have found a link between mothers who suffered from severe morning sickness and various behavioral problems in their children. Children of such women show serious psychological symptoms like depression , bipolar , anxiety when they grow up . This results from a combination of nutrient deficiencies due to vomiting as well as the stress experienced by the mother due to it. These not only affect the brain development in the fetus but also cause problems later on in both the baby and the mother , leading to various difficulties in forming a strong emotional bond between the mother and the child.
- Premature birth: Although morning sickness reduces the risk of miscarriage , severe morning sickness works in the other direction and increases the chances of premature delivery of the baby before the pregnancy term is completed. These births usually occur before the pregnancy completes 34 weeks and result in a baby who is not fully developed. Although vomiting may not be directly responsible , its effects on nutrient deficiencies and weight loss can lead to premature birth.
2. Will morning sickness be worse with twins?
There is a short answer to this – yes. Having more than one child in the womb increases the severity of morning sickness.
Morning sickness is related to the formation of the placenta. In multiple babies, the placenta needs to provide more nutrition and a larger blood supply than should be enough for all the babies in the uterus. This causes the body to produce more and more hormones which allow the placenta to grow larger. Thus, high hormone levels mean that your nausea becomes worse than before.
This is compounded by the stress and fatigue the body experiences while carrying more than one child. Sometimes, the symptoms are not that strong. Still, taking proper care helps keep it under control.
3. Can absence of morning sickness be a sign of miscarriage?
Just because morning sickness reduces the risk of miscarriage does not mean that the absence of nausea increases its risk. There have been many cases of women miscarrying despite having morning sickness, as well as women going on to have a completely healthy pregnancy without experiencing any nausea. Morning sickness only lasts for a short period of time and if you do not experience it, it does not mean that there is a problem with your pregnancy.
Knowing whether morning sickness is a good sign in early pregnancy brings great satisfaction and relief to women, especially those who are first-time mothers. As much as this is generally considered a good sign of a normally progressing pregnancy, it is also important to follow several other precautions, diet and exercise.
