Although some lucky women go through the entire pregnancy without the dreaded morning sickness, most women do face this unpleasant phenomenon. Essentially this is a condition experienced by pregnant women due the changes that their bodies are experiencing in trying to make the uterus a friendly and hospitable home for the fetus. The question when does morning sickness start seems to bother most people once they confirm that they are in the happy pregnant state. This question is very important since when one is armed with the appropriate information they can considerably reduce the stress and anxiety of not knowing. As such information is power and this paper will aim to inform and alleviate the fears of most people who tend to assume the worst with the mention of morning sickness.

When does morning sickness start?

According to renowned medical expert’s; morning sickness symptoms tend to appear during the sixth week of the pregnancy or the third week after conception. Although this may vary widely this is the week during which most pregnant women tend to experience the various symptoms associated with this condition. In most cases women use this information to clue them in on their pregnancy state as it can be very reliable before going on ahead or taking the actual test. However medical practitioners caution against taking these symptoms as the only confirmation of pregnancy as they can be indicate other issues such as food poisoning.

What is morning sickness?

This is a medical condition experienced by most pregnant women evidenced by vomiting or nausea or both; that is as a result of the new and excessive hormones produced by the body during this time. This condition tends to vary widely in degree in most women with some experiencing the dreaded hyperemesis gravidarum. This is a form of very severe morning sickness experienced by some women. However a majority of pregnant women experience morning sickness that is manageable and much lower on the severity scale. Despite being a very uncomfortable phase during ones pregnancy; the good news is that it indicates that the fetus is developing well and is safe particularly at the beginning of the pregnancy.

Although the causes of morning sickness were previously a mystery in the past this has since changed in recent years. Today health professionals are armed with more information as to what causes this condition and why it is so important for the health of the fetus and the mother. Indeed experts point to the occurrence of this condition as a coping and evolutionary mechanism in place to shield the highly susceptible fetus from any toxics that the mother might ingest or inhale. The human chorionic goandotropin (HCG) hormone is thought to be the main culprit causing this state in all pregnant women. This hormone is produced in abundance from the moment the embryo attaches itself on the womb. The amount of this hormone is doubled every two days which may explain why its effects are only felt much later after a few weeks as the levels build up steadily. The levels of this hormone in ones system determine the severity of their morning sickness with women carrying multiples recorded to have more noticeable morning sickness compared to others and also determines when does morning sickness start.

Symptoms

Morning sickness is also referred by experts as (NVP) that is nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Although it is called morning sickness these symptoms can strike at any time even in the middle of the night. Although the presence of these symptoms may point to a myriad of health problems they can be the first and most prevalent signs of morning sickness. This is particularly true if they occur right after a missed period. Other symptoms that one should look out for as indications of morning sickness include Feeling queasy or nauseous even without vomiting. Certain smells and foods can set off these symptoms as one is usually very sensitive to them. Additionally these symptoms vary widely in terms of severity as women with a history of travel sickness are more likely to experience them. On the other hand they tend to become more severe and prevalent towards the end of the day as that is when one is more tired and fatigued. Given the common occurrence of this condition and accompanying symptoms it is very important for one to ensure that they are well armed with all relevant information that can make the ride much easier.

Treatment

It risky to use any type of medication while one is pregnant and that is why most experts usually recommend that one only treat this condition using a few changes in lifestyle habits. It is reported that women who take more fluids throughout the day are less likely to suffer from debilitating morning sickness. Other tips that might help include getting lots of rest as fatigue is a known trigger of these symptoms. Moreover one can eat smaller meals more frequently to avoid over filling the stomach which can cause nausea. Other tips include eating cold food which doesn’t give off the aromas that hot food tends to have. Additionally one can eat food that is less spicy as they can cause nausea. One can also avoid very cold drinks particularly very sweet ones as they cause nausea. After looking into these among many other treatments one can go a step further and request family, friends and coworkers for support by keeping strong smells and scents to a minimum.

All in all morning sickness can be blight on an otherwise happy time for most mothers to be. However the assurance that their baby is safe and that all is well may be a much needed respite from the gloom of spitting up every little thing and coping with revulsion and nausea even in public spaces. On the flip side of knowing when does morning sickness start: is knowing when it stops. On average this condition only lasts for up to the 12th to 14th week of the pregnancy although it may last longer in some pregnancies. As such this is just a minor storm that one has to weather for a healthy and fit baby.