Morning sickness also known as the NVP: standing for vomiting and nausea; is a common condition experienced by a majority of women during pregnancy. According to recent studies this condition affects up to 90% of all pregnant women especially during the early weeks of their pregnancy. Although its severity varies from woman to woman the symptoms that characterize this condition are fairly universal. Signs such as nausea, general queasiness loss of appetite and vomiting are the strongest harbingers of this condition.
In most cases these symptoms present throughout the day and tend to be affected by a few factors such as fatigue and a lack of energy. In addition one is more likely to suffer more severe symptoms if they are carrying multiple pregnancies. While planning to get pregnant or if one is already pregnant the question of how long does morning sickness last may be bothering them. Knowing as much about this condition can actually go a long way in alleviating some of the anxiety and stress that can characterize the early months of the pregnancy.
The issues of how long does morning sickness last is mainly dependent on how much HCG hormone one has in their system. This hormone which is strongly linked to morning sickness is produced by the body after the embryo attaches successfully on the uterine wall. Right from that moment which is usually the 5th day after conception; the body produces increasing levels of HCG which are doubled every two days. This leads to a gradual accumulation of this hormone in the body until it reaches a peak at around the 6th week of the pregnancy.
This coincides with the most severe and generally the onset of the morning sickness in most women. With the sustained levels of the hormone this condition persists making it very hard for one to eat some foods and withstand some smells. This is a mechanism that ensures the fetus is well protected from any harmful toxins that the mother might ingest that might harm the very sensitive and vulnerable fetus.
So then how long does morning sickness last? This hormone; which makes it very hard for one to eat any strong smelling or tasting foods and drinks lasts for quite a while. Its main purpose is ensuring that both the mother and baby are protected at all times especially during the early weeks ideally this ranges from the 12th to the 14th week of the pregnancy. However some women tend to experience these symptoms for longer with others even having them for the entire duration of the pregnancy.