What is morning sickness and why does it happen?


Morning sickness is a misnomer i.e. it doesn't just happen in the mornings but can occur any part of the day as well. It does tend to be more common in the morning though and largely because of an empty tummy. Morning sickness doesn't necessarily mean that you will have both the nausea and the vomiting. One of the main causes of nausea or morning sickness in pregnancy is thought to be related to the surge of the hormone hcg in early pregnancy. Experts have linked the pregnancy hormone hcg, progesterone and estrogen with nausea. With high levels as in the case of multiple pregnancy, first pregnancies and molar pregnancies where the hormone level is raised, the frequency of vomiting and nausea escalates. Morning sickness is a part of pregnancy for many with about 80% of women suffering from it.