Can anyone explain the evolutionary need for morning sickness??

[Jenn98]

especially morning sickness that lasts 24/7?!

[Rachels]

Ohhhh, so sorry. It's the pits. I assume the purpose is to stop you from ingesting harmful foods, but it's terrible. If you haven't already, do some reading on the forums at www.helpher.org. The Unisom / B6 combo worked wonders for me.

-Rachel
Mama to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

and Ethan James
10/19/05
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bf.jpg


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya

[Jenn98]

Thank you for the link! I will read it thoroughly.

I was actually half serious about my question. (I do better with "bad" things if I can rationalize why they exist) There has to be a reason for it, right? I guess it will just be one of the great mysteries - like how cats purr...

thanks again!
Jenn


ETA: Just a note that I tried the Unisom/B6 trick last night and I LOVE IT! I feel a little spacy today, but the nausea has diminished by about 98%. I will take feeling a little slow and spacy over the terrible nausea any day! THANKS for the tip.

[deenass]

I was convinced it was to get you used to vomit ... so that when your kid doesn't it doesn't phase you anymore!!!!!

[g-mama]

Oh, I wish I knew. I had it horribly with all three of my babies - 24/7 til between 14-20 weeks, depending on the pregnancy. I feel for you. It totally sucks. B6/Unisom did nothing for me but Zofran did.


~Kristen

Paolo 11-00
Benjamin 8-03
Marco 12-05

[ppshah]

Maybe, it's to let you know you're pregnant.

[megs4413]

that's kinda what i was thinking. it just gets your attention to it if nothing else!

[caheinz]

One theory is that because the first trimester is so sensitive in terms of the development that's ocurring, your body will be oversensitive to cues that food is bad or bad for you -- bitter or other "bad" tastes, even ones that would otherwise taste good to you. (Long before civilization, something that was at all bitter was generally poisonous or otherwise bad for you (at least in quantity), and it takes more than a few generations to remove a response like that!)

Another is simply that all those hormonal changes cause some general unpleasant feelings all on their own.

No good solid evidence of the first one that I know of, but feel free to consider it as a good reason if you like it! (As to the 24/7, well, it's not like the sensitive period of development is anything but!)

[g-mama]

Okay, but why do some people suffer so terribly and others (like most women I seem to know) not at all??


~Kristen

Paolo 11-00
Benjamin 8-03
Marco 12-05

[buddyleebaby]

LOL!

[Judegirl]

Maybe it has to do with ancestry and the number or kinds of dangerous foods in different regions?

[daisyandacorn]

No, but I do feel for you!
I know how much energy it took to just type that question out.
I was sick (like, IV sick) for 8 months, both times.
It'll get better in time. :)
Hugs
Susan

[daisyandacorn]

No, but I do feel for you!
I know how much energy it took to just type that question out.
I was sick (like, IV sick) for 8 months, both times.
It'll get better in time. :)
Hugs
Susan

[Lmoor]

I don't know about an evolutionary need, but when I was sick (also 24/7) during the first 13 weeks, I would console myself with the knowledge that my hormone levels were definitely high, and that must have meant the baby was developing normally!!!

[emilys_mom]

So sorry! My doctor did tell me she was glad I was so sick, because it meant everything was going well, and my hormone were doing what they should be. Didn't make it any asier, though. :)

[spunkybaby]

My friend's doctor said that women who are thin sometimes suffer more from morning sickness, presumably because the hormone levels more easily overpower their bodies or something like that. It made sense to me since my friend is very thin and has had horrible morning sickness with both of her pregnancies, as did my mom, who was also very thin, whereas, for me, well, I am not thin at all, and I have only had occasional twinges of nausea.

Not sure if this resonates with anyone else's experience...

Not-so-new mom to a spunky toddler
March 2004

[Jenn98]

I wish this were true! I'm not skinny and i have horrible morning sickness. My mom is teeny tiny and had just a little morning sickness - so it was the opposite for us.

[buddyleebaby]

I also heard that you were more likely tp suffer from morning sickness if you suffer from motion sickness.
However, I have always had horrible motion sickness and have not had any morning sickness with either this pregnancy or when I was pregnant with dd.

[Lovingliv]

Wanted to offer some foods that may help.....

Anything lemon, lemon flavored or lemon scented has been shown to decrease nausea.....so even lemon flavored candles. You could try cutting lemons up and just smelling them. The other thing is ginger flavored things may help! Hope you feel better soon!