Why do pregnant women get nauseous?

Answer 1

There is insufficient evidence to pin down a single (or multiple) cause, but the leading theories include:

An increase in the circulating level of the hormone estrogen. Estrogen levels may increase by up to a hundredfold during pregnancy.
Low blood sugar during pregnancy.
An increase in progesterone relaxes the muscles in the uterus, which prevents early childbirth, but may also relax the stomach and intestines, leading to excess stomach acids.
An increase in human chorionic gonadotropin.
An increase in sensitivity to odors.
Eating vegetables. Vegetables produce a small amount of toxins to deter insect infestation and while these toxins are normally harmless to humans, they are potentially dangerous to embryos. One theory suggests that becoming nauseated during pregnancy is an evolutionary measure to prevent a mother from eating vegetables, thereby protecting the embryo from the toxins. Other studies, however, have linked consumption of fruits and vegetables to higher birth weights, which tend to mean healthier babies.
Intake of alcohol, sugar, oils and meat, which have been postulated to cause a natural trigger of morning sickness in the body as a way of discouraging ingestion of less healthy foods.[1]

Answer 2

I asked my midwife this question too. The first trimester, your baby is growing faster than you can imagine. In just 3 or 4 months, it goes from nothing to about 3 inches long. She said if your baby grew that fast for 9 months, your baby would be as big as the earth. Anyway, the baby is taking any vitamin, mineral, energy that you have. The best way to remedy nauseousness is snacking on healthy snacks. Until the next time you feel quezzy, then snack again. Your baby needs it.

Answer 3

Once the egg is fertilized, it carries on down the fallopian tube to the uterus, and sends chemical signals to the brain, which in turn sends signals to dramatically increase the levels of female hormones in order to help the fertilized egg implant in the uterus and grow. It's these hormone surges that cause nausea (and also what enables pregnancy tests to work, as the increased hormones can be measured in the urine).

Answer 4

All of a sudden they have this baby growing in their stomach and the baby takes up room. The 'mother' isn't use to have less space in her stomach and isn't use to have anything odd like that in her stomach so she is nauseous. That is why usually the second pregnancy isn't as bad because she has experienced.

Answer 5

I always have had severe nausea and according to my doctors - its the increase in hormones that your body must make and endure.

There is a prenatal vitamin (prescription) that helped some with the sickness. It must have had something to counteract the effect of the hormones. I also, found that listening closely to what my body wanted to eat seemed to help a little.

Answer 6

Well I was pregnant 5 1/2 years ago and I use to throw up at first because you have not a clue what your baby likes to eat and if you eat something that you love or enjoy they might not like it and they make you throw it up...

Answer 7

It's all about the hormones.

Actually, I don't think anyone really knows for sure what causes morning sickness, but they blame the hormones. Which is fine because the hormones cause almost all of the other pregnancy discomforts!

Answer 8

because all of the new hormones that are introduced to your body due to the pregnancy...it takes a while for your body to get used to the change and upset of balance. Or something. That's what I keep telling myself, but it certainly doesn't make me feel any better.

Answer 9

Great question

They get have got a little baby in their stomachs...there is no room for food so they have to barf alot.

I am not a doctor, can you tell?!

Answer 10

Increase of horomones from the pregnancy...