But you often hear that morning sickness is actually a sign that the baby is doing well. Maybe
it’s just a way to make mom feel that all the agony serves some real purpose in the grand plan but
laymen theories include the baby “telling” mom what not to eat and mom’s reaction to changing
hormones.
But is there a silver lining on what has to be the biggest cloud over the
early months of pregnancy? Yes, says a study published in the International
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2006. Among 7000 women studied, those who had morning
sickness (nausea and/or vomiting) were far less likely to have a miscarriage. In another
study, this time by the National Institutes of Health, women who were nauseous in the first four
months of pregnancy were 30% less likely to have a miscarriage.
Why is this the case?
Higher levels of hormone produced by healthy placental tissue may cause it. And
doctors now do think that it may be nature’s way of helping the mother avoid foods that would be bad
for the developing baby.
While this data does indicate some link between morning sickness and
miscarriage, there is no data to suggest any link between nausea and other aspects of a healthy
pregnancy.
Founder/Editor