Is It Normal To Not Have Morning Sickness
Is It Normal To Not Have Morning Sickness? There are so many things about being pregnant that can make you feel bad, but one of the most common symptoms is not feeling sick in the least. In fact, some women estimate they’re 90% sure they will be completely nauseous throughout their pregnancy, only to find out later on that this isn’t necessarily true.
While it makes sense that we might feel queasy from time-to-time during our pregnancies (we’ve been eating a lot more spicy foods lately), when we talk about “morning sickness” it usually means experiencing nausea or vomiting in the morning hours — before noon. And it’s often associated with first trimester symptoms. But what happens if you’re one of those lucky few who never get morning sickness? Is your body doing something different than other people’s bodies do, to keep you free of the condition? Let’s take a look.
According to Dr. Suzanne Gudakunst, author of The Complete Book of Pregnancy Symptoms, there are three main reasons why someone wouldn’t experience morning sickness:
1) You eat regularly throughout the day –– which means less room for food sensitivities to build up as you travel through your second and third trimesters.
2) You don’t rely on caffeine to wake yourself up in the mornings — which means no jittery feelings.
3) Your partner wakes you up instead of vice versa — meaning you actually sleep longer, and therefore stay away from morning sickness.
So how does staying well-fed help you avoid getting sick? Well, let’s say you go for a big breakfast, then snack twice throughout the day; by mid-afternoon you could be low on energy, hungry and ready for dinner. That’s when you turn to fast foods like pizza, burgers and fries.
When you’re pregnant, however, you should stick to healthy meals — either home-cooked, or made with fresh ingredients purchased from a healthful grocery store. This way, your system won’t be inundated with unnecessary sugars and fats that may cause weight gain, blood sugar problems and other potential complications. Plus, if you’re craving a treat after dinner, you’ll likely want to indulge in something healthier.
But even if you’re making smart choices with your diet, and sticking to good old-fashioned carbohydrates, you can still feel sluggish, tired and unmotivated to get moving around during mid-day hours. What gives? Here are two possible explanations:
* You’re just plain lazy.
Or…
* You’re carrying extra weight.
If you tend to fall into the latter category, try putting down that bag of chips and hit the treadmill instead. According to Dr. Gudakunst, having excess fat cells around your middle increases pressure on the veins in your legs. If you sit still too long, this can result in swelling, varicose veins and heavy legs.
You might also consider working out with weights to reduce the pressure. Or, if you prefer cardio workouts, work toward cardiovascular conditioning exercises such as swimming, walking, dancing, hiking and biking. Just remember, if you’re exercising to lose weight, you should always consult your doctor first.
And what about waking up early to exercise? While this can be good for you overall, it also can put you at risk for delayed ovulation. Why? Because your body needs to be exposed to light for roughly 12 hours each day, and most people spend much more time inside. Therefore, when you awaken earlier to workout, you’re depriving your body of sunlight — which is essential to hormonal balance and fertility.
Finally, if you live with a partner who has trouble waking up early, consider getting them involved by giving them an alarm clock or radio. Or maybe you could trade off days where you both wake up early, and days where you both sleep in.
Now, if you’re a regular exerciser who loves to wake up early, and you’re among the fortunate few who don’t suffer from morning sickness, great news: you’re probably not going to notice any changes in your cycle. Even though researchers haven’t found conclusive evidence yet, some experts believe that morning sickness occurs because of decreased levels of certain hormones, including progesterone, estrogen and relaxin. However, these same hormones play important roles in preparing us for labor and delivery, so it’s unlikely you would see major differences in your period unless you were trying to conceive.
For more information on pregnancy myths and common questions related to pregnancy, visit RealBirth.com.
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