Morning Sickness

It doesn't just happen in the morning and it's really not a sickness, but boy, do I feel back for K!

A study published in 2000 concluded that "morning sickness" is a protection mechanism that the mother's body engages to protect the mother and baby from food-borne illness and also shielding the baby from chemicals that can deform fetal organs at the most critical time in development. The food aversions work as a protection against toxins and other chemicals that can affect the baby's development.

During the first trimester, the cells of the tiny embryo are differentiating and starting to form structures like arms, legs, eyes, etc. and they could be affected by some compounds that plants (edible or not) make to defend themselves from disease and insects, called "teratogenic phytochemicals"

Although phytochemicals have no known nutritive function for humans, most people tolerate their presence in food. (Small amounts of these chemicals might even be beneficial because of their antioxidant properties and trace elements.) But during pregnancy, women with morning sickness are shielding the developing baby from the harsh chemicals by vomiting and by learning to avoid certain foods altogether until the baby develops beyond the most susceptible stage.

Not all women experience morning sickness or might experience it on some, but not all pregnancies. Of those that do experience it, symptoms peak during the baby's organ development stage, which would be the time most susceptible to chemical disruption (between week 6 and week 18, so my poor, poor K. still has 9 weeks to go). Also, those that do experience morning sickness, according to studies, are less likely to miscarry and it seems that the worse it is, the better, in that sense.

Aversion to some foods also peak around the same time. The most typical aversions seem to be to meats, fish, chicken and eggs, which are the foods more likely to carry parasites or harmful bacteria, or at least had been historically before refrigeration and modern food-handling practices.

When looking at societies where there is virtually no morning sickness, it was noticed that animal products were not a common part of their diet. Also, noted was that corn based products were a staple of societies studied where their women had little or no morning sickness. The corn kernels have very low levels of phytochemicals


I hope that knowing this makes it feel a little more like it is well worth it. I wish I could offer some sort of relief. All I can say is that I think this is one healthy and protected baby growing in there!!