Nausea and vomiting are among the most common symptoms of pregnancy for most women. As many as 90 percent of pregnant women will experience some nausea, particularly during the first few months, while 25 to 55 percent will also experience vomiting. Together, these symptoms are known as morning sickness (even though they don’t just occur in the morning). But these are not the only uncomfortable physical conditions that pregnant women are likely to find themselves dealing with.

Constipation is a very common problem among pregnant women. And though it is much less frequently discussed, for many women pregnancy nausea diarrhea is also a problem during the first trimester and then again toward the end of the pregnancy. It’s estimated that up to 34 percent of pregnant women will have this problem.

The causes of diarrhea during pregnancy are quite varied. Sometimes it is traceable to the same things that cause diarrhea at any time—bacteria and infections, food poisoning, medications, lactose intolerance and pre-existing digestive tract problems, like irritable bowel syndrome. Being pregnant may lower your resistance to many of these agents. Many women also develop new or increased sensitivities to certain foods during pregnancy, contributing to both nausea and diarrhea.

Culprit number one, however, for diarrhea as for nausea, is likely to be the massive hormonal changes pregnancy introduces to a woman’s body, particularly the increase in progesterone and estrogen. Many women experience stomach and digestive maladies including diarrhea during their menstrual periods for the same reason. Heightened hormone levels can cause the muscles in the colon to relax, leading to diarrhea.

Because constipation is such a common complaint for pregnant women, they are often advised to adopt a variety of lifestyle changes that can lead to the opposite extreme and trigger episodes or a period of diarrhea. A pregnancy diet generally focuses on increasing high fiber foods, drinking extra fluids, and taking vitamin and mineral supplements All of these can contribute to diarrhea. Some prenatal vitamins also affect some women with diarrhea or loose stools, and a change of brand may eliminate the problem.

A few dietary adjustments are advisable to treat and prevent digestive problems—including both nausea and diarrhea—during pregnancy. If you find that in fact you seem to have a greater tendency to diarrhea than to constipation, skip the prune juice. Dried fruits, highly spiced and fatty foods, and even milk should be avoided, at least if you are lactose intolerant. Yogurt with live cultures is a great booster for the digestive system, and many bland, starchy items are on the list of things to try: potatoes, crackers, toast, etc. A special regime of bananas, rice, applesauce and toast (or BRAT) is frequently recommended as particularly easy to digest. Stick to cooked vegetables and lean meats, and avoid high-sugar drinks (even juice drinks). Many of these recommendations should also help reduce queasiness and nausea if you also experience those symptoms.

Diarrhea is generally more of a nuisance than a serious health concern for pregnant women. However, if it is severe or persistent (more than a couple of days), or if any blood or mucous appears in the stools, be sure to tell your doctor.

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Most girls grow up dreaming of the day they will have children of their own, and when that time comes, the news that they are pregnant is joyful. The experience of being pregnant, on the other hand, can be considerably less than joyful at certain moments. For the 70 to 80 percent of women who suffer the nausea during pregnancy and/or vomiting of morning sickness, being pregnant can also be quite uncomfortable.

The exact cause of morning sickness hasn’t been identified, and there may be a number of factors that contribute to the symptoms—which is not surprising considering how many things are happening and changing within the expectant mother’s body during these nine months. Most of the blame for morning sickness is placed upon a variety of hormonal changes that accompany pregnancy.

Estrogen is the most familiar of the hormones involved. Of course all women have estrogen, which fluctuates constantly throughout the monthly menstrual cycle. It’s not uncommon for women to experience symptoms rather like morning sickness around the time of their monthly period. So the fact that estrogen increases dramatically in the body of a pregnant woman suggests that it is very likely one of the contributing causes of morning sickness. Progesterone levels also rise during pregnancy and have a muscle relaxant effect that is functional for the pregnant uterus, but may also extend to the stomach and digestive tract, contributing to a tendency for acid to build up. This can lead to acid reflux and nausea.

The third kind of hormone that may lie behind morning sickness is less familiar: human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). HCG is only present during pregnancy; it is actually produced by the embryo and placenta and then released into the mother’s body. (This is the substance that pregnancy tests are looking for as a sure sign that conception has occurred.) HCG is linked to immune system development in mother and embryo, and stimulates increased production of progesterone that strengthens the mother’s uterus for carrying and nourishing the growing fetus.

Another target of speculation has been vitamin deficiency. Some women have found that supplemental doses of vitamin B6 seem to bring some relief from nausea, but the reason is not understood. The fact that it helps suggests that there may be a deficiency or increased need for B6 during pregnancy, but so far research has not supported this theory, since vitamin B6 levels appear to be effectively the same in women with and without morning sickness. Women who use multivitamins before and during the start of their pregnancy may also be less likely to have the symptoms of morning sickness.

Aside from hormone and vitamin levels, the pregnant woman’s body experiences a number of other changes that are likely to contribute to if not cause morning sickness. Many women experience a heightened awareness of and reaction to odors, which can evoke nausea and gagging. It’s not clear whether this is just another effect of the increased estrogen in the body. A woman with a naturally volatile digestive system might well respond to the internal chemical and physical changes due to pregnancy with an increase in those symptoms. And stress alone may play a part in causing and then reinforcing the nausea/vomiting syndrome.
Fortunately, there are many safe and fairly simple ways of treating morning sickness that can minimize its impact. And in most (though not all) cases the problem tends to disappear after the first trimester, as hormonal changes begin to stabilize. With luck and a few precautions, for most women their pregnancy can then return to being the joyous experience they anticipated.

And if you are looking to discover how to eliminate morning sickness, then it is time to go grab your copy of "What Every Pregnant Woman Must Know: Alleviating Morning Sickness." here: Nausea During Pregnancy – you will be glad you did!

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