Week 7: 'Morning' Sickness and Blueberries

Week 7...

Although I first scoffed at the idea of being sick during pregnancy, I have quickly come to realize that 'morning sickness' is a real, if not ephemeral and unexplainable condition.  I feel fine most of the time.  In the MORNING, that is, when all of this sickness is supposed to occur, right?

CNP, 2014

I wake up, feel wonderful, and have none of the difficulties that some women experience and stave off by keeping a box of saltine crackers by the bed.  By 5pm though, morning sickness rears its head, and suddenly foods that were absolutely delicious the week before make me gag even reading a menu.  It is worse if I do not engage in my newly discovered necessary activity.  Every two hours (and if I wait three I am sorry, very sorry) I must snack.  I feel like I have become part squirrel once I examine the little bags, tiger milk bars, and other various caches of food in my car, purse, and backpack.

Evidently, the technical term for morning sickness (as others must have also realized the incredible farce of the term) is "nausea and vomiting of pregnancy."  I agree that is doesn't have as nice of a ring to it.  What is also not very enlightening is the lack of agreement on what causes women to 'pray to the porcelain gods' for about two months.  I've read numerous papers and sites, and while some link it to the rise of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), others argue that the rise of the hormone is correlative, not causative.  Some evidence cites increased salivation (I have been drooling, a lot...) or rises in estrogen levels wreaking havoc on the digestive system.  Most, in the end, throw up their hands and try to make it some sort of rite of passage and bonding experience.

Huh.  Me?  I stash granola bars.  Interestingly enough, women who experience no morning sickness at all are more likely to miscarry, as the increased sensitivity to foods has been linked to protecting the embryo from toxins--this was just in a 2010 paper in Human Reproduction.  I don't know why the little bambino inside of me abhors chicken right now, but it is pissed if it even smells it.

Speaking of "it:" the bambino is growing and developing like mad.  It is still classified as an embryo, complete with a little tail, but is doing amazing things like cranking out 100 brain cells per minute.

The embryo has now increased over 10,000 times in size from conception, although it is just the length of a tic-tac... ...or if you prefer the produce aisle reference, a blueberry.  Pretty amazing.

CNP, 2014

Until next week, with fake drinking tips everyone needs to know, and raspberries.
Cat

(FYI: I'll upload better copies of the cartoons soon, I've had a few people tell me these are hard sometimes hard to read.  Thanks for the feedback.)