The most common side effect of a normal pregnancy is Nausea. It is also one of the most annoying as well. More than half of all pregnant women have had morning sickness, and will have it again.

But just because you have it once doesnt necessarily mean you will have it again. On the other hand, you may have it everyday for several weeks. Dont worry if you dont have morning sickness; this doesnt mean your pregnancy is abnormal. Some women just do not suffer from this common ailment.

Why Me?

One of the hypotheses on why women experience this repugnant side effect are hormones. The hormone HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) secreted by the egg produces a rise in progesterone, the main offender in nausea. The more HCG, the more progesterone, and the sicker you are.

Adding a little estrogen to the mix creates a truly nauseating hormone stew. Dont be surprised if your morning sickness is not restricted to just morning, it wont be. Most women have bouts at all times of day and find specific times better or worse depending on the individual.

Help my Morning Sickness

To help ease morning sickness, try avoiding any smells that you may find discomforting. This might range from cat litter box odor, to fish, or any animal or human waste products; even certain foods like bacon or coffee will trigger the gag reflex.

Also realize when to leave the room. If you smell something that is positively going to turn your stomach, exit the scene and have someone else get rid of the item, or take a shower to remove the smell. You will be surprised at all the things that you once loved will now make your stomach turn upside down.

You are now going to be queen of the bad smells- youll smell everything and could probably rent yourself out as a coalmine canary. Also take that icky prenatal pill at night with food; it is bound to make you sick if you dont.

The Twin Bonus

You are at a higher sensitivity for nausea in the first trimester if you are having more than one baby. That doubles the hormone stew in your system. If you have had severe nausea with other pregnancies, you have a good chance of having the same thing this time, but there also is a chance that you will be spared this time.

Women who had nausea associated with birth control are also more likely to develop morning sickness, since the hormones are the same only now in higher doses. If you are genetically predisposed, meaning your mom or other close relatives had it, and if you suffer from migraines you have a higher risk as well.

If you want to try to bypass this pregnancy malady, try some of these tips that doctors, midwives, and moms all over swear by.

• Try to stick to foods that are will not smell bad to you. It may seem like you are only eating two things all the time, but that is okay for now. It is better to keep something in your tummy all the time and constantly nibble on happy foods than constantly get sick or have an empty belly.
• Always keep crackers or other bland treats next to you and your bed. This will enable you to combat nausea when it strikes. Plus, it keeps the acid in your stomach from aggravating you and causing nausea. Citrus fruits are also good for combating morning sickness.
• Small bland meals of carbohydrates more often seem to ward off the sickness as well. Try rice, potatoes, and other bland foods that can be made in as small or large a portion as you like.
• Avoid rich, spicy, acidic, fatty and fried foods when you have morning sickness. As good as they may taste at first, they will do nothing but cause you pain and suffering. In addition, they dont taste as good coming back up.
• Also, drink tons of water or other liquids that promote hydration between meals. If water makes you sick, which it can for lots of ladies, try sports drinks or adding fresh fruit and their juices to your water for flavor.
• In addition, take the prenatal vitamin at night with a starchy meal. Those things are a quick way to ensure you are running to the bathroom. Ask to have another type of pill prescribed if the ones you are taking have too much iron.
• Another good tip, is talk with your doctor about vitamin B6 and doxylamine (a drug found in the regular strength Unisom). This combination can also help fight upset stomach during pregnancy.
• Try the acupuncture bands for the wrist, they trigger a place on the wrist that fixes nausea.