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Not all pregnant women experience morning sickness and dizziness

Television and movies give a false impression of a traumatic first trimester that is not the norm for many females.

By Cheryl E PrestonPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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Not all pregnant women experience morning sickness and dizziness
Photo by Anna Hecker on Unsplash

Statistics indicate that 70% of pregnant women endure morning sickness which can actually happen at any time of the day. The entertainment business has given a false impression to viewing audiences that 100% of females who are expecting a baby are throwing up and fainting when it is not true. I can recall the first time I was expecting a child and my grandmother told me I was going to be very sick. She shared how she had been walking through the produce market area and threw up when she smelled fish coming from a nearby business.

That was her experience but was not mine for my first 2 pregnancies. I was healthy and glowing and gained weight but never felt nauseous, dizzy, or vomited. I gave birth to my son in 1981 and a daughter in 1986 when I was age 23 and 28. The only symptom I had was that I missed my monthly cycle. I laughed when others told their tales of how sick they were for the first 3 months of their pregnancies. This is why I cringe whenever I watch a movie or television show where an expectant mother runs from the room to throw up or passes out in someone's arms because this did not happen to me, but later it did.

By National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

In 1992 my husband and I found out we were expecting our third child. I was a week from turning 34 when he arrived. This time around things were much different. I was dealing with a sinus infection and post-nasal drip that would not stop. The mucus drained down my throat and made me very ill. I began coughing it up and vomiting each time. I was taking Robitussin and thought perhaps this cough medication was the culprit. To this day the thought or smell of Robitussin turns my stomach.

As this went on I realized I had missed a period and later confirmed I was indeed pregnant again. I was working a night shift job and found that every night between 11:00 PM and midnight I would vomit. Once it hit me as I was talking down the hall and I ran into a room with the intention of going to the restroom. Instead, I threw up in the sink before I could open the door and get to the toilet. My experience dispels two myths about pregnancy. Not every woman gets sick or feels faint and morning sickness can happen at any time of the day or night.

I was miserable this time around and my grandmother said it was because of my age. This was not true because many younger women experience feeling lightheaded, and vomit during the morning hours. I'm trying to wrap my head around the statistic that 30% of women do not get sick and why this is never portrayed in the entertainment business. My daughter has given birth to 3 children and she did not experience nausea, vomiting, or dizziness either.

By Ivan Aleksic on Unsplash

No one knows why some women have these so-called pregnancy symptoms and others do not. Many expectant mothers are not even aware they are pregnant until they have been dealing with throwing up or fainting and then take a test and it confirms a baby is on the way. I do have to wonder how many women find out they are pregnant first because of a missed period and then have the signs following after because they have been programmed to believe this is what is normal?

Certainly, somewhere there are or have been females whose sickness has been psychosomatic. Is it possible that some females have been so programmed by other women to believe they will become ill and so they do? There is no way to find this out for certain but it is something to keep in mind. It would also be nice to watch a film or television show where a pregnant woman does not become ill because for many that is indeed the reality.

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About the Creator

Cheryl E Preston

Cheryl is a widow who enjoys writing about current events, soap spoilers and baby boomer nostalgia. Tips are greatly appreciated.

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