The Benefits to Morning Sickness

In an article written for Psychology Today, Gad Saad, professor of Marketing at Concordia University and author of The Evolutionary Bases of Consumption and 

The Consuming Instinct, theorizes that while much is known about what biological aspects cause morning sickness and, ways to potentially manage it, there are few explanations for the why of morning sickness. 

After all, some women never have it, while others are plagued with feelings of nausea in the first, second and third trimesters. Saad explains that pregnancy sickness coincides with the gestational period when the baby’s organs are forming.

In this period, it is paramount that the fetus is not be exposed to any environmental injuries, which typically come in the form of food pathogens. (It is for this reason that it’s important to note your doctor’s instructions on your pregnancy diet, especially in regards to eating only pasteurized dairy products, and heating lunch meat to kill bacteria).

According to Saad, scientific findings suggest that despite the misery morning sickness presents, it is actually beneficial for women to experience pregnancy sickness. Essentially, it is the body’s  way of purging potentially harmful toxins to the fetus.

So, while morning sickness itself may be miserable–you can find a little “silver lining” in knowing that it is actually nature’s way of keeping baby safe in the womb.