Discussion: Nausea

I'm sorry to hear this has been so nasty for you!

I'm also surprised, given your position as a Professor of Astrology, that the positions and movements of various celestial bodies do not play more of a role in your hypotheses about the patterns you experience.

Hah, yeah, I'm doing a miserable job of Astrologizing these days. Because I'm in bed before the sun sets and wake up after it rises amongst all this misery, I never even saw Comet NEOWISE! Someone should take away my Astrologizing license...

Pictures on the internet were better than the real thing – at least in the light-polluted Northampton sky.

Feel better!

Ugh I’m sorry, sounds truly miserable. Maybe Cristina is on to something, and you just need to commune with the planets a little better. At least read a horoscope or two?

But seriously morning sickness seems like evolution seriously screwed something up.

Thanks Phil and Alex! I did at least see some awesome internet pictures! =)

And yes, it seems to make *no* sense and is at least harmful in one way evolution should care about - it was the leading cause of maternal mortality until the 1950s, when we found out how to replenish liquids through IV. Before that, the most extreme cases (hyperemis gravidarum) who can't keep anything down, food or liquid, would die of dehydration.

But, I do have to report that there seem to be reasons it's helpful evolutionarily too. From this press release (I haven't actually read the study itself): "Our study, which tested theories and predictions about the nature of parent-offspring conflict in human pregnancy, shows that nausea and vomiting in pregnancy is beneficial by expelling such foods as meat and strong-tasting vegetables that historically and still may contain harmful toxins and microorganisms that could potentially sicken the woman and damage her fetus just when its organs are developing and are most vulnerable to chemicals," said Sherman, who is an expert in Darwinian medicine -- viewing diseases from an evolutionary perspective.

I can totally vouch for this nausea having me avoid meat and strong-tasting vegetables...

Sorry to hear about your nausea. My wife had a serious bout of that when we were expecting our second child and was even hospitalized for some time.
The collected expertise of her doctors finally prescribed - Coca-cola !!?? (without the fizzy stuff) and it seemed to help.
Who knows, maybe worth a try?