In news that’s sure to excite your partner, a psychologist is theorizing that the cause of — and cure for — morning sickness is none other than your baby’s father. More specifically, his semen.

According to Slate, Gordon Gallup of SUNY-Albany Gallup argues that since half of a baby’s genetic makeup belongs to its father, it’s possible that a woman’s body treats that DNA as a foreign substance. So the mother experiences an immune reaction that involves vomiting and nausea, the same way it would if you caught a virus. Luckily, Gallup feels that the cause and the cure are both one and the same: (you guessed it) semen.

Although the theory has yet to be tested (read: nowhere near proven), Gallup speculates that to prevent symptoms of nausea during the first trimester, a woman should frequently expose herself to her partner’s semen in order to develop a higher tolerance to his genetic makeup. In other words, the more often a woman is inseminated leading up to and during pregnancy (he’s talking regular sex and oral), the less sick she’ll feel.

We had a good laugh about this theory — and are wondering if Gallup has a wife who’s now in the early stages of pregnancy — but there are plans to actually study it. Plus, there are more interesting tidbits:

Gallup says that a woman’s reaction to her mate’s DNA is a maternal adaptation that favors the best potential suitor. So we should interpret hugging the toilet bowl as a sign that we chose the wrong husband?

He also says that women with little to no sexual contact or those who use condoms are more susceptible to feeling queasy. And also predicts that women with two or more children should experience lessened symptoms of morning sickness with each consecutive pregnancy.

Of course, we’ve got to wonder, if you’re feeling really sick, how you’re going to get into the mood. But if you’re desperate to feel better, a roll in the hay might be worth a shot. Of course, we’ll remain skeptical until we see the results of Gallup’s study.

How was your experience with morning sickness? What do you think of this theory?

Plus, more from The Bump:

Foods That Ease Morning Sickness

What Causes Morning Sickness?

Sick of Being Sick

Turns out I have something in common with Beyonce and Jessica Simpson, and it’s certainly not singing talent or a sense of style. We all had a bunch of pounds to drop post baby, and we needed help to do it. Beyonce enlisted the help of a personal trainer, and Jessica Simpson just announced she’s joining Weight Watchers.

I had 65 pounds to lose after each pregnancy. I ate constantly to keep my heartburn and nausea just barely at bay (I never want to see animal crackers again). And because I was so swollen, hot and grumpy, I didn’t exercise much. The moment my son slipped out of my body, I was elated. I immediately felt as thin as I was on my wedding day. Oh, the blessed feeling of being so light after months of bursting at the seams! Sadly, one look in the mirror revealed I still looked 6 months pregnant, and giving birth didn’t magically get rid of the log roll under my chin. I think I deserved at least that after 36 freakin’ hours of labor.

I was an overwhelmed new mom, and it was too much for me to do on my own, so I tightened our budget and enlisted the help of Jenny Craig. I needed something that I had to be accountable for, where someone would tell me what to do, what to eat, and I’d essentially be guaranteed weight loss. It took about a year to get the baby weight off after both pregnancies and feel “normal” again. As normal as any post baby body can be, that is. (Hello, Bonnie Belly-Flap).

Plus, more from The Bump

10 Minute Workouts While Baby Naps

Sneaky Ways to Lose Baby Weight

Fun Ways to Lose the Baby Weight