Show Morning sickness is one of the most feared side effects that comes with being pregnant. The feeling of nausea and vomiting can be miserable, but you aren’t alone. Morning sickness is very common and affects the majority of pregnant women, especially in their first trimester. Approximately 50 to 80 percent of pregnant women will experience nausea, and about 50 percent will experience vomiting with their pregnancy. Why does morning sickness happen? There is no exact reason as to why women experience morning sickness. It’s most likely due to the rise in two hormones during pregnancy: human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and estrogen. Human chorionic gonadotropin is secreted by the placenta, which nourishes the egg after it’s been fertilized. This secretion peaks in early pregnancy when symptoms are typically at their worst. Estrogen levels increase throughout pregnancy, but the largest jump in levels can be seen in the first trimester. It plays a key role in helping the fetus grow and mature. Is morning sickness a good or bad thing? Having morning sickness, or not, doesn’t specifically mean anything good or bad about a pregnancy. Studies have shown a lower rate of miscarriage in women with mild or moderate morning sickness. This likely reflects healthy hCG production. If you’re not experiencing morning sickness, this doesn’t mean you have an unhealthy pregnancy. If you have questions or concerns regarding your morning sickness, you should contact your doctor. Is it bad to still be experiencing morning sickness beyond the first trimester? Morning sickness typically resolves after the first trimester, as this is when hCG peaks. Some women may still experience nausea and vomiting after the first trimester. In this case, I recommend speaking with your doctor, as other conditions may be playing a role in your symptoms, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which is common in the second and third trimesters due to increased pressure on your stomach. This may require medication for symptom management. Does having hyperemesis gravidarum mean anything about the health of your baby? Hyperemesis gravidarum is a severe form of morning sickness that often requires hospital evaluation and administration of IV fluids to maintain hydration during pregnancy. This is more common in certain pregnancies, including twin pregnancies. While some studies have shown higher rates of low birth weight and premature infants in pregnancies affected by hyperemesis gravidarum, this illness doesn’t typically affect the health of your baby, as pregnancies are very resilient. Megan Quimper is an OB-GYN at The Ohio
State University Wexner Medical Center. What is morning sickness? Morning sickness (also called nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, or NVP) is nausea (feeling sick to your stomach) and vomiting that happens in the first few months of pregnancy. Even though it's called morning sickness, it can last all day and happen any time of day. At least 7 in 10 pregnant women have morning sickness in the first trimester (first 3 months) of pregnancy. It usually starts at about 6 weeks of pregnancy and is at its worst at about 9 weeks. Most women feel better in their second trimester, but some have morning sickness throughout pregnancy. If you have morning sickness, tell your health care provider. Mild morning sickness doesn’t harm you or your baby. But if nausea and vomiting becomes severe (called hyperemesis gravidarum), it can cause serious problems during pregnancy. You may need to stay in the hospital for treatment. What is hyperemesis gravidarum? About 3 in 100 women may have hyperemesis gravidarum. This is extreme, excessive nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. It can cause you to lose weight and become dehydrated (not have enough water in your body). It can start early in pregnancy and last the entire pregnancy. If you have hyperemesis gravidarum, you need treatment to help keep you and your baby safe. You may be at risk for hyperemesis gravidarum if you:
Signs and symptoms of hyperemesis gravidarum include:
If you have hyperemesis gravidarum, your provider may treat you with medicine to help relieve your nausea and vomiting. You may need treatment in a hospital with intravenous (also called IV) fluids. IV fluids go through a needle into your vein. They help you stay hydrated and can give you nutrients that you usually get from food. If you continue to lose weight, you may need a feeding tube to make sure you’re getting enough nutrients for you and your baby. What causes morning sickness? We don’t know for sure what causes morning sickness. It may be caused by low blood sugar or increased pregnancy hormones. Morning sickness may be worse if you’re stressed or overly tired, if you eat certain foods or if you’re traveling (if you often have motion sickness). Can you prevent or relieve morning sickness? Yes. Here’s what you can do to help you feel better and even prevent morning sickness:
You may have heard about these ways to prevent or relieve morning sickness. Talk to your provider before trying any of these:
Even if it’s legal where you live for either personal or medical use, it’s not safe to use marijuana to treat morning sickness. No amount of marijuana has been proven safe to use during pregnancy. If you’re thinking of using marijuana to help with morning sickness, talk to your provider about other treatments that are safer for your baby. Is there medical treatment for morning sickness? Yes. If you can’t relieve morning sickness on your own or if you have severe nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, your provider may treat you with these medicines:
Talk to your provider before you take any medicine during pregnancy, even medicine to help treat morning sickness. When should you call your health care provider about morning sickness? For most women, morning sickness is mild and goes away over time. But call your provider if:
Last reviewed: September, 2020 Is morning sickness a sign of a healthy baby?Studies have shown that women with nausea and vomiting during the first trimester have a lower risk of miscarriage than do women without these symptoms. What's the connection? Nausea and vomiting during early pregnancy might indicate you are experiencing the climb in hormones needed for a healthy pregnancy.
Does morning sickness mean less chance of miscarriage?Nearly two-thirds of women reported nausea by the eighth week of pregnancy, and over a quarter had both nausea and vomiting. Nausea alone or nausea with vomiting was associated with a 50% to 75% reduction in the risk of pregnancy loss.
What week is morning sickness the worst?It usually starts at about 6 weeks of pregnancy and is at its worst at about 9 weeks. Most women feel better in their second trimester, but some have morning sickness throughout pregnancy. If you have morning sickness, tell your health care provider.
Does throwing up with morning sickness make you feel better?Morning sickness affects 50 to 90 percent of pregnant women, most often in the first trimester. It is usually not harmful to your baby. Throwing up may relieve your immediate symptoms, but nausea typically returns.
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