Morning Sickness

You can feel at ease to know that morning sickness usually decreases or stops by the 14th week of pregnancy!

Morning sickness
Morning sickness is very common. Most pregnant women have at least some morning sickness, and about a third have vomiting. Morning sickness usually begins during the first month of pregnancy and continues until the 14th to 16th week.

Some women have morning sickness and vomiting through their entire pregnancy. Morning sickness does not hurt the baby in any way. The degree of morning sickness during one pregnancy does not predict how you will feel in future pregnancies.

Does morning sickness tell you if it's a boy or a girl?
Does morning sickness vary in severity depending on the sex of the baby? Some studies linked the presence of moring sickness with having a baby girl. However the results were not conclusive. Each woman and each pregnancy is unique in terms of moring sickness irrespective of the sex of the baby. Morning sickness relief

1. Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) has proven to be effective in reducing nausea. Doses of 10-25 mg orally every eight hours on an intermittent basis of 2-3 days at a time are recommended as a first-line therapy.
2. Try dried ginger root, ginger tea from fresh ginger root, and Zingiber officinale extract. Study showed that ginger effectively reduces both nausea and vomiting in pregnant women. The recommended dose is 250 mg four times a day.
3. A few soda crackers or dry toast when you first wake up, even before you get out of bed in the morning.
4. A small snack at bedtime and when getting up to go to the bathroom at night.
5. Acupressure wrist bands (sea bands) or acupuncture may help. You can find these bands in drug, health food, and travel stores. If considering acupuncture, talk to your doctor and seek an acupuncturist trained to work with pregnant women.
6. Avoid caffeine foods or drinks.
7. Avoid foods high in fat and salt, but low in nutrition.
8. Avoid fried, rich foods such as gravies, rich desserts, nuts, olives, sweet rolls, pastries.
9. Avoid gas-forming foods such as brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, onions, cucumbers, and sauerkraut.
10. Avoid getting extremely hungry.
11. Avoid highly seasoned and spicy foods.
12. Avoid large meals. Instead, snack as often as every 1-2 hours during the day and drink plenty of fluids.
13. Avoid smoking and secondhand smoke.
14. Avoid taking medications for morning sickness. If you do, consult a doctor first.
15. Bake, boil or broil foods rather than fry foods.
16. Drink liquids between meals rather than with meals.
17. Eat dry cereal or crackers before getting out of bed.
18. Eat ice chips, popsicles, fruits and cooked vegetables between meals.
19. Eat small meals, more often, on a regular basis.
20. Eating foods high in protein and complex carbohydrates, such as peanut butter on apple slices or celery; cheese; crackers; milk; cottage cheese; and yogurt.
21. Have lots of fresh air in rooms where you sleep and where you prepare your meals to reduce odors.
22. Lemons: drinking lemonade, smelling lemons, or just a small taste of lemon
23. Peppermint (scotch mints),peppermint essential oil, or sipping the tea (look for Pregnancy Tea) can help curb nausea. It's also known to help with sagging energy levels.
24. Sip water and juices slowly.
25. Take your prenatal vitamins at night. Increase vitamin B6 in your diet by eating whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Talk to your doctor about possibly taking vitamin B6 supplements.
26. Two fingers pressed firmly but gently on the your belly button, just for a minute, may stop the nausea.
27. Using an all natural toothpaste
28. When you feel morning sicknessted, bland foods like gelatin, broth, ginger ale, and saltine crackers can soothe your stomach.

Call your doctor if:

• Morning sickness does not improve, despite trying home remedies.
• You vomit blood or material that looks like coffee grounds. (Call IMMEDIATELY.)
• You lose more than 2 pounds.
• You vomit more than 3 times per day or you cannot keep food or liquid down.
• morning sickness and vomiting continue beyond your 4th month of pregnancy. This happens to some women and is usually normal, but have it checked out.

What can your doctor do?
Your doctor will perform a physical examination, including a pelvic exam, and look for any signs of dehydration. Your doctor may ask questions like the following:

• Are you only nauseous or do you also vomit?
• Does the morning sickness and vomiting occur every day?
• Does it last throughout the day?
• Can you keep down any food or fluid?
• Have you been traveling?
• Has your schedule been disrupted?
• Are you emotionally stressed?
• What foods have you been eating?
• Do you smoke?
• What have you done to try to feel better?
• Do you know for sure that you are pregnant?
• If not, is it possibly that you are pregnant? For example, do you menstruate and are you sexually active? Have you missed any birth control pills or not used your birth control method?
• What other symptoms do you have -- headaches, abdominal pain, breast tenderness, dry mouth, excessive thirst, unintentional weight loss?

Other websites

• American Pregnancy Association: Morning Sickness
  Overview of the condition with helpful things to do and things to avoid to manage nausea symptoms.
• Clinical Practice Guidelines for Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy
  Clinical practice guidelines for the management of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP) or morning sickness. Prepared by the Obstetrics Committee of the SOGC. Requires Acrobat PDF Reader
• Discovery: Morning Sickness
  Article that addresses causes, symptoms, diagnosis, prevention and related risks.
• eMedicine Health - Vomiting during Pregnancy
  Consumer health resource center providing information on the causes and treatment of vomiting during pregnancy.
• HER Foundation
  Offers education and support for mothers suffering from hyperemesis gravidarium.
• Hyperemesis Education and Research Organization
  Information about the non-profit organization which is dedicated to providing a multi-disciplinary forum for exchange of information related to Hyperemesis Gravidarum, HG.
• Hyperemesis Gravidarum
  Information about this rare disorder characterized by severe and persistent nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
• Motherisk: Resources for Nausea
  Offers facts and resources on morning sickness through a publication on nausea research; offers a toll-free helpline for North America.
• Parents: Nausea and Vomiting
  Presents insights from a new study showing how ginger helps relieve pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting.
• ParentsNest - Morning Sickness
  Articles and advice, as well as a listing of signs, symptoms and remedies to ease this diagnosis.
• SOS Morning Sickness
  Provides several articles on facts, descriptions and various remedies for relieving morning sickness during pregnancy.

Comments: Morning Sickness

Comments 51 to 70 of about 70.
Previous 1 2 3

Tabitha Robertson - 204 days ago.
is it normal to feel nauseated within the second week of pregnancy??

Bri - 205 days ago.
Megan, I've heard of women being sick their entire pregnancy. I counted myself lucky to only be sick for half. HAHA! I've already been sick for two weeks and I'm only five weeks now. Ick! Oh well. I'm here for the long haul. Knew what I was getting into.

Megan20 - 206 days ago.
oh my gosh, i hope my morning sickness doesnt last 20 weeks! lol this is horrible, no throwing up yet, but sometimes not throwing up is worse than throwing up. lol best of luck to all :) oh, and kellz0 : i heard that its completely normal for some women not to get any symptoms at all, while other can experience the full thing. just mention it to your doc. but other than that.... your so lucky!!! lol

Bri - 210 days ago.
hopeafloat2009 - Count yourself lucky! Mine lasted until 20weeks. I wouldn't worry. When's your next appointment. They'll listen for the heartbeat around12or so weeks. I forgot when exactly. It's been a while.

hopeafloat2009 - 210 days ago.
at the top, it says that 'morning sickness usually decreases by the 14th week..'... my ms stopped by week 9! is that too early? i've had ms since week 5 and suddenly it just stopped! i can't help but worry.

Bri - 210 days ago.
I just found out I'm pregnant and I'm already sick! Damn! Last time I was sick until about 20weeks. I was hoping that I had enough sickness last time for this time too. HAHA! No luck! I knew I was pregnant before the positive cause of this damn blah feeling. I hope the next few months gets better then this...

aneila17 - 222 days ago.
with my first pregnancy my MS started around 10 weeks and lasted 5 months. I am now pregnant again and i don't know how far along i am and its horrible. I'm nauseous 20 out of 24 hours. I haven't thrown up yet thank God. Its so hard looking after a 9 month old and feeling this sick!

liz king - 238 days ago.
I had morning sickness in my 1st trimester, and now that i'm in my 3rd I have it AGAIN. yuuck.

Keznutter - 245 days ago.
Hi ladies & bumps. This is my 3rd pregnancy and I had absolutely no ms with the first 2 and only a day or two of nausea with this one. Good luck to those that have it, I can only imagine that it must be horrible. For those that dont have it, dont stress, both my boys are happy & healthy & I know my daughter will be the same when she makes her appearance next month some time.

Mandy-n-Eoins-Peanut - 245 days ago.
I had god-awful ms with my first two. But this one, I've had none. I was a bit worried there for a while until the doctor explained to me that it was ok. I had about five minutes of bad dizziness this morning (week 11) and felt so reassured lol

mrs. lane - 245 days ago.
I haven't experienced morning sickness at all. I know it is normal to have it, but is it normal not to? I guess I should count my blessings!

Curiousmommy2b - 249 days ago.
I am 6wks 2d n no mornin sickness yet. Had it my 4th wk though

CelticBabe2009 - 255 days ago.
Sorry if this is long in advance, but I might be able to help. I had horrible m/s (HG) for 10 months with my daughter. This time I was watchful and took Zantac 150 every 12 hours or so (whatever the directions say) for weeks 4-8. If it get really bad, i pop a zofran, but try not to. I make sure I eat something small right before getting into bed and sit up for 45 min before sleeping so that the reflux doesn't happen. If I build up gas on my stomach, which also makes me very nauseous, i make a 'lemon tea' of hot water, lemon juice, and sugar to taste. Sip it slowly and it will cut the gas and pressure completely. M/s can also brought on by dehydration, so I try to stay hydrated by drinking watered down lemon/lime Gatorade. It is the ONLY thing I can drink. First thing in the morning to mop up stomach acid I eat plain frozen waffles steamed in the microwave in a paper towel. Eat small meals and NEVER let yourself get hungry. It gives your stomach a chance to build up acid. You may pick up extra weight that way (though I haven't yet), but it is better than living with your head in the toilet or drooling constantly. I am with you ladies! Most of all (and I know this is hard!), If you have to get sick, just relax and do it. The more you fight with it, the worse it gets. Look at vomiting, especially the bile/acid, as a clean slate. The buildup of acid it NOT your friend.

Sas-Jd - 265 days ago.
I have to say mor ning sickness has to be the worst sickness ever. Ive had the sickness kind of on and off from 9 weeks to 11 weeks but after that it was constant. Now its only at night before bed while i get cronic indegestion and wind lol! I'm 15 weeks and it is starting to ease off. At least smelly things are not making me heave anymore. Xx

~* Yummy Mummy Shell *~ - 303 days ago.
Have the same, except zofran isnt licensed in UK so i cant have it, i have cyclizine which is rubbish. im 23 weeks and still bad with hyperemesis gravidarum...lost count of times ive been in hosp for iv meds and fluids, lost 2 and half stone (nearly 3) so far, still at least i dont have pregnancy weight everywhere to get rid of, just bump!

skttrbrain - 344 days ago.
is anyone else only sick after they eat? i can be fine when i wake up but once i begin eating during the day it's overwhelming. i usually feel more sick at night, and sometimes vomit then too. THIS IS HORRIBLE. i'm going to try eating small frequent snacks instead of full out meals....*crosses fingers*

KristyK. - 365 days ago.
Hi! I'm 9 weeks pregnant with identical twins. I'm having TERRIBLE morning sickness every minute of the day. I have not thrown up, but I feel like i'm going to at all times. Does anyone have any tips to reduce my missery? I've tried mints, eating various foods, taking ginger capsules, ginger ale, white sodas, tums, lying around all day...nothing is helping. One crazy thing that I have noticed is when I cry (raging hormones) I feel less sick! PLEASE HELP ME!

redz - 370 days ago.
I'm 23 weeks and still spitting,anyone else is having this problem? Does the spitting ever stops?

jamie - 373 days ago.
I have a disgusting new ritual. Im 8 weeks and 4 days and I wake up every morning and puke bile. Its awful. This is my 3rd and with the other 2 I was nauseous all day long, so this is different. After I puke Im fine pretty much all day. A little random nausea here and there just fatigue. I think I like this better. I can actually get up off the couch and function!

nirvana - 384 days ago.
Im pregnant with number 4 and am experiencing 24hr morning sickness, but throwing up all day and feeling sick all day in between vomitting bouts. I have both boy and girl children and my morning sickness was never like this with any of my other pregnancies.With them i was sick each morning and fine all day after that. Any ideas whats going on? And any body else whos had 24hr sickness was your baby a boy or a girl?

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