Morning sickness is nausea and vomiting that can actually occur at any time of the day during pregnancy.
See also:
Morning sickness is very common. Most pregnant women have at least some nausea, and about a third have vomiting.
Morning sickness usually begins during the first month of pregnancy and continues through the 14th to 16th week (3rd or 4th month). Some women have nausea and vomiting through their entire pregnancy.
Morning sickness does not hurt the baby in any way unless you lose weight, such as with severe vomiting. Mild weight loss during the first trimester is not uncommon when women have moderate symptoms, and is not harmful to the baby.
The amount of morning sickness during one pregnancy does not predict how you will feel in future pregnancies.
The exact cause of morning sickness is unknown. It may be caused by hormone changes or lower blood sugar during early pregnancy. Emotional stress, fatigue, traveling, or some foods can make the problem worse. Nausea in pregnancy is more common and can be worse with twins or triplets.
Try to keep a positive attitude. Remember that morning sickness usually stops after the first 3 or 4 months of pregnancy. To reduce nausea, try:
Here are some more tips:
Call your doctor if:
Your doctor will do a physical examination, including a pelvic exam, and look for any signs of dehydration.
Your doctor may ask the following questions:
Your doctor may do the following tests:
Nausea in the morning - females; Vomiting in the morning - females; Nausea during pregnancy; Pregnancy nausea; Pregnancy vomiting; Vomiting during pregnancy
Gordon MC. Maternal physiology. In: Gabbe SG, Niebyl JR, Simpson JL, eds. Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2007:chap 3.
Cunningham FG, Leveno KJ, Bloom SL, et al. Prenatal care. In: Cunningham FG, Leveno KL, Bloom SL, et al, eds. Williams Obstetrics. 23rd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2010:chap 8.
Matthews A, Dowswell T, Haas DM, Doyle M, O'Mathúna DP. Interventions for nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010;(9):CD007575.
Updated by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine; and Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Chief, Eastside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Redmond, Washington; Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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