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Morning sickness means nausea, with or without vomiting, in pregnancy. Despite the name it can strike at any hour, and up to 80 percent of pregnant women report it. Small changes to what and how you eat often make it easier to bear.
For a small number of women the sickness becomes severe, a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum, and then it needs medical treatment. This guide shows the home measures that may help and the signs that mean you should call your doctor.
What Is Normal Morning Sickness?
Normal morning sickness is unpleasant but manageable. You can usually keep down some food and fluids during the day, you are not getting dehydrated, and you are not losing weight. It often begins around week 6, tends to be worst when pregnancy hormones peak around week 10, and usually eases by the end of the first trimester, although for some women it lasts longer.
Doctors do not fully know why it happens. Rising pregnancy hormones are thought to play a part. You did nothing to cause it, and mild sickness does not harm your baby.
Home Remedies and Everyday Tips
The NHS and Cleveland Clinic suggest these measures. Not every one works for every woman, so try a few.
- Eat a dry biscuit, toast or murmura (puffed rice) before you get out of bed in the morning.
- Have small, frequent meals of plain, low-fat, starchy food, such as idli, plain rice, upma or khichdi, instead of three large meals.
- Choose cold or room-temperature foods if the smell of hot cooking makes you feel worse.
- Sip water or other fluids little and often through the day.
- Avoid greasy, spicy or very rich food, and stay away from smells that trigger nausea.
- Rest when you can, because tiredness makes nausea worse.
- Ginger tea or ginger chews may help. Ask your doctor or pharmacist before taking ginger supplements.
- Acupressure wristbands, or pressing on the inner wrist, help some women.
Tip: keep a few biscuits or a plain snack beside your bed, and eat something every two hours or so. An empty stomach tends to make nausea worse.
Eating Well When You Feel Sick
Do not worry if your diet is not perfect in the first weeks. Eat what you can tolerate, and add more variety as the sickness settles. Our guide to foods to eat during pregnancy has ideas for later. If you cannot swallow your prenatal tablet, ask your doctor whether it can be taken at another time of day; our article on folic acid and prenatal vitamins explains why it matters.
Medicines That a Doctor May Suggest
If lifestyle changes are not enough, your doctor may prescribe a short course of an anti-sickness medicine. Cleveland Clinic and MedlinePlus mention vitamin B6 on its own or combined with another medicine as a common first step. Do not start any of these by yourself. Whether a medicine is right, and how much to take, must be decided by your doctor. For severe cases the doctor may suggest an injection or a suppository, or treatment in hospital.
What Is Hyperemesis Gravidarum?
Hyperemesis gravidarum is severe, ongoing nausea and vomiting that leads to dehydration, weight loss and sometimes malnutrition. Cleveland Clinic lists the following signs:
- Vomiting more than three times a day
- Losing more than 5 percent of your pre-pregnancy weight
- Being unable to keep food or liquids down
- Dizziness, light-headedness or fainting
- Passing much less urine than usual, or very dark urine
- Extreme tiredness and headaches
It is more likely if you had it in an earlier pregnancy, are carrying twins or more, are in your first pregnancy, or have a family history. Hyperemesis is not 'just being dramatic'. It is a real medical condition that responds to treatment, and it usually improves after delivery.
When to be cautious: if you cannot keep any fluids down for 12 to 24 hours, are vomiting blood, have severe tummy pain, or feel faint, contact a doctor or go to hospital the same day. Dehydration can build up fast.
What to Expect at the Doctor or Hospital
- Questions about how often you vomit, what you can eat and drink, and how much urine you pass.
- A check of your weight, pulse and blood pressure, and a urine test.
- Any further tests your doctor thinks are needed, to check how dehydrated you are and to look for other reasons for the vomiting.
- Fluids through a drip, anti-sickness medicine and, in the most severe cases, extra nutrition through a tube or vein.
With monitoring and treatment, hyperemesis usually does not affect the baby, although rarely severe weight loss or dehydration can lead to a lower birth weight. Early treatment protects both of you.
Common Myths
- Myth: Morning sickness only happens in the morning. Fact: it can come at any time of day or all day.
- Myth: No nausea means something is wrong. Fact: many healthy pregnancies have little or no sickness.
- Myth: Vomiting harms the baby. Fact: mild vomiting does not; it is dehydration and weight loss that need treatment.
When to See a Doctor
Call your doctor or hospital if you have vomiting that stops you eating for a day, very dark urine or no urine for around 8 hours, feeling weak or dizzy when you stand, abdominal pain, fever, vomiting blood, or weight loss. Your regular antenatal visits are also a good time to mention sickness; see first trimester guide, weeks 1 to 12 for what else to expect.
Talk to a Doctor
If sickness is wearing you down, you do not have to suffer in silence. Book an appointment or call +91 944 103 0587. Chaitanya Hospital in Kadapa offers antenatal check-ups and teleconsultation. This article is for general awareness and is not a substitute for a doctor's advice.
References
This article was written in our own words from the following public health sources.
Educational content
Please note. This article is for general awareness and is not a substitute for a doctor’s advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are worried about your health, or in an emergency, call +91 944 103 0587 or visit the hospital.
