Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, often known as morning sickness, is very common in early pregnancy. It can affect you at any time of the day or night or you may feel sick all day long. Morning sickness is unpleasant, and can significantly affect your day-to-day life. But it usually clears up by weeks 16 to 20 of your pregnancy and does not put your baby at any increased risk. There is a chance of developing a severe form of pregnancy sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum. This can be serious, and there's a chance you may not get enough fluids in your body (dehydration) or not get enough nutrients from your diet
(malnourishment). You may need specialist treatment, sometimes in hospital. Sometimes urinary tract infections (UTIs) can also cause nausea and vomiting. A UTI usually affects the bladder, but can spread to the kidneys. Non-urgent advice: Call your midwife, GP or 111 if:you're vomiting and:
Treatments for morning sicknessUnfortunately, there's no hard and fast treatment that will work for everyone’s morning sickness. Every pregnancy will be different. But there are some changes you can make to your diet and daily life to try to ease the symptoms. If these do not work for you or you're having more severe symptoms, your doctor or midwife might recommend medicine. Things you can try yourselfIf your morning sickness is not too bad, your GP or midwife will initially recommend you try some lifestyle changes:
Find out more about vitamins and supplements in pregnancy Anti-sickness medicineIf your nausea and vomiting is severe and does not improve after trying the above lifestyle changes, your GP may recommend a short-term course of an anti-sickness medicine, called an antiemetic, that's safe to use in pregnancy. Often this will be a type of antihistamine, which are usually used to treat allergies but also work as medicines to stop sickness (antiemetic). Antiemetics will usually be given as tablets for you to swallow. But if you cannot keep these down, your doctor may suggest an injection or a type of medicine that's inserted into your bottom (suppository). See your GP if you'd like to talk about getting anti-sickness medication. Risk factors for morning sicknessIt's thought hormonal changes in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy are probably one of the causes of morning sickness. But you may be more at risk of it if:
Visit the pregnancy sickness support site for tips for you and your partner on dealing with morning sickness. Find maternity services near you Sign up for pregnancy emailsSign up for Start4Life's weekly emails for expert advice, videos and tips on pregnancy, birth and beyond. Video: how can I cope with morning sickness?In this video, a midwife gives advice on how to deal with morning sickness during your pregnancy. Media last reviewed: 27 February 2017 What is morning sickness?Morning sickness (also called nausea and vomiting of pregnancy) 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 with 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 with 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 |