What does morning sickness feel like?

3-minute read

Pregnancy can be a happy and exciting time, but it can also cause discomfort. If your pregnancy has you feeling nauseous and running to the bathroom, you're not alone. About 80% of pregnant women experience nausea or morning sickness. An early symptom of pregnancy, morning sickness usually begins in the first trimester and, for most women, tapers off within weeks. But what does morning sickness feel like, and what can you do about it?

Morning sickness is a term to describe nausea and vomiting that commonly occurs during pregnancy. For many women, morning sickness starts around the sixth week of pregnancy. The condition usually fades or lessens after 14 weeks, but some women experience it throughout their pregnancy, especially if they're pregnant with multiples.

Although it may be termed "morning sickness," nausea and vomiting can happen at any time or even all day. It also affects woman differently. Some women may feel nauseous for a certain period of the day and vomit once or twice. Others feel nauseous all day.

What causes morning sickness?

The exact cause of morning sickness isn't fully understood. According to the National Library of Medicine, some experts point to the fluctuation in a woman's hormones during pregnancy or low blood sugar levels that often occur in early pregnancy.

Different triggers can lead to morning sickness. Strong smells, certain foods, and food textures can make you feel queasy. Feeling too full, hungry, or warm can make you nauseous. You may feel sick in between or right before meals.

Will morning sickness hurt me or my baby?

Morning sickness can be very uncomfortable, sidelining you from activities you love, but it will not cause serious health problems for you or your baby. However, you can get dehydrated if you vomit too much, so watch out for these warning signs of dehydration:

• A racing heartbeat
• Dark-colored urine
• Feeling lightheaded or dizzy
• Inability to keep down liquids

Some women may experience a more intense, longer-lasting form of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum. It has the same symptoms as morning sickness, only more severe, and can require hospitalization in extreme cases.

Your OB/GYN is the best source of support if you're experiencing morning sickness. Women who experience excessive dehydration or hyperemesis gravidarum may need to receive IV fluids. Your healthcare provider is the best point of contact and support if you're experiencing severe and persistent nausea and vomiting.

How to manage morning sickness

If you're dealing with morning sickness, sticking to a healthy pregnancy diet may help to relieve nausea and vomiting. Consider the following tips:

• Opt for small, frequent snacks every one to two hours instead of eating big meals.
• Try bland, easily digestible foods, such as plain crackers and broth.
• Have a small snack before you feel hungry to avoid nausea. Some women have crackers by their bedside to eat before getting up in the morning when their nausea is often worse.
• Combine high-protein foods with carbohydrates. Cheese and crackers, peanut butter on apples or bananas, and nuts may prevent nausea. Keep trying different foods to see what you can tolerate. The goal is to keep food and liquids down as much as possible.
• Avoid spicy, fried, and fatty foods, which digest slowly.
• Ginger may help soothe the stomach. Try it in tea, chews, or carbonated drinks, such as ginger ale.
• Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water. If you vomit, try sports drinks or another oral rehydration solution.
• Alter your daily routine or activities when feeling woozy, which may mean taking it easy in the morning and choosing exercises you can tolerate, such as yoga.
• Avoid known triggers, such as strong smells.
• Get plenty of rest and take steps to minimize stress.

Treatment for morning sickness

If you can't keep fluids down or maintain an appropriate weight, your OB/GYN may recommend a special supplement to help manage nausea and vomiting. You also might try changing your prenatal supplement to another brand or taking it at a different time of day.

Over-the-counter medications that combine vitamin B6 and an antihistamine may also help. These medications are often used to treat motion sickness and can safely ease nausea. Talk with your healthcare provider about how and when to take anti-nausea medications.

When these treatments don't work, your OB/GYN may recommend prescription medications to manage nausea and vomiting. Certain medications have risks, so it's important to talk with your provider and weigh the risks with the potential benefits.

Find an OB/GYN you can trust for all your prenatal care at Reid Health.