Morning sickness is one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy. It usually begins when you are five or six weeks pregnant and, in some cases, as early as four weeks. In this article, we will be discussing about when does morning sickness actually begin during pregnancy. Read below to find more:

In this article:

When Does Morning Sickness Start?
How Long Does Morning Sickness Last?
What Causes Morning Sickness?
Is it Normal not to Get Morning Sickness?
How Severe can Morning Sickness Get?
How to Treat Morning Sickness?

All You Need to Know about Morning Sickness During Pregnancy

When Does Morning Sickness Start?

Middle of the fifth week of pregnancy is the most common time during which morning sickness usually starts. But there is no rule that it has to begin during the same time period as it may vary from women to women and from pregnancy to pregnancy.

However, if we talk about the very first sign of pregnancy, around 13 percent of the women experience nausea before they even miss their period. whereas, for 90 percent of the women who experience morning sickness, it may start by the eighth week of pregnancy.

How Long Does Morning Sickness Last?

The symptoms of pregnancy are very much evident and begin to rise gradually after sixth week but then come down after week 10. It is during the seventh to ninth week of pregnancy when the morning sickness symptoms are at their peak. Nausea or vomiting can start all of sudden and even stop gradually. But for around 10 percent of women, morning sickness can even get worse after week nine.

As compared to women with no nausea, women with nausea have one third the chance of miscarrying in addition to a lower chance of preterm labor.

What Causes Morning Sickness?

There is not really any scientific evidence of what leads to morning sickness during pregnancy. there have been a number of debates on whether it reduces the chances of women’s likelihood of consuming unhealthy food or it is just a side effect of increasing hormone levels.

Hormone hCG does have a role to play in this. There is an increase in hCG during the first few weeks of pregnancy and it is at the peak between weeks 8-10, thus coinciding with the time when morning sickness is pretty severe. And, down’s syndrome, molar pregnancies and twins lead to higher than average levels of hCG, causing more severe morning sickness. But in a healthy pregnancy, there is a lot of variation in the levels of hCG and thus, it really cannot predict how severe morning sickness can get or who gets and who doesn’t.

Is it Normal not to Get Morning Sickness?

It is commonly believed that almost all women get morning sickness but that is not really the case. Around 30 percent of the women do not go through morning sickness during pregnancy and it does not signify that something is wrong. In such a case, the reason can either be your sensitive stomach or may be because your body copes up with the rising hormone levels.

You do not have to worry if you are among those lucky 30 percent. Just enjoy the fact that you don’t have to go through nausea or vomiting unless your doctor states it to be a matter of concern.

How Severe can Morning Sickness Get?

The severity of morning sickness from mild to extreme varies from women to women. While for some women, the symptoms include nausea and stomach  discomfort a few times during the day, on the other side, about 1 percent of women can have extremely severe morning sickness symptoms and are diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum. In such a condition, the women may experience severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss and electrolyte imbalance.

How to Treat Morning Sickness?

Morning sickness can be significantly reduced with some self-care tips, natural home remedies and treatments. Given below are a few tips:

Vitamins

Vitamin B6 reduces the severity of morning sickness during pregnancy. you must consult your doctor for advice.

Having Small, Frequent Meals

You can try taking several small snack breaks throughout the day rather than a few heavy meals. This will help to keep your food down by making sure that you don’t overload your digestive system.

Stay Hydrated

Vomiting due to morning sickness can dehydrate your body. You must ensure taking small sips of water throughout the day to stay hydrated.

Acupressure

As per the studies, acupressure on the wrist can reduce the symptoms of morning sickness and bring relief.

Ginger

Ginger helps to reduce nausea caused by morning sickness. You can eat or drink gingery foods and beverages to ease the symptoms.

Conclusion

Morning sickness can make you feel miserable but on the same side, it is a good sign as well, which signifies that your hormone levels in your body are high, thus protecting your pregnancy. and in case, you don’t feel sick at all, enjoy because that just means that you do not have to go through this unpleasant side effect of pregnancy.

References

https://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/morning-sickness.aspx

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-study-links-morning-sickness-lower-risk-pregnancy-loss