Morning sickness

Carrying a baby in your body for roughly 9 months is hard enough. Pair that with throwing up morning, noon and night (yes, morning sickness doesn’t just happen in the morning) and you’ve got yourself quite the rollercoaster ride. What is morning sickness and what can you do about it? Read on as we give you all the details.

What is morning sickness like?

It can range from feeling queasy to barely being able to keep food down for an extended period of time. Pregnant people often feel most nauseous as soon as they wake up, hence the term ‘morning sickness’. Unfortunately, though the feeling isn’t limited to a certain time period. It can actually strike at any time during day or night. And before you start to think that you might get ‘lucky’ and not experience it, we should let you know that experiencing nausea and vomiting in pregnancy is actually really common. Translation? It’s pretty much an unavoidable experience amongst expectant mothers.

So if you’re experiencing nausea or throwing up when you’re not hungover – you might wanna take a pregnancy test.

What causes morning sickness?

In general, it’s linked to the increased hormone activity of early pregnancy. Although some people also highlight stress and exhaustion as contributing factors. This specific symptom can appear as early as the fifth week or the second month of pregnancy and last until the 16th week, around the fourth month. But there really is no firm rule here. Some people have to suffer throughout the duration of their pregnancy. We’re sure if you asked those people what morning sickness is like, they wouldn’t have many kind words to say about it. 

Does everyone get morning sickness?

Sources show that around 60-80% of pregnant women experience symptoms. So odds are you’re gonna feel some type of way during your pregnancy. However, it’s not all bad news. That queasiness means you’re producing all the right pregnancy hormones to let the little bean grow. So, yes, it may be super sucky at the time but just try to focus on the fact that it’s actually a good sign. Hard to do when you’ve spent all morning over the toilet bowl, we know.

Does morning sickness have any risks?

Although morning sickness is regarded as a normal part of the pregnancy process, if you experience prolonged and severe vomiting during pregnancy (a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum) then you should talk to your doctor or midwife. Equally if you start to lose weight because of severe morning sickness, call your doctor immediately to get some medical advice. 

If you don’t, you run the risk of severe dehydration. And that only makes vomiting worse. Not to mention, in rare cases, it could even cause kidney failure. Definitely not something to take lightly.

How to cope 

Sure you know what morning sickness is like, but how do you go about preventing it, or at least relieve nausea slightly? 

Luckily, there are loads of ways to help keep the nausea at bay. What actually ends up working is different for everyone, but here are some popular methods. Just be sure to consult your midwife or healthcare provider if you’re considering any of the following. That way you can be extra sure it’s right for you:

• Of course you should eat what you want, whenever you want it. The catch is that you should try to stick to a balanced diet and avoid skipping meals when you’re feeling grim. If you need some motivation, food can actually help to ease the nausea. Try eating small, frequent meals to help you stomach some food.
• Steer clear of strong smells (as pregnant people are often overly sensitive to odours). When cooking, be sure to ventilate the room.
• Avoid coffee and tea, or any caffeinated product. A good alternative is peppermint tea, which is often said to ease morning sickness, as well as any food or drink containing ginger.
• Eat breakfast while you’re still in bed (it’s the perfect excuse for some pampering). Morning sickness sufferers recommend crackers or dry cereal first thing in the morning.
• Get plenty of rest. Some morning sickness sufferers find the condition is worse when they’re tired. Plus, being nauseous all the time sounds pretty exhausting anyways.
• Try taking vitamin B6 supplements. It’s meant to reduce symptoms of nausea.