One of the most difficult parts about the first trimester of your pregnancy is dealing with morning sickness. This is very common in pregnancy, and most women experience at least some nausea.
Feeling sick typically begins during the first month of pregnancy and can last well into the 16th week. However, some women experience morning sickness throughout their entire pregnancy.
Although you may worry that feeling so sick can hurt your baby, it doesn’t. You should also keep in mind that the amount of morning sickness you experience during your first pregnancy doesn’t predict whether or not you will have it during future pregnancies.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the cause of morning sickness is unknown. However, some health experts believe that it may be due to hormonal changes and lower blood sugar. Women who experience emotional stress, fatigue and eat some foods can make the problems worse.
5 things that make morning sickness worse
Doing too much: If you’re trying to do it all in terms of taking care of yourself, the house and work, then you may actually be making your morning sickness worse. Overdoing it isn’t a good idea during pregnancy, even if staying busy helps you keep your mind off of the nauseating feelings you have.
Food aversions: It varies from woman to woman, but you’ll notice that certain types of foods can make your morning sickness even worse. Some can eat bread, fruit salad or mashed potatoes without getting sick while others can’t even drink juice or eat a few crackers before they find themselves running to the bathroom.
Being tired: Your doctor will emphasize how important it is that you get enough sleep, and they’re right. It seems as though the first trimester consists of nothing more than sleeping, but if you don’t get enough then you’re going to have more than just morning sickness. You’re going to feel icky all day.
Dehydration: Between vomiting and your urge to resist eating, it’s pretty easy to become dehydrated. However, drink as much water as you can to limit the queasy feelings. Bring a water bottle with you wherever you go and every time it’s empty, refill it.
Not eating at all: Despite your food aversions, having an empty stomach can make you feel even more sick. Some women find that if they eat small meals more frequently throughout the day then they can avoid feeling bad. Whatever you do, just try not to let your stomach get empty.
Is there anything that makes your morning sickness worse? Join in the discussion below!
Morning sickness is no fun. Click below for a free download on things you do to stop morning sickness before it starts, or reduce its symptoms.
I am 9 weeks and 4 days pregnant. This is my third try and the first time I had morning sickness this bad. It’s not every day, more like every other day and sometimes it ckmes and goes, and other times it stays all day long. This afternoon I craved vegetables really bad and pretzels too. Pretzels help my morning sickness go away as well as drinking tons of water throughout the day. I agree with that if you are hungry your morning sickness gets worse and if I don’t drink enough fluids, I get a huge headache. Tonight, I had a hot dog fully cooked and pork and beans for dinner. I was still hungry so my husband made a small pizza as well. I threw that up completely after I took my prenatal pill. There’s no real easy way to get through morning sickness. Just have to keep trying different things.
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for weighing in! We certainly agree that each mom-to-be will find her own tricks to surviving morning sickness. Here’s hoping you can put your pregnancy nausea behind you soon!
I am 13 weeks pregnant and Im still going through a horrible morning sickness. It started week 6 then around week 10, 11, 12 was really bad. I threw up every night. Sometimes multiple times at night but as I entered my 13thoughts week, I noticed I only get sick around late afternoon…
I’m just waiting til the day I start to feel better.
These are what I cannot stand eating: meat, garlic, onion, salad&salad dressing and any meal that contains garlic and onion..
Wish me luck!
Ava is the name of my youngest daughter! Great name 🙂
I didn’t think about the garlic and onions being an issue, but I did “lose” my spaghetti dinner last night, and that could be why. . . I will keep this in mind when choosing meals. Good luck to you!
I feel exactly the same as this with exactly the same food aversions…you are not alone! All of the luck to you x
I am currently 9weeks and 3 days pregnant. I feel as though I may have mild hyperemesis gravidarum(HG). My obgyn prescribed me Promethazine, and that seems to work but not all the time. But if I go without taking that prescription I throw up 15+ times a day, and sometimes throughout the night. I have been feeling quite miserable but I know that this shall pass eventually.
I have been reading up on hyperemesis gravidarum(HG) and this is my biggest fear! I am 14 weeks pregnant and the morning sickness has not stopped. . . I have been prescribed nausea medications the last time I was pregnant (unfortunately ended in miscarriage) and it didn’t help – not even the suppository. Good luck to you!
I’m almost 14 weeks, baby #2. I threw up off and on nny entire first pregnancy but not as bad as I am now. I can’t eat anything made with milk, butter, cream… It’s torture. I throw it up within 5 mins of consumption. I throw up drinking too much water, I throw up my pills… It’s bad. I am hoping it passes a little bit. I also had post eclampsia with baby 1 and having to take a pill everyday, throwing it up and not knowing if it is working is a bit scary.
I used to love sweet tea, and now anything with the least bit of sugar pushes me right into terrible nausea. Ginger tea has not helped me, but warm tea does seem to relax my stomach muscles, sometimes.
My struggle is that I am SO THIRSTY, but drinking a lot of fluids, even sipping them, when I am already nauseous, tends to make it worse. I have been to the hospital once for an IV (they said I wasn’t dehydrated – but I HAD to be) and that was the only relief I found. Staying hydrated is my most difficult task.
I am 10 weeks and have thrown up some but mainly very nauseated with the worst heart burn imaginable 24/7. I have a physical job and sometimes the work helps but afterwards I crash and burn and feel awful and exhausted. I’m miserable and can’t bare the thought of going on like this much longer. I can’t eat anything sweet especially tropical fruits. I hate coffee and cream or milk but cheddar cheese seems to be ok w crackers and a little avocado. Sometimes that is!! Meat is sometimes ok but not always. I find bland carbs salty foods the only thing that I can tolorate. I also normally have an awful food intolerance to garlic onions and lots of foods on the FODMAP list for ibs and I accidentally ate garlic the other night and just about died of sickness. Honey mustard of all things has garlic powder. Least the one I got did. So yes I’m with a few other ladies on here where garlic and onion is enemy #1. I pray to god this morning sickness passes or I’ll never make the 9 months!!! Just put me in a coma! Ugh ? ?
I am 13 weeks pregnant and from week 6 I’ve been very sick. I’ve been in the hospital twice and even had to stay overnight once because I was so sick and dehydrated. But the past couple of days I’ve felt ok but today I woke up sick as a dog. I’m hoping this goes away asap so I can enjoy my pregnancy. This is my second pregnancy I lost my first at 7w 4d so anything that doesn’t feel right sets me off. So far my little baby is healthy and right where it should be on the growth chart! Ugh pray for us so we can make it to October ??
Well, I am beginning my 16th week today and still nauseous and vomiting from time to time. I really hope this is the last week I feel so poorly. I am on diclegis but it really does not help and was prescribed zofran, which takes edge off. I’ve taken it twice, but I’m really scared to take it because of some reviews I’ve read. Carbs helped initially but now I feel sick even after eating them.
For what it’s worth, I took zofran with my first two and now with my third. I ultimately made the decision to trust my Dr and not the internet.
I am 7 weeks today and this past week has been extremely awful as far as morning sickness and the excruciating cramps. I literally cannot keep any food or fluids down. And water makes it 10x worst. I’m so thirsty and literally starving but even the sight and smell of food makes me queasy. I’ve been throwing up stomach fluid all day and now I’m on bed rest. I hope this doesn’t last much longer. I’ve actually lost 9 lbs in the past 2 days.
Hopefully you sought medical attention, but for others finding this comment, this is called Hyperemesis Gravidarum. If your morning sickness is this severe, call your doctor.