About three in four pregnant women will get morning sickness during their first trimester. For some, nausea is worse in the morning and eases off during the day – hence the name ‘morning sickness’. But nausea can strike at any time.
Morning sickness usually starts around 4 weeks and tapers off as the second trimester begins. But, for some unlucky ones, nausea can continue for the whole length of pregnancy.
Morning sickness can put a dampener on the beautiful experience of being pregnant. In everyday terms, it might also mean having to take extra leave from work, added stress or not being able to look after your other children properly.
This brochure is designed to give you some practical information about morning sickness and offer some helpful suggestions on how it can be managed.
Signs of morning sickness
If you’re a pregnant woman with morning sickness then you’ll probably already know it. The symptoms are fairly obvious.They can include:
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Psychological effects, such as depression and anxiety.
About one in 1,000 pregnant women suffer from severe morning sickness, known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). The symptoms of HG include repeated vomiting, weight loss and dehydration. Treatment usually involves hospitalisation and taking intravenous liquids and nutrition.