In this article, we’ll go into the responses I have given to women to try to alleviate some of the uncertainty experienced due to the unknowns of morning sickness. It is that uncertainty that can be the hardest to deal with when we’re talking about morning sickness. At times, my responses involve situations that have happened to me personally.

“How early in the morning is my morning sickness supposed to start?”

I’m sorry to say, but there is no time that is right for all women. It can start at anytime in the morning hours, including hours before the sun is even up and most people aren’t awake yet. It has been suggested that women eat some protein before they even get up in the morning because it can help to quell the nausea and vomiting.

I know that’s not what you want to hear, but it should give you some piece of mind. It means that you can’t be wrong, no matter when your symptoms start in the morning. There is not an exact science when it comes to this condition, so take comfort in the fact that symptoms that occur anytime of the day are probably normal and nothing to worry about.

“Is it normal to feel nauseated every time my husband cooks dinner?”

I’d like to give this one a big “yes”. The reason I feel it is normal is because it is the way I felt when I was pregnant with my first daughter. It didn’t matter what he cooked, I just couldn’t stand the smell of it. Because I couldn’t stand the smell of this food cooking, he had to eat all of his meals in the bedroom, which I’m sure didn’t bother him a bit.

He couldn’t even cook the food in our apartment. I’d make him go from cooking on the grill directly into the bedroom to eat. He’d also have to put any fast food into air tight containers before walking through our apartment, so the smell wouldn’t escape.

Honestly, anything you are feeling, especially when it comes to sensitivities to smells, is normal. There is no food that is any more or any less normal to be nauseated by than any other. If it bothers you, then it’s normal for you.

This is the first in a series of articles that I will be posting from time to time to help ease the minds of any of you pregnant women that happen to read them. Also, if any men happen to stumble on these articles, I hope you’ll be comforted knowing that what your wives are going through is perfectly normal, and is not some personal attack on you.

Often times women who experience pregnancy nausea at night think that something is wrong, so they either make an appointment with their doctor, or the make a trip to the hospital. There is nothing wrong with being sure, but if you have symptoms of nausea and vomiting at night, it’s probably just morning sickness that you are experiencing.

As with morning sickness that happens in the morning, night-time symptoms can start anytime during the pregnancy. I’ve had discussions with women who have had them in their first week, as well as into their 24th week. There is no set timeline for these symptoms to begin. So, if you are entering your 24th week, and you start to get nauseated and being vomiting in the night-time hours, it could just be a case of morning sickness.

That is one of the most frustrating things about this condition. There are no specifics. Some women experience the symptoms… some don’t. Some women get it in the first week… some women don’t experience any symptoms until their third trimester. Some women are done with it once they move into their second trimester… some women are nauseated and vomiting right up until their baby is born. Some have it the worst in the morning… and some are up all night with it.

Based on all of the uncertainties, it is understandable to come to the conclusion that something is wrong. I’m here to tell you that we’ve all been through it. We’ve all made that call to the doctor late at night because we think things aren’t right. We’ve all experienced the embarrassment when the doctor calls us back and assures us that whatever we are feeling is totally normal.

So, if you are experiencing pregnancy nausea at night, there is probably nothing wrong. If it makes you feel any better, call your doctor. When she tells you that it is perfectly normal to feel the effects of morning sickness at night, you can say, “That Mia Anderson sure knew what she was talking about.” At least that’s what I hope you will say.

Now, try to get some sleep. It might help if you check out some of the relief tips I’ve given in this article on Morning Sickness Relief.

What’s the difference between this plain old morning sickness? The difference between mild and moderate morning sickness is just the degree of which you have it. The difference between moderate morning sickness and hyperemesis gravidarum is quite pronounced.

With hyperemesis gravidarum, nausea is a persistent force; it’s like you are in a constant state of nausea. Every little smell causes you to become nauseated. Even seemingly harmless scents seem to set your nausea on full blast.

With this condition, vomiting is extremely severe. It can sometimes feel like the vomiting won’t ever stop. It gets so bad that you aren’t able to keep and food or fluids down.

That’s where hyperemesis gravidarum becomes dangerous: dehydration. All of that vomiting causes dehydration, which carries with the symptoms like headaches, fainting, decreased urine output, and confusion.

This isn’t like typical morning sickness that might start four to six weeks into your pregnancy and end around the beginning of your second trimester. Hyperemesis gravidarum begins early and like to stick around longer than the second trimester. Sometimes women continue to be sick up until the birth of their child.

The cause is believed to be a pregnant woman’s body reacting to the surge in hormones, although there is not definitive proof.

There are treatments for typical morning sickness that a woman diagnosed with this condition might try, like herbs, acupressure, and acupuncture. Chances are, a woman will not find much relief because her symptoms are so severe.

In those cases where relief isn’t found using typical methods, and if the hyperemesis gravidarum is severe enough, she may need to be hospitalized. When this happens, she will probably receive intravenous fluids and potentially tube feedings.

Because restoring fluids, nutrition, electrolytes, and vitamins is important for a mother, as well as her unborn child, she must get to her doctor as soon as possible for a diagnosis and treatment if hyperemesis gravidarum is suspected.

That bullet can come back around later in your pregnancy. Nausea and vomiting in the third trimester is entirely possible. Is it likely? Probably not… but don’t rule it out.

Women who get sick in their third trimester usually think something is wrong with their baby. A trip to the doctor will probably confirm it’s just a late case of morning sickness. Foods that didn’t make them sick in the first trimester make them run for the toilet now with the slightest whiff.

Just as with morning sickness that occurs early in the pregnancy, no one is quite sure what causes it. There are theories of increased hormones, what kind of baby you’re having (boy vs girl, twins vs. single birth, etc.), no vomiting when taking birth control pills, and bacteria (helicobacter pylori.)

The baby’s size in the third trimester is large enough where it can cause the uterus to press on the stomach. Consequently, when you eat, this interaction between the two can cause a pregnant mother to become nauseated. Eating smaller meals more often throughout the day should help keep the feelings of nausea down.

These aren’t meant to scare you – they are just theories. Each one of these could apply to you and you still wouldn’t have any morning sickness going into your third trimester.

Even though the cause isn’t known exactly, there are treatments that would still benefit you in your third trimester.

Acupuncture and acupressure are still an option. If you have more moderate nausea and vomiting, then acupuncture would be the way to go. If your symptoms are on the mild side, then acupressure is still a viable approach… and one you can perform on yourself.

Herbal remedies, like ginger, are definite options for keeping the nausea and vomiting at bay.

Not sure about what’s going on with your pregnancy? The nausea and vomiting in the third trimester can be a sign of something more serious.

Hyperemesis gravidarum is severe morning sickness. The vomiting with this condition can last all day. What makes hyperemesis gravidarum so dangerous is the potential for dehydration. Some women who have been diagnosed with it have to have fluids intravenously administered because they just can’t keep the fluids in their bodies. It isn’t a condition a woman should try to treat herself; if this condition is suspected, a doctor’s care is needed right away.

If you’ve made it through two trimesters of your pregnancy, and nausea and vomiting haven’t really affected you much, you’re lucky. There is always the possibility that it could start in the third trimester, so don’t celebrate just yet. No matter when your morning sickness starts, there are methods of relief. Explore all of your options so you can enjoy every moment of your pregnancy.

If you are one of the unlucky 88 percent who experiences morning sickness, you may be lucky enough to only experience it in the morning. For many women, the vomiting continues on well past noon. That’s probably because a lot of the sickness is triggered by external stimuli, like smells and tastes.

How long do the morning sickness suffers have to endure this condition? The nausea and vomiting persists through their first trimester, with 50 percent completely symptom-free by 14 weeks. The other 50 percent – not so lucky!

There are some pregnant women who have it even worse because the vomiting is so bad, and lasts so long, that they lose a lot of weight (more than 5% of their body weight) and become dehydrated. These women have hyperemesis gravidarum, which is just a fancy medical term for extreme morning sickness.

The women who have this condition during their pregnancy have to seek medical advice, and sometimes need to be hospitalized because they can’t keep any food or liquids down. Unfortunately, as with mild to moderate morning sickness, hyperemesis gravidarum can continue up until the baby is born. This condition should be taken seriously, and should not be treated by the woman herself.

There are plenty of theories of what causes morning sickness, but no hard evidence of its true cause. To date, a cure has not been found, but there are plenty of ways to treat the symptoms.

The first way to stop the vomiting is to avoid scents and eating foods that cause it. Simple, right? You’d think so, but a woman never knows what’s going to trigger the response, so it’s hard for her to avoid what she doesn’t know. As she works through her first trimester, taking note of the triggers will help.

Another difficult thing about avoiding the triggers is being able to avoid them 24/7. If the affected pregnant woman has no plans to leave the house at all during her pregnancy… she’s golden. But, if like most women, she has to get out and take care of things in her life… it’s not so easy.

A pregnant woman has a better chance of controlling the vomiting and nausea of pregnancy by treating her symptoms, not avoiding them. Most treatments can seem a little unconventional to most women. This is only because they haven’t had to use them before.

A treatment that seems the most bizarre to women is acupuncture. It’s basically treating morning sickness with needles. These aren’t needles like a doctor uses to give you shots. These needles are like long flexible pins that are inserted into the skin.

It also doesn’t hurt like most people think. The pain is different for everyone, but it’s like a deep pressure at the point of insertion. For other treatments, see this article I wrote on morning sickness relief (link to other article).

If you haven’t experienced morning sickness yet, and you’re in your first trimester, chances are, you will (statistically speaking.) Try to avoid the triggers and explore your options as far as treatment goes. You’ll have a much happier pregnancy if you do.

The length of time of a pregnant woman’s morning sickness can also vary. Most women are finished by the end of their first trimester, and some don’t stop until their baby is born.

These women who get nauseated and vomit for the duration of their pregnancy need to take note because their situation can become extremely dangerous for them. Hyperemesis gravidarum is a condition suffered by one in three hundred pregnant women. Even though this is also known as extreme morning sickness, these pregnant women don’t just vomit in the morning; in these cases, they vomit all day long.

If a woman is experiencing weight loss (more than 5%), and signs of dehydration (extreme fatigue, decreased urination, muscle cramps, headaches), she should consult a physician immediately. But don’t those symptoms sound a lot like the symptoms of pregnancy? They do, but combined with the weight loss, she should get to a doctor.

For any of those women suffering from mild to moderate symptoms, there are options they can explore to relieve them.

Medication is the first option, and it can be prescribed by her doctor. It used to be called Benedictin, which is a combination of the vitamin B6 and doxylamine. The manufacturer stopped producing it because it was thought to cause birth defects in babies.

Don’t think medication is the right thing for you? Why not try an unconventional treatment called acupuncture.

Acupuncture is one of the most effective alternative treatments in fighting the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Acupuncture is considered “alternative” because it is practiced by those who study Eastern medicine philosophy.

It isn’t a form of treatment that’s currently endorsed by the American Medical Association (AMA), but the benefits of it treating pain and sickness are slowly becoming accepted.

In an acupuncture session, the acupuncturist will ask you questions about your symptoms, what you’ve done so far to help them. She will also give you a brief lesson (and perhaps history) on acupuncture, so you know what she will be doing with the needles.

At that point, she will have you lie down. Depending on where she needs to place the needles, you may have to remove your clothes. Think of it like a massage, with needles. Of course, there is a sheet to cover the needle-free parts so you stay warm. Sometimes, the acupuncturist will have a heat lamp available to also keep you warm.

There is only a little pain when the needles are inserted into your skin. The sensation that moves throughout your body is hard to describe because it’s different for everyone, but it can feel very good.

Don’t like needles? Then you might be better off trying acupressure, which is acupuncture, without the inserting needles into your skin. It works by applying continuous pressure to points similar to those where you’d have needles inserted.

Because your pregnancy nausea can start as early as the first week of your pregnancy, and can continue all the way through until your baby is born, it’s a good idea to seek treatment as soon as possible. Whether you decide to go with medication, acupuncture, or acupressure, just make sure you try something to relieve your morning sickness symptoms because a pregnancy is a time to enjoy, not a time to be sick.

Now turn your attention to the pink elephant in the room – morning sickness. Seeking relief for the inevitable vomiting and nausea for a happy pregnancy should happen sooner, rather than later. The more you learn up front about what you are going to experience during morning sickness, and how to combat it, the better off you will be.

First off, the term “morning sickness” is kind of misleading. Yes, many women experience their worst symptoms in the morning. That also leaves many pregnant women to suffer the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy throughout their day. This will continue on until the end of the first trimester, or approximately 12 to 14 weeks.

Of course, not all pregnancies are the same, so some women will continue to endure morning sickness longer than the 14 weeks. Some women will also suffer hyperemesis gravidarum, which is the worst kind of morning sickness because the nausea and vomiting are relentless. It can get so bad that a pregnant woman will lose weight and become dehydrated. This condition can last until the baby is born, so it’s something that requires medical supervision.

For those women with mild to moderate symptoms of morning sickness, there are treatments available. For quick, yet inconvenient, relief, pay attention to the signs your body is giving you. The smells and tastes that trigger your nausea and vomit reflex must be avoided as much as possible. The reason it’s inconvenient is because you can’t avoid life all together.

In other words, don’t make your husband eat all of his meals in the bedroom because the food he eats makes you want to vomit. This is for a couple of reasons. One, because he won’t appreciate you for making him do it (I’m speaking from experience – they really don’t like you doing this to them). It’s a lot easier to get sympathy from people if you don’t make unreasonable requests. The second reason is because you can’t stay isolated throughout your whole pregnancy, so you have to deal with methods of combating the morning sickness.

Depending on your comfort level with varying forms of treatments, you can go one of two ways. You can go the conventional route (Western medicine), which means visiting your doctor and having him prescribe a combination of medications that can lessen your nausea and vomiting.

The Eastern medicine philosophy involves acupuncture, acupressure, and herbal remedies. Acupuncture uses needles placed strategically into the skin at varying depths. It is believed to be one of the most effective forms of relief in combating morning sickness symptoms. Acupressure is like acupuncture, but you don’t have to have the needles stuck into your skin. The herbal remedies are things like ginger roots that can be eaten or used in juices.

Pregnancy is one of the most rewarding experiences a woman can have. Don’t let the symptoms of morning sickness ruin for you. Do yourself a favor, whether it’s through conventional or unconventional treatments, seek relief from vomiting and nausea for the happiest pregnancy possible.

You get the idea, so I don’t think I need to go any further with that. Pregnancy is a miraculous event in a woman’s life. To be able to carry a child for nine months inside of you is amazing. But I’ll be honest with you. It has its downsides, too.

I’m sure you’ve heard of morning sickness. By its name you probably think you’ll only experience the nausea and vomiting in the morning. Luckily, a lot of women do experience the symptoms of morning sickness the worst in the morning. Unfortunately, some experience it all day.

If you are one of the 50 percent of lucky pregnant women, your morning sickness will only last about 14 weeks. Lucky if it lasts 14 weeks? What kind of joke is this? I know, it sounds like a long time, but it could be worse. Some women have nausea and vomiting that lasts through their whole pregnancy.

When this happens, it is a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum, also known as “extreme morning sickness”. A pregnant woman with this condition loses more than 5 percent of her pregnancy body weight and shows signs of dehydration. The dehydration occurs because the vomiting doesn’t just happen in the morning. It continues on through the day. Day after day… after day… after day. For this condition, it is best to seek medical help as quickly as you can because the dehydration is bad for you and your unborn child.

For those of you who will suffer through mild to moderate morning sickness, there are treatments available to help you get through it. Before considering any treatment options, the first thing you should do is talk with your physician. Make sure your pregnancy is progressing as it should.

If your physician recommends it, there is medication that’s available to help with the nausea and vomiting. If you are fearful of the complications the medicine can cause to your unborn child, there are alternatives.

You have such choices as acupuncture, which is the placement of needles in strategic areas on your body. It is typically done by an Acupuncturist in an office setting, and is often covered by insurance (depending on the insurance plan you have). You can also have acupressure, which is acupuncture without using needles. An Acupuncturist can also perform this treatment, but a pregnant mother can also perform it on herself.

If you don’t like the idea of needles or pressure being applied to your body, you should consider herbal remedies, such as ginger root, cabbage (yes, cabbage), and raspberry tea. These treatments won’t work the same for everyone, so the best method for finding your relief is to try everything and see what works best for you.

There are cases, however, where the nausea and vomiting are so extreme, that pregnant women are not able (and should not) to treat it on their own. The condition of severe and excessive nausea and vomiting (vomiting periodically throughout the day, not just in the morning) associated with pregnancy is called hyperemesis gravidarum.

Approximately one out of every three hundred pregnant women is afflicted with this condition. The diagnosis is usually made after the doctor has ruled out other medical conditions such as liver problems; gastrointestinal disorders such as ulcers, appendicitis, and food poisoning; preeclampsia; migraine headaches; metabolic disorders like hyperthyroidism, diabetic ketoacidosis, and Addison’s disease; or taking too much of certain medications.

The combined weight loss of approximately 5 percent of a pregnant woman’s body weight and signs of dehydration, as well as ruling out the medical conditions listed above, will probably lead a doctor to the diagnosis of hyperemesis gravidarum.

A pregnant woman’s weight loss shouldn’t be the biggest concern. Weight loss can be common during the first trimester of pregnancy. How much a woman loses will determine if it’s a problem. The real concern for a pregnant woman is dehydration.

60 to 70 percent of the human body is composed of water. It plays an important role in almost every body process, from digestion to thinking. Dehydration means you’re depleting your body of something that’s essential for it to run properly.

Water aids in the digestion of food. When a pregnant woman becomes dehydrated, she can actually think she’s going into labor. A condition called dyspepsia (stomach pains at regular intervals, like labor) has caused many women to go to the hospital mistakenly, only to find out they were dehydrated, and not going into labor.

Water also helps with brain function. It serves as a delivery system for neurotransmitters, which helps your central nervous system feel pain. Dehydration actually causes this delivery system to thicken and slow down, effectively making it harder for your central nervous system to function properly.

Dehydration can also lead to a weakened immune system, which, as you know, is what helps you fight against diseases. Because water is found in your lymph, and lymph is the fluid of your immune system that is tasked with fighting illness, dehydration causes your lymph to weaken and let in illness.

As you can see, vomiting associated with morning sickness leads to dehydration in pregnancy. Dehydration is dangerous to a woman and her unborn child because it can lead to such things as loss of central nervous system function, stomach pains that mimic labor pains, and increased illness. If you have any signs of dehydration, you should seek the advice of your doctor right away.

First, if you are suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, or extreme morning sickness, you should see a doctor. The all-day nausea and vomiting of this condition is so extreme that it leads to a 5 percent body weight loss and dehydration. The dehydration is something you especially don’t want to mess with when you’re pregnant; it not only hurts you, but also your unborn child. That’s why, if you have this condition, or suspect that you do, you shouldn’t try to treat it yourself; a doctor should be consulted to see what your best options are.

For less extreme forms of morning sickness, relief can be found through various treatments, some conventional, and some unconventional. The first thing you should do is take notes of the triggers of your nausea and vomiting. Every woman is different (obviously), and every pregnancy is different.

Just because one woman throws up when she catches a hint of a man’s cologne, doesn’t mean that a different pregnant woman will do the same. And just because a woman vomited consistently when she tasted warm meat during her first pregnancy, doesn’t mean she will during her next one.

If you can pay close attention to the various smells, tastes, and even sights (yes, some women can be affected by such things as different lighting) that cause you to vomit (or even give you the urge), you’ll be much better off in fighting your morning sickness. Relief can come for you just by avoiding those triggers as much as possible.

If you are one of the women who is fortunate enough to be able to avoid your triggers at all times, then congratulations. This is going to be easy for you. For the majority of women, however, functioning in society will get in your way. Things like work, school, and taking care of other kids will make it impossible for most women to avoid all of their triggers. In these cases, there are other options.

One of the conventional forms of treatment is medication. Medication is usually only prescribed by your doctor if your morning sickness is bad enough to cause harm to you or your unborn child. The most common medication doctors prescribe is a combination of vitamin B6 and doxylamine.

The vitamin B6 and doxylamine used to be in a single form called Benedictin (also know as Diclectin) that was prescribed by doctors until enough lawsuits against the pharmaceutical company forced them to stop manufacturing it. It was never proven to cause any birth defects in children, but the bad press was too much for them to keep manufacturing it.

Because of the fear of what it might do to their unborn child, many women are hesitant to take medications. For these women, there are alternative methods to treating the symptoms of morning sickness.

Acupuncture is one such form of treatment. It involves placing needles in designated areas throughout the body that are known to stop feelings of nausea. A licensed Acupuncturist should perform this treatment because they know the correct placement of needles to give relief.

Acupressure is another form of treatment. It works in a similar way to acupuncture, but no needles are used. This treatment is for less severe cases of morning sickness.

Many women also find relief for their morning sickness through herbal remedies. Teas, roots, etc. have been shown to help with the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.

The best way to find a treatment that will work for you, whether it’s medication, acupuncture, acupressure, or herbal remedies, is to try them all.