Self Care Articles

Is this your symptom?

• Main problem is nausea, vomiting, or "morning sickness"
• Nausea and vomiting begin during the 4th-8th week of pregnancy
• Patient is less than 20 weeks pregnant

Key Points

• Nausea and vomiting are common during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. About 80% of pregnant women have nausea. About 50% of pregnant women have vomiting.
• These symptoms are called morning sickness. For some women the symptoms are worse in the mornings. But for many women these symptoms can occur time during the day. Thus, a better term for these symptoms is Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy (NVP).
• Most women with morning sickness can take care of themselves at home.
• Morning sickness does not harm the baby and does not cause birth defects. However, it is important to stay hydrated.

Symptoms

The main symptoms of Morning Sickness are:

• Nausea
• Vomiting

The symptoms typically start around the 4th-8th week of pregnancy. They get worse until the 11th week. The symptoms then start to get better and usually go away by the 20th week of pregnancy.

Usually, there are no other symptoms besides nausea or vomiting. There should be no fever, stomach pain, or vaginal bleeding. If other symptoms are present, then there may be something else causing the nausea and vomiting.

Cause

The cause of morning sickness is not known. It may be from the effects of pregnancy hormones and emotional factors.

Complications

• Dehydration

Vomiting Severity is defined as:

• Mild: 1 - 2 times/day
• Moderate: 3 - 5 times/day
• Severe: 6 or more times/day, vomits everything or nearly everything

What are Signs of Dehydration?

Signs of dehydration include:

• Feeling dizzy
• Dry mouth
• Feeling like fainting
• Very thirsty
• Pale skin
• No urine in more than 12 hours
• Dark yellow urine