Morning sickness is one of the most common tell-tale signs of early pregnancy, with at least 70% of women experiencing it in the first trimester.
Despite its name, some women only get sick at night, while some are sick all day long. And not everyone actually vomits, but experience nauseousness and queasiness instead.
Morning sickness usually starts at about six weeks of pregnancy and peaks around nine weeks. It generally disappears between weeks 16 and 20.
13 tips for dealing with morning sickness
There's no cure for morning sickness, but there are some lifestyle changes and foods you can try to ease the symptoms.
- Eat little and often and opt for foods that are high in carbohydrate and low in fat (such as bread, rice, crackers and pasta) - and carry a supply of plain snacks in your handbag
- Try something like dry toast or a plain biscuit before you get out of bed
- Get plenty of rest (tiredness can make nausea worse)
- Avoid foods or smells that make you feel sick
- Eat cold foods rather than hot ones if the smell of hot meals makes you feel sick
- Consume ginger as tea, sweets or biscuits
- Drink plenty of water
- Suck on sour sweets
- Try acupressure – putting pressure on your wrist, using a special band or bracelet, may help relieve the symptoms
- Sniff a fresh scent like lemon
- Try some light exercise
- Suck peppermint candies
- If your nausea and vomiting is severe and does not improve after trying the above, your doctor may recommend a short-term course of an anti-sickness medicine that's safe to use in pregnancy. If you can't even keep medication down, your doctor might suggest an injection or suppository.
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