The term ‘morning sickness’ is pretty misleading as nausea during pregnancy can strike at any time of the day or night and some women feel sick all day long. 

Although morning sickness can be really unpleasant, it doesn’t put your baby at any increased risk and is usually completely gone by the time you are 20 weeks pregnant. 

Some women are really unlucky and suffer from a severe form of sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) which often requires specialist treatment. 

What causes morning sickness? 

The exact cause of morning sickness is still unknown. Some health professionals believe that it’s a sign of a healthy placenta developing, others think it’s your body reacting to your surging hormones and some research suggests it could be down to a lack of vitamin B6. 

How to Ease Morning Sickness 

1. Get plenty of rest. Tiredness can make nausea much worse.

2. Drink lots of water. Staying hydrated is really important. Try drinking little and often rather than guzzling large amounts.

3. Eat! Some women find that the only way to keep the sickness at bay is to graze all day long. You might find you can only stomach certain foods (bread, crackers and potatoes are common ones). Don’t worry about having such a limited diet for a few weeks, there will be plenty of time in the rest of your pregnancy to eat a varied and healthy diet.

4. Try Ginger. Ginger biscuits have been used to ease morning sickness for generations. Ask your grandma - I bet she used them. This is an old wives tale but experts agree it’s worth a try. Ginger biscuits are full of sugar though so try ginger tea instead. 

5. Keep busy. The more active your mind is, the less likely you are to dwell on your nausea. 

When to Seek Help 

If you are struggling to keep any food or liquid down, you are at risk of becoming dehydrated and malnourished which can have serious health implications for both you and your baby. Seek help if you feel dizzy or faint when standing, have abdominal pain, a fever, have vomited blood or have been unable to keep fluids down for the last 24 hours.