Morning sickness usually initiates between 4 to 6 weeks of pregnancy. Some women might get it even at 2 weeks. It is really unpleasant and it is an awful experience that mothers have to go through during their pregnancy period. Around 80% of pregnant women get morning sickness. The severe form of nausea and vomiting, which is known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is quite rare, affecting about 0.3 to 3.6% of pregnant women.
Can Morning Sickness Go Away On Its Own?
Morning sickness goes away on its own in about 14-16 weeks of pregnancy, sometimes it goes away even within 12 weeks and sometimes it can stay more than 20 weeks, possibly throughout the pregnancy. Since, the exact cause is not known and there is no specific treatment of morning sickness. Treatment is just conservative management and treating the dehydration. Treatment is initiated to keep the mother healthy and to give her adequate fluids and nutrition, which is required for the baby’s growth. Any of the treatment done does not cure the morning sickness, the antiemetics can reduce or stop the vomiting. Just conservative treatment is carried out for morning sickness.
For some pregnant women the morning sickness is very mild that it goes away in couple of weeks and does not need any treatment. The disease totally depends on the individual person. There is no way of saying whether that mother will need treatment or if the morning sickness will go away in a couple of weeks.
The important aspect is mother’s comfort and with the morning sickness her quality of life reduces a lot. She might not be able to go to work or do any work at home, look after the other children, or barely get up from the bed. Morning sickness will go away on its own, but conservative treatment is carried out to make her life better.
If you have experienced morning sickness during a pregnancy period you would know how difficult it is to literally throw up everything you eat and staying with the feeling of nausea the whole day. Some women only experience a mild morning sickness, which usually settles at the start of second trimester which in about 3 months on its own.
Most pregnant mother’s morning sickness resolves in about 16-20 weeks of pregnancy. Some pregnant women take more time and unfortunately some women experience morning sickness throughout their pregnancy.
The exact reason for this nausea and vomiting is not known. Believed to be associated with the effects of beta hCG hormone which is produced by the placenta. The level of beta hCG Is directly proportional to the morning sickness, higher beta hCG levels more severe the morning sickness.
Severe morning sickness is associated with the following:
- Multiple pregnancy (twins or higher)
- Molar pregnancy
- A large placenta
- First pregnancy
- Some thyroid disease (hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism)
- Stress, depression and other psychological diseases
- Some viral and bacterial infections (ear infections, urinary tract infections, sinus infections and common cold)
- Active migraine or headache
- Digestive problems such as acid reflux, heartburn, Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis, and gastric ulcers)
- Diabetes of gestational diabetes mellitus
- Obesity
- Helicobacter pylori infection
- High blood pressure
Conclusion
Morning sickness or nausea and vomiting usually initiates between 4 to 6 weeks of pregnancy. Some women might get it even at 2 weeks. It is really unpleasant and it is an awful experience that mothers have to go through during their pregnancy period. Since the exact cause is not known there is not specific treatment of morning sickness.
Treatment is just conservative management and treating the dehydration. Morning sickness goes away on its own in about 14-16 weeks of pregnancy, sometimes it goes away even within 12 weeks and sometimes it can stay more than 20 weeks, possibly throughout the pregnancy. The important aspect is mother’s comfort and her quality of life, because with the morning sickness her quality of life reduces a lot. Morning sickness will go away on its own, but conservative treatment is carried out to make her life better.
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American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). (2021). Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy. Link: https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/morning-sickness-nausea-and-vomiting-of-pregnancy
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Mayo Clinic. (2021). Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy. Link: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/expert-answers/morning-sickness/faq-20450127
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National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). (2019). Morning Sickness. Link: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/morning-sickness-nausea/
Also Read:
- Morning Sickness at Night: Causes, Symptoms, Prevention, Treatment
- Do You Get Morning Sickness With A Boy?
- Does Morning Sickness Feel Like The Flu?
- Is It Bad If I Don’t Get Morning Sickness?
- What Is The Best Medicine For Morning Sickness?
- Can Morning Sickness Just Be An Upset Stomach?
- How To Prevent Morning Sickness?