Morning sickness

Many women feel sick or throw up during pregnancy. It’s usually worse during the first 12 week of pregnancy.

What are the symptoms?
Some pregnant women experience changes in taste or find that they can’t eat certain foods or cope with some smells which can lead to nausea and vomiting. But everyone is different – you’ll need to find out what makes you feel sick and try to avoid those things. 

What causes morning sickness?
Hormone levels increase in the first 3 months to help maintain the pregnancy – but these increases can cause women to feel sick or throw up. Most women feel better by 12–16 weeks.

How to cope with morning sickness?

• Eat more often but smaller quantity per meal
• Eat more fruits and vegetables
• Avoid processed and fatty food
• Drink plenty of water 
• Drink ginger water or ginger tea; ginger has natural anti-nausea properties that can reduce your symptoms
• When you can’t stand certain smells, try sniffing fresh scents such as lemon or other scents you find refreshing
• Get plenty of rest
• Avoid foods or smells that make you feel sick

If your nausea and vomiting is severe and doesn’t improve after trying the above tips, your doctor may recommend a short-term course of an anti-sickness medicine, called an antiemetic, that’s safe to use in pregnancy.

When to get medical help?

• If you keep throwing up and you can’t keep any food or water down for 24 hours.
• You are losing weight
• You are going to pee less often than usual.
• You are vomiting and have very dark-coloured urine or have not had a pee in more than 8 hours
• Other symptoms which you think are unusual