When Does Morning Sickness Start And End?

If you took a home pregnancy test with positive results, you might feel equal parts ecstatic and nervous. You likely know that women experience nausea and vomiting pretty early in pregnancy.

So when does morning sickness start and end, and what can you do about it? Read on to find these answers along with causes of the symptom, home remedies, and more.

What Is Morning Sickness?

Morning sickness is nausea and vomiting that pregnant women experience. You may experience both symptoms, but it’s common to feel nauseous by itself.

Despite the name, you may feel nauseous at any time of day or night. Up to 80% of women experience morning sickness, which is why it’s well-known as an early sign of pregnancy. It’s not unusual for women to feel sick before they take a positive pregnancy test.

When Does Morning Sickness Start?

Morning sickness often starts around the sixth week of pregnancy. If you tracked your ovulation to get pregnant, you might notice this is only four weeks post-ovulation. That’s why this unpleasant symptom may occur before some women know they’re pregnant.

If you don’t experience morning sickness by six weeks, you’re certainly not alone. Nausea and vomiting can begin at any time during the first trimester.

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When Does Morning Sickness End?

For many women, morning sickness ends around the 14 week mark of pregnancy. This is right at the end of the first trimester and the beginning of the second. Unfortunately, some women experience morning sickness during the second trimester, too.

Causes Of Morning Sickness

The exact cause of morning sickness is still unknown, but medical experts widely agree on some potential causes. The rise of hormone levels plays a role in nausea and vomiting for many women.

Increased levels of hCG, estrogen, and progesterone are responsible for additional symptoms such as:

• Breast soreness and tenderness
• Fatigue
• Mood changes
• Constipation
• Frequent urination

Like morning sickness, these pregnancy side effects are mild or nonexistent for some women but constantly present for others.

Morning sickness may reduce the chance of pregnancy loss. Medical studies report that women who experience nausea and vomiting are three times less likely to miscarry. This statistic may relate to hormone levels in women who have morning sickness.

How Bad Does Morning Sickness Get?

Moderate to extreme morning sickness does occur, but it may be hyperemesis gravidarum. This condition affects 1% to 2% of pregnancies. Signs of hyperemesis gravidarum are:

• Severe nausea
• Vomiting
• Weight loss
• Dehydration

Treatment for this condition may include antiemetic medication like Zofran to treat nausea. Intravenous rehydration is used in severe cases. Vitamin B1, B6, and folic acid may also be used.

Tips For Relieving Morning Sickness

There’s no miracle cure for morning sickness, but there are plenty of tried and true remedies. What works for some women may not work for others. Try a few options out and see what works for you. 

• Ginger root
• Peppermint
• B-6 and doxylamine (AKA Unisom SleepTabs) – Trials show it’s up to 70 percent effective for treating morning sickness.
• Proper hydration
• Diclegis – This is a brand name prescription version of Vitamin B6 and doxylamine.
• Small and bland snack/meals

If your morning sickness is persistent, make sure to tell your OBGYN about your symptoms.

Are You Still Trying To Conceive?

If you’re trying to conceive, symptoms like morning sickness may be something you wish for. It’s hard to stay patient, and you may wonder how long it takes to get pregnant. Find answers and hope in the Mira Blog trying to conceive section.