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When Does Morning Sickness Start

Deepa Kartha
Though morning sickness is closely associated with early pregnancy, not many people know how it starts. Let us give you complete information on when it actually begins.
Morning sickness can be defined as the feeling of nausea and vomiting that most women experience during the initial few weeks of pregnancy. Although the name suggests so, one can experience this anytime in the day. One of the reasons for it to be called so is because it is the highest during the morning hours.
Nevertheless, there have been women who develop this problem even later in the day, sometimes even in the middle of the night. Though the reason for its development is not known clearly, it is believed that it occurs due to the release of certain hormones, which are necessary for the body to handle pregnancy safely.
Factually, almost 80% of women suffer from this problem. Let us try to know more about when does morning sickness normally start and also the reason for its occurrence.

Information and Facts

The beginning of morning sickness may not be same for every woman. However, it usually begins after five to six weeks after the last menstrual period. There have been exceptional cases regarding this where some women experienced it during the 19th week of pregnancy.
However, this is quite a rare occurrence. Though it is a common experience during pregnancy, there have been many cases when women did not have to endure this even for a single day.
Although, some studies show that there is a correlation between lack of morning sickness and miscarriage, this finding cannot be generalized because many women have absolutely normal pregnancies without suffering from this problem even for a single day.

Causes

The exact cause is attributed to the increased secretion of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Apart from this, even the sudden increase of estrogen and progesterone hormones during pregnancy can lead to the occurrence.
Women who have had the problem of nausea and vomiting due to the intake of birth control pills are prone to this. Some women may also experience extreme sensitivity to certain types of foods as well as odors, which can induce the feeling of vomiting as well as nausea.
Along with the nausea and vomiting that occur due to pregnancy, other symptoms that women experience include headache, lightheadedness, breast tenderness, backache, excessive salivation, weakness, frequent urination, swollen breasts, food cravings, constipation, etc.

When Does it End?

Just like the beginning, the end of this phase differs from person to person. Usually, the nausea symptoms stop by 14th or 16th week, i.e., at the end of the first trimester because the hormone levels lower by this time and the fetus begins to develop.
However, some women have to endure this problem throughout their pregnancy. Some suggest that severe morning sickness happens due to the presence of twins or even triplets, but this is not applicable to all cases.

Remedies

Though morning sickness is a common occurrence during pregnancy, it is very discomforting for the soon-to-be mother. Too much of vomiting can cause dehydration and subsequently weight loss which is not good for the baby, and hence, it is necessary to try some remedies to cure the problem.
One of the most effective way of treating it will be to follow a healthy and nutritious diet. Apart from this, certain home remedies like consuming ginger or peppermint can also relieve one from this discomfort.
If you are pregnant and are not experiencing morning sickness or are suffering from an extreme case, do not delay to consult your gynecologist who will find answers to your problems.
Disclaimer: This is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.