Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, often known as morning sickness, is very common in early pregnancy. It can affect you at any time of the day or night or you may feel sick all day long. Morning sickness is unpleasant, and can significantly affect your day-to-day life. But it usually clears up by weeks 16 to 20 of your pregnancy and does not put your baby at any increased risk. There is a chance of developing a severe form of pregnancy sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum. This can be serious, and there's a chance you may not get enough fluids in your body (dehydration) or not get enough nutrients from your diet
(malnourishment). You may need specialist treatment, sometimes in hospital. Sometimes urinary tract infections (UTIs) can also cause nausea and vomiting. A UTI usually affects the bladder, but can spread to the kidneys. Non-urgent advice: Call your midwife, GP or 111 if:you're vomiting and:
Treatments for morning sicknessUnfortunately, there's no hard and fast treatment that will work for everyone’s morning sickness. Every pregnancy will be different. But there are some changes you can make to your diet and daily life to try to ease the symptoms. If these do not work for you or you're having more severe symptoms, your doctor or midwife might recommend medicine. Things you can try yourselfIf your morning sickness is not too bad, your GP or midwife will initially recommend you try some lifestyle changes:
Find out more about vitamins and supplements in pregnancy Anti-sickness medicineIf your nausea and vomiting is severe and does not improve after trying the above lifestyle changes, your GP may recommend a short-term course of an anti-sickness medicine, called an antiemetic, that's safe to use in pregnancy. Often this will be a type of antihistamine, which are usually used to treat allergies but also work as medicines to stop sickness (antiemetic). Antiemetics will usually be given as tablets for you to swallow. But if you cannot keep these down, your doctor may suggest an injection or a type of medicine that's inserted into your bottom (suppository). See your GP if you'd like to talk about getting anti-sickness medication. Risk factors for morning sicknessIt's thought hormonal changes in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy are probably one of the causes of morning sickness. But you may be more at risk of it if:
Visit the pregnancy sickness support site for tips for you and your partner on dealing with morning sickness. Find maternity services near you Sign up for pregnancy emailsSign up for Start4Life's weekly emails for expert advice, videos and tips on pregnancy, birth and beyond. Video: how can I cope with morning sickness?In this video, a midwife gives advice on how to deal with morning sickness during your pregnancy. Media last reviewed: 27 February 2017 FAQ126 Published: May 2020 Last reviewed: December 2021 Copyright 2022 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. All rights reserved. Read copyright and permissions information. This information is designed as an educational aid for the public. It offers current information and opinions related to women's health. It is not intended as a statement of the standard of care. It does not explain all of the proper treatments or methods of care. It is not a substitute for the advice of a physician. Read ACOG’s complete disclaimer. What is good to take for nausea and vomiting while pregnant?Treatments for morning sickness include vitamin B-6 supplements (pyridoxine), ginger and drugs such as doxylamine (Unisom). Continuing symptoms might require prescription anti-nausea medications.
Which medicine is best for vomiting in pregnancy?Metoclopramide is one of the most commonly prescribed medicines for nausea and vomiting. It has been found to be more effective than placebo in the treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum and has not been associated with any significant increase in risk of major congenital malformations or other adverse pregnancy outcomes.
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