Morning sickness is common in pregnancy, although the severity and timing of these symptoms vary from one woman to the next. If you are experiencing nausea and vomiting, then it might be helpful to learn about morning sickness statistics week by week to know when you can expect thesymptoms to subside.
Common Symptoms: Morning Sickness in Pregnancy
Morning sickness is characterized by nausea and vomiting, with some women also experiencing aversions to certain foods. For example, some women find that nausea increases when eating certain types of foods or encountering certain smells. The particular trigger is unique for each woman.
Even though the name implies that these symptoms happen in the early part of the day, morning sickness can be experienced at any time – day or night.
Doctors have suggested that morning sickness is caused by hormonal changes. During pregnancy, the body produces a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin. These changing hormones could increase the symptoms of nausea and vomiting. Additional research is needed to determine the exact cause of these symptoms in pregnancy.
Morning sickness can be uncomfortable, but it is not dangerous for most women. At the peak of morning sickness, a woman might need to take it easy to manage the symptoms because nausea and vomiting are slightly more frequent.
Complications of Morning Sickness
In rare cases, women have hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), which is an extreme form of morning sickness. This condition causes severe vomiting and nausea during pregnancy and can lead to complications due to dehydration and the inability to eat or drink.
Morning sickness symptoms are mild. HG is different because of the severity, frequency, and timing during pregnancy. HG is characterized by these symptoms:
- Severe vomiting
- Nausea doesn’t subside
- Vomiting and nausea leads to dehydration
- Losing more than 5% (or 10 pounds) of body weight because of vomiting
- Feeling dizzy and lightheaded
- Symptoms that last beyond the first trimester, and sometimes through the entire pregnancy
When HG is left untreated, it can lead to poor weight gain and serious dehydration issues during pregnancy. If you are vomiting frequently throughout the day and find it difficult to eat or drink, then it is important that you talk to a doctor about your symptoms.
Morning Sickness Statistics Week by Week
When does morning sickness start and end? For most women, morning sickness starts in the first trimester and peaks in the early part of pregnancy. Here is an overview of morning sickness statistics week by week:
- Weeks 1 to 6: In the earliest weeks of pregnancy, it’s almost unheard of for a woman to experience morning sickness symptoms. Often, women aren’t aware of their pregnancy at this point.
- Weeks 7: The beginning symptoms of morning sickness might set in around week seven or eight. But this early onset of morning sickness doesn’t happen for all women.
- Week 8 to 9: The peak of morning sickness varies for each woman, but many people experience a morning sickness peak at 8 weeks.
- Week 14: By week 14, most pregnant women experience morning sickness at this point.
- Week 16: As the first trimester is coming to an end, it is common for the morning sickness symptoms to subside.
- Late Pregnancy: Even though morning sickness goes away for most women during the second trimester, some women experience late-pregnancy nausea. As the baby grows bigger in the third trimester, it can put pressure on your intestines and stomach, causing nausea.
What weeks is morning sickness the worst? For most women, the symptoms are most severe between weeks 7 and 14. But each person is unique, so the severity of these symptoms can change from one patient to the next. Some women find that their morning sickness changes from pregnancy to pregnancy as well.
Morning Sickness Statistics
Here are a few interesting statistics about morning sickness:
- An estimated 80% of women experience nausea and vomiting in the first trimester
- About 10 percent of women experience nausea and vomiting through the entire pregnancy
- Some women experience nausea daily, which other women have intermittent nausea
- Talk to your doctor if your morning sickness subsides suddenly in the first trimester. For example, if your morning sickness suddenly stopped at 7 weeks, it doesn’t necessarily mean that something is wrong with your baby – but it’s smart to consult with a medical expert.
- Morning sickness is not a sign of a healthy or unhealthy pregnancy. Just because you aren’t experiencing morning sickness doesn’t mean that you will have a miscarriage.
Tips for Managing Morning Sickness
If you are in the high percentage of women who experience morning sickness, rest assured knowing that there are things you can do to manage the symptoms. If a patient talks to a doctor about their health, then nausea medication might be recommended. If you don’t want to use a prescription, then you might consider other natural morning sickness remedies and resources to control nausea and vomiting:
Acupuncture: This alternative health treatment uses needles on specific pressure points, which might help to reduce the severity of morning sickness. Another option is acupressure, using pressure on the points instead of needles. It’s important to choose an experienced provider since improper use of acupuncture could trigger early contractions or labor.
- Hydration: Be proactive in staying hydrated, because poor hydration could increase nausea. Dehydration is a risk if you are vomiting. If you are having a hard time drinking water, try sipping on soda water, lemon water, or ginger ale. Be careful to stay away from artificial sweeteners, which aren’t recommended during pregnancy.
- Eat More Often: Pregnant women often find that an empty stomach exacerbates morning sickness symptoms. Try eating small, frequent meals throughout the day. If you need a snack between meals, crackers can help to curb the symptoms if you start to feel nausea.
- Tea and Broth: A cup of herbal tea can calm your stomach and reduce the symptoms of morning sickness. Find the herbal tea that works best for your unique needs. Common options include peppermint, lemon, red raspberry, spearmint, and chamomile. Bone-broth soup can be a good way to boost hydration while also getting a good source of protein.
- Supplements: Certain supplements can reduce the severity of morning sickness symptoms. For example, many women find ginger an effective way to manage nausea. Ginger can be used in a tea, lozenge, capsules, or in a supplement drink. At Hana Tonic, our proprietary blend includes ginger to help manage nausea.
- Frozen or Cold Food: If you are struggling with the smell of certain hot foods, trying using cold, fresh foods. The temperature can help by reducing nausea, and you can give yourself a boost of nutrition and hydration at the same time. For example, try eating real-fruit popsicles or cold watermelon.
- Avoid Certain Foods: Pay attention to your triggers so you know which foods to avoid. It is common for pregnant women to experience nausea or vomiting after eating fried or greasy foods, spicy ingredients, caffeine, or anything with a strong odor.
At Hana Tonic, we’ve developed a delicious and effective blend of nausea-busting ingredients: ginger, lemon, B-Vitamins, cayenne, and pineapple. Our product is an easy-to-take liquid shot you can take with you anywhere to keep nausea at bay.