Morning sickness

What causes morning sickness?

It’s thought that morning sickness happens because of the changes in your body, which can include higher levels of a hormone called oestrogen and a more sensitive sense of smell. It could even be set off by your emotional state or stress levels – so make sure you give yourself plenty of ‘me’ time!

Although morning sickness can be distressing, if you make sure you eat and drink it won’t harm your baby. If you find you can’t hold down your food or drink at all, or completely lose your appetite, then give your midwife or doctor a call and they’ll be able to help.

How long will it last for?

In most cases morning sickness stops by the end of the first trimester. However, queasiness can come and go throughout pregnancy - all it needs is something like a particular smell you find unpleasant to start things off. Exactly what it is that starts the nausea off does tend to vary quite a lot from person to person.

Are there any cures for morning sickness?

Here are some tried and tested remedies for morning sickness:

• Eat something plain and dry as soon as you wake up – ginger biscuits or crackers are perfect. Then if you can, rest for 20-30 minutes before getting out of bed.
• During the rest of the day try and eat little and often – a couple of bites are better than nothing. Keep snacks on hand like dry biscuits or yoghurt.
• Foods high in protein or carbohydrates can help fight that sickness feeling, so try combining the two by eating a well cooked egg on toast. 
• Drink lots of fluid – water, juice, milk, fruit teas, whatever you can stomach. Ginger ale or ginger tea is worth a try as it can settle your stomach and stop your morning sickness.
• Make sure you relax and take the stress out of your day! Talking with other mums-to-be who’ve experienced the same problem can be very useful.