When Does Morning Sickness Start: Signs & What to Do
More often than not, morning sickness is one of the very first signs that you’re pregnant.
Lots of women experience this very common symptom during pregnancy.
But when does morning sickness start?
Many moms out there wonder when they should expect this symptom.
Here I’ll be talking about when morning sickness starts and ends, what to do when you have morning sickness, and when to be concerned about it.
Look below to learn more about it!
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When Does Morning Sickness Start
First, let’s answer the question of when morning sickness begins.
Typically morning sickness doesn’t start until about your 6th week of pregnancy.
But every pregnancy and every mom is different!
Some women start to experience nausea after 4 weeks of being pregnant while other women may not notice it until the 8th week of pregnancy.
So, unfortunately, there’s really no definite answer to when this symptom will start for someone.
When Does Morning Sickness Start with a Boy? What About with a Girl?
Lots of times new moms will hear how having a boy or girl will tell you when and how long their morning sickness will last.
But this is just a myth.
The gender of the baby does not determine whether or not your morning sickness will be more severe, how early or late it will start, or even the duration.
Every pregnancy is different and your morning sickness will probably start at different times for each one.
And the gender of the baby has nothing to do with this.
When Does Morning Sickness Start with Twins?
Some people say that with twin pregnancies that morning sickness with start earlier and be more intense since hormones are higher in women who are carrying twins.
But that’s not necessarily true.
This can happen and may increase the likelihood of it happening, but morning sickness can also start at the “normal” 6-week time frame.
Though some women who have carried twins reported that they didn’t experience any nausea at all.
As I said earlier, each pregnancy and every woman is different.
Can Morning Sickness Start a Week 1 of Pregnancy?
Something many women wonder about is, how soon can you notice this symptom.
Can it happen immediately?
Can you experience morning sickness as early as week 1?
Now I suppose it’s possible to experience nausea this early, but it’s pretty uncommon.
Normally the earliest women start to notice morning sickness is shortly before or after they’ve missed their period or during their 4th week of pregnancy.
The cause of morning sickness is not totally known, but many speculate that it could be caused by the increase of hormones during pregnancy which begins producing soon after conception.
But I know some women swore that their morning sickness started very early (before week 4 of pregnancy).
When Does Morning Sickness Start to Fade?
Normally near the end of your 1st trimester or at the beginning of your 2nd trimester, your morning sickness should start to ease up or even be gone.
Though some moms can experience nausea even longer.
Morning sickness can last through your 2nd trimester or even your entire pregnancy.
This of course all depends on the woman and pregnancy.
What Does Pregnancy Nausea Feel Like?
When you have pregnancy nausea, better known as, morning sickness, you basically just feel sick and nauseous.
This can be with or without vomiting.
Morning sickness can begin gradually or it could come at you all at once.
Nausea can sometimes get so bad that you won’t even want to eat.
I remember being so nauseated that all I could do was lay down.
Couldn’t eat or anything.
And this feeling lasted all day, every day, non-stop.
But for others, morning sickness will come and go and may only last for a couple of hours at a time.
Signs of morning sickness you can expect include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Food Aversions
- Feeling Nauseous From Certain Smells
- Motion Sickness (feeling nauseated from motion)
So morning sickness feels similar to being sick but without having any type of cold or flu.
Is No Morning Sickness at 6 Weeks Normal?
Once you hear that morning sickness normally doesn’t start until 6 weeks, you may start to worry if you’re not feeling it when you’re 6 weeks pregnant.
But remember, just because it normally starts at 6 weeks does not mean it is gonna start then.
So don’t worry if you’re not noticing morning sickness when you’re 6 weeks pregnant.
It’s okay (and actually pretty normal)!
With my first pregnancy, I started feeling sick at week 4 while with my second I didn’t start feeling sick until about my 7th week of pregnancy.
Like I said before, all pregnancies are different.
So don’t be too worried if you’re not noticing any morning sickness signs during the “typical” week.
Does Everyone Get Morning Sickness?
No, not everyone gets morning sickness.
Some women go through their whole pregnancy without having any symptoms of it!
Unfortunately, though, lots of women do have to deal with this terrible pregnancy symptom.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, “More than 50% of pregnant women experience morning sickness”.
What Can I Do to Help with Morning Sickness?
Once morning sickness starts you’ll probably be trying to find anything to make it stop!
Or at least a way to help relieve it.
Morning sickness can be really difficult to deal with, especially if you have work or other little ones to take care of.
Here are some natural morning sickness remedies you can try below.
Ginger
Ginger is a very common spice to use when you have nausea.
You can try ginger tea or ginger candies to help with your morning sickness.
Lemons
Lemons are another way to help relieve morning sickness.
My favorite way was to squeeze the lemon juice into a cup and mix it with water and sweetener.
Bland Foods
Remember when you were a kid and had to eat the brat diet when you were sick?
Well, this is basically the same concept.
Some ideas of bland foods you can eat are:
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Toast
- Bananas
- Applesauce
Popsicles
My favorite thing that helped me with my morning sickness was popsicles!
I would recommend sticking to fruit ones though.
Eat Small Frequent Meals
Eating too much food can make you feel even sicker.
But having an empty belly can also trigger nausea.
It’s commonly suggested that women with morning sickness eat small but frequent meals.
This can help keep the morning sickness more at bay.
When Should I Be Concerned About Morning Sickness
Morning sickness can be really rough for a lot of women but is normally nothing to worry about.
But some women experience very severe symptoms of morning sickness from a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum.
MedlinePlus describes hyperemesis gravidarum as an, “Extreme, persistent nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. It can lead to dehydration, weight loss, and electrolyte imbalances.”
Some of the symptoms of hyperemesis gravidarum include but are not limited to:
- Not being able to keep food or drinks down
- Little to no urine
- Blood in vomit
- Confusion
If you have any one or more of these symptoms go to the hospital or get a hold of your doctor as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Morning sickness is said not to start until week 6.
But like I’ve mentioned above, it will vary from mom to mom and pregnancy to pregnancy.
Morning sickness can start at any time during the first trimester!
But there are some women who may not experience nausea at all during pregnancy.
As for when morning sickness will start to go away, that answer is also not so straightforward.
You could have morning sickness as short as 12 weeks or as long as 40 weeks.
But if you do start noticing signs of morning sickness, be sure to take care of yourself and try out some of the remedies listed above.
And if you are having a really hard time with morning sickness and are experiencing any of the warning signs that were mentioned earlier, then see a medical professional as soon as possible.
Other Posts You May Like:
11 Must-Do Things After You Find Out You’re Pregnant
100+ Adorable Pregnancy Announcement Quotes
+18 Fun Ways to Announce Your Pregnancy
13 of the Best Pregnancy Journals for New Moms
When did morning sickness start for you during pregnancy? Did it change for every pregnancy? Tell me about it below in the comments! And if you liked this post, give it a share. Thanks!