Learn what a typical Pregnancy, nausea prognosis is at Consumer Reports Health.

Pregnancy, nausea

What will happen to me?

It's normal to feel sick to your stomach and throw up in early pregnancy. In fact, many women view these symptoms as signs that their pregnancy is probably healthy.

Research shows they're right to think this. A review of more than 15,000 pregnant women found that those who had morning sickness were less likely to have a

miscarriage
A miscarriage is when something happens during a pregnancy so that the fetus does not survive.

miscarriage.

Source:
Weigel RM, Weigel MM.
Nausea and vomiting of early pregnancy and pregnancy outcome: a meta-analytical review.
British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 1989; 96: 1312-1318.

Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy can make life miserable for a while, and it can affect how much you can do.

Source:
Attard CL, Kohli MA, Coleman S et al
The burden of illness of severe nausea and vomiting of pregnancy in the United States.
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2002;186(5 Suppl Understanding):Sp.220-227.

² More than a third of pregnant women who get morning sickness miss time from work.

Source:
Gadsby R, Barnie-Adshead AM, Jagger C.
A prospective study of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
British Journal of General Practice. 1993; 43: 245-248.

³ And more than a quarter of pregnant women who get it aren’t able to do as much housework as usual.

Source:
Gadsby R, Barnie-Adshead AM, Jagger C.
A prospective study of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
British Journal of General Practice. 1993; 43: 245-248.

The good news is the symptoms usually get better after the first three months of pregnancy.

Source:
Whitehead SA, Andrews PLR, Chamberlain GVP.
Characterisation of nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy: a survey of 1000 women.
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 1992; 12: 364-369.

⁴ But the nausea and vomiting can go on longer. About 1 in 10 women still feel sick to their stomach after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Source:
Whitehead SA, Andrews PLR, Chamberlain GVP.
Characterisation of nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy: a survey of 1000 women.
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 1992; 12: 364-369.

⁴

More severe nausea and vomiting

Most women have mild cases of nausea and vomiting. But if you have more severe morning sickness, you may feel:

Helpless and isolated, since nonstop nausea and frequent vomiting can limit your activities

Source:
O'Brien B, Evans M, White-McDonald E.
Isolation from "being alive": coping with severe nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.
Nursing Research. 2002; 51: 302-308.

⁵
Worried about your health and your baby's health. Remember that nausea and vomiting are unlikely to harm your health or your unborn baby's.

Source:
Tsang IS, Katz VL, Wells SD.
Maternal and fetal outcomes in hyperemesis gravidarum.
International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. 1996; 55: 231-235.

⁶

More serious problems

If you have the very severe nausea and vomiting called

hyperemesis gravidarum
Hyperemesis gravidarum is very severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. About 1 in 100 pregnant women get this condition. If you have hyperemesis gravidarum, you throw up so much that your health and your baby's health may be in danger if you don't have treatment. Women with this condition may have to go into hospital.

hyperemesis gravidarum, you will probably spend some time in the hospital. You may be admitted a few times.

If hyperemesis gravidarum is not treated, severe vomiting can lead to serious problems, such as:

Source:
Lub-Moss MM, Eurelings-Bontekoe EH.
Clinical experience with patients suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum (severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy): thoughts about subtyping of patients, treatment and counseling models.
Patient Education and Counseling. 1997; 31: 65-75.

⁷

Source:
Kuscu NK, Koyuncu F.
Hyperemesis gravidarum: current concepts and management.
Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2002; 78: 76-79.

⁸

Wernicke's encephalopathy, a brain disease brought on by lack of vitamin B-1 (thiamine). This can cause confusion, memory loss, eye problems and difficulty coordinating your movements. It can be treated with injections or supplements of vitamin B-1.

Source:
Selitsky T, Chandra P, Schiavello HJ.
Wernicke's Encephalopathy with hyperemesis and ketoacidosis.
Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2006; 107: 486-90.

⁹
Collapsed lung

Source:
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
ACOG practice bulletin: nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.
Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2004; 103: 803-814.

¹⁰
kidney
Your kidneys are organs that filter your blood to make urine. You have two of them, on either side of your abdominal cavity, toward your back.

Kidney or

liver
Your liver is a large organ that sits on the right side of your body, just below your rib cage. It does several important things, including processing and storing nutrients from food, and breaking down chemicals, such as alcohol.

liver damage
Damage to your eyes
Low birth weight for your baby

Source:
Zhou Q, O'Brien B, Relyea J.
Severity of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy: what does it predict?
Birth. 1999; 26: 108-114.

¹¹
Early labor

Source:
Zhou Q, O'Brien B, Relyea J.
Severity of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy: what does it predict?
Birth. 1999; 26: 108-114.

¹¹
Some studies show that there is a higher risk of

malformations
A malformation occurs when a part of the body does not form normally, taking on an abnormal shape, structure or function.

malformations in your baby.

Source:
Zhou Q, O'Brien B, Relyea J.
Severity of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy: what does it predict?
Birth. 1999; 26: 108-114.

¹¹ But others suggest there is no increase in risk.

Source:
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
ACOG practice bulletin: nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.
Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2004; 103: 803-814.

¹⁰
Death of your unborn child.

These problems are rare because most women who get hyperemesis gravidarum are treated. A study of nearly 200 women with hyperemesis gravidarum found that they were no more likely to have an early labor, a small baby or health problems for either themselves or their baby than those who did not have the condition.

Source:
Tsang IS, Katz VL, Wells SD.
Maternal and fetal outcomes in hyperemesis gravidarum.
International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. 1996; 55: 231-235.

⁶

Whether your nausea and vomiting is mild or serious, it won't go on forever. Your morning sickness will stop naturally. This often happens suddenly.

Sources for the information on this page:

Weigel RM, Weigel MM.Nausea and vomiting of early pregnancy and pregnancy outcome: a meta-analytical review.British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 1989; 96: 1312-1318.

Attard CL, Kohli MA, Coleman S et alThe burden of illness of severe nausea and vomiting of pregnancy in the United States.American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2002;186(5 Suppl Understanding):Sp.220-227.

Gadsby R, Barnie-Adshead AM, Jagger C.A prospective study of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.British Journal of General Practice. 1993; 43: 245-248.

Whitehead SA, Andrews PLR, Chamberlain GVP.Characterisation of nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy: a survey of 1000 women.Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 1992; 12: 364-369.

O'Brien B, Evans M, White-McDonald E.Isolation from "being alive": coping with severe nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.Nursing Research. 2002; 51: 302-308.

Tsang IS, Katz VL, Wells SD.Maternal and fetal outcomes in hyperemesis gravidarum.International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. 1996; 55: 231-235.

Lub-Moss MM, Eurelings-Bontekoe EH.Clinical experience with patients suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum (severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy): thoughts about subtyping of patients, treatment and counseling models.Patient Education and Counseling. 1997; 31: 65-75.

Kuscu NK, Koyuncu F.Hyperemesis gravidarum: current concepts and management.Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2002; 78: 76-79.

Selitsky T, Chandra P, Schiavello HJ. Wernicke's Encephalopathy with hyperemesis and ketoacidosis. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2006; 107: 486-90.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.ACOG practice bulletin: nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2004; 103: 803-814.

Zhou Q, O'Brien B, Relyea J.Severity of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy: what does it predict?Birth. 1999; 26: 108-114.

This information was last updated on May 12, 2009

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