WHAT IS MORNING SICKNESS?

Why some pregnancies can cause nausea and vomiting

- AILSA HARVEY

Despite its name, morning sickness can occur at any time of day during pregnancy. However, for many pregnant people, it can feel worse during the morning. The symptoms involve feelings of nausea, being sick or both, and commonly start around four weeks after conception. It’s likely to ease or stop completely between weeks 12 and 20. Although it’s an unpleasant addition to the early weeks of pregnancy, morning sickness usually doesn’t harm a person or their child. But some cases are much more extreme. Severe vomiting during pregnancy, called hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), is more dangerous as it can cause dehydration and malnourishment. The cause of morning sickness comes down to multiple biological changes occurring at once. An influx of pregnancy hormones, blood pressure