Symptoms and Complications
Morning sickness doesn't necessarily strike in morning. While vomiting
is at its worst for many women between 9 am and noon, it can continue through
the day, or may even appear on a completely different schedule. Naturally, vomiting
is more likely after meals.
This is essentially a problem of early pregnancy. A few women begin vomiting
within days of conception, but typically morning sickness starts about six weeks
after the end of the last menstruation. Actual vomiting is often preceded by
nausea lasting a week or two.
Over 50% of sufferers will feel better by the 12th week of pregnancy, and
over 90% have stopped vomiting by the end of the fourth month. Occasionally,
some nausea returns just before delivery. Like morning sickness itself, this
is in no way a dangerous or bad sign. A very few women have morning sickness
throughout pregnancy - again, this is unfortunate but not dangerous.
Hyperemesis gravidarum is essentially morning sickness so severe that it affects the mother's nutrition and, therefore, the baby's health. It can also lead to liver or kidney damage. Fortunately, most pregnant women are closely monitored by their doctors, and these complications are almost always caught early on.