Morning sickness is nausea that occurs during pregnancy. The name is a misnomer, however, since morning sickness can strike at any time of the day or night.

Morning sickness affects a large proportion of pregnant women. It is most common during the first trimester, but for some women morning sickness lingers throughout pregnancy. Treatment isn't usually needed — although various home remedies, such as snacking throughout the day and sipping ginger ale, often help relieve nausea.

Rarely, morning sickness is so severe that it's classified as hyperemesis gravidarum. This type of morning sickness may require hospitalization and treatment with intravenous (IV) fluids and medications.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com

Morning sickness is characterized by nausea with or without vomiting. It is most common during the first trimester, sometimes beginning as early as two weeks after conception.

When to see a doctor

Contact your pregnancy care provider if:

• The nausea or vomiting is severe
• You pass only a small amount of urine or it's dark in color
• You can't keep down liquids
• You feel dizzy or faint when you stand up
• Your heart races
• You vomit blood

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com

What causes morning sickness isn't clear, but the hormonal changes of pregnancy are thought to play a role. Rarely, severe or persistent nausea or vomiting may be caused by a medical condition unrelated to pregnancy — such as thyroid or liver disease.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com

Morning sickness is typically diagnosed based on your signs and symptoms. If your pregnancy care provider suspects hyperemesis gravidarum, you may need various urine and blood tests. Your pregnancy care provider may also do an ultrasound to confirm the number of fetuses and detect any underlying conditions that may be contributing to the nausea.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com

Usually, morning sickness doesn't cause complications for mother or baby.

However, if you're underweight before pregnancy and morning sickness prevents you from gaining a healthy amount of weight during pregnancy, your baby may be born underweight. Rarely, frequent vomiting may lead to tears in the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach (esophagus).

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com

There's no proven way to prevent morning sickness. Before conception, however, it may help to take prenatal vitamins. Several older studies suggest that women who take multivitamins at the time of conception and during early pregnancy are less likely to experience severe morning sickness. The folic acid in prenatal vitamins also helps prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com

Various alternative remedies have been suggested for morning sickness, including:

• Acupressure. Acupressure wristbands are available without a prescription in most pharmacies. Although acupressure wristbands haven't been found to be more effective than sham therapies, some women seem to find the wristbands helpful.
• Acupuncture. Acupuncture involves inserting hair-thin needles into your skin. Acupuncture isn't a proven way to treat morning sickness, but some women seem to find it helpful.
• Ginger. Herbal ginger supplements seem to alleviate morning sickness for some women. Most research suggests that ginger can be used safely during pregnancy, but there's some concern that ginger may affect fetal sex hormones.
• Hypnosis. Although there's little research on the topic, some women have found relief from morning sickness through hypnosis.
• Aromatherapy. Although there is also little research on the topic, certain scents, normally created using essential oils (aromatherapy), can help some women deal with morning sickness.

Check with your pregnancy care provider before using any herbal remedies or alternative treatments to relieve morning sickness.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com

To help relieve morning sickness:

• Choose foods carefully. Select foods that are high in carbohydrates or protein, low in fat, and easy to digest. Salty foods are sometimes helpful, as are foods that contain ginger — such as ginger lollipops. Avoid greasy, spicy and fatty foods.
• Snack often. Before getting out of bed in the morning, eat a few soda crackers or a piece of dry toast. Nibble throughout the day, rather than eating three larger meals. An empty stomach may make nausea worse.
• Drink plenty of fluids. Sip water or ginger ale. It may also help to suck on hard candy, ice chips or ice pops.
• Pay attention to nausea triggers. Avoid foods or smells that seem to make your nausea worse.
• Breathe fresh air. Weather permitting, open the windows in your home or workplace. Take a daily walk outdoors.
• Take care with prenatal vitamins. If you feel queasy after taking prenatal vitamins, take the vitamins at night or with a snack. It may also help to chew gum or suck on hard candy after taking your prenatal vitamin. If these steps don't help, ask your pregnancy care provider about other ways you can get the iron and vitamins you need during pregnancy.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com

Morning sickness can affect anyone who's pregnant, but it might be more likely if:

• You experienced nausea or vomiting from motion sickness, migraines, certain smells or tastes, or exposure to estrogen (in birth control pills, for example) before pregnancy
• You experienced morning sickness during a previous pregnancy
• You're pregnant with twins or other multiples

You might be more likely to experience hyperemesis gravidarum if:

• You're pregnant with a girl
• You have a family history of hyperemesis gravidarum
• You experienced hyperemesis gravidarum during a previous pregnancy

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com