Vomiting and pregnancy

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Vomiting and pregnancy

The hormones released by a woman's body during pregnancy often cause nausea and sometimes vomiting during the pregnancy. Morning sickness, which does not always occur in the morning, is most common between the 1st and 4th months of pregnancy.

Vomiting during pregnancy is more likely to be serious if the vomiting is moderate to severe (occurs more than 2 to 3 times per day) or is accompanied by lower abdominal (pelvic) pain or vaginal bleeding. These symptoms may be caused by an infection, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, or some other serious problem.

If you think you might be pregnant, do a home pregnancy test. For more information, see the topic Pregnancy.

Practice the following good health habits until you see your health professional:

• Eat a balanced diet.
• Do not smoke.
• Do not use alcohol or drugs.
• Avoid caffeine or limit your intake to about 1 cup of coffee or tea each day.
• Do not clean a cat litter box.
• Avoid people who are ill.

Even if the pregnancy test is negative, if you continue to have pregnancy symptoms, see your health professional to confirm the results.

Credits

Last updated:	July 06, 2007
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer