Pregnancy is one of the happiest moments in a woman’s life. It can be exciting but also confusing. A woman undergoes a lot of physical and psychological changes during this time, and it may be puzzling and difficult to understand those changes.

One of the most common changes a pregnant woman goes through is morning sickness. During the first trimester, pregnant women may experience nausea and vomiting, a typical sign of morning sickness. But despite its name, morning sickness is not confined to mornings and can occur at any time of the day and night. 
Morning sickness usually starts between 6-9 weeks of pregnancy and may last 12-16 weeks. But for some women, it may even last till the first few weeks of the second trimester.

Typical signs of morning sickness include:

• Nausea or queasy feeling
• Strong aversion to certain smells and foods
• A seasick feeling
• Nausea that comes after eating
• Nausea accompanied by vomiting
• The exact causes of morning sickness are not clear, although these factors might be the cause
• Rising levels of estrogen and progesterone, which affects the digestive muscles and make digestion less effective
• Rise in pregnancy hormones such as HCG
• Increased stress levels that can affect the digestive process
• Being over tired
• Motion sickness
• first-time pregnancy can also cause morning sickness as your body might be less prepared for the changes it undergoes
• Eating certain foods
• Foods with a strong smell

Morning sickness is a regular part of pregnancy, even though it is unpleasant for the mother. There is no sure way of stopping morning sickness. Most of the time, simple home remedies might be enough to provide you relief. Some of these methods are:

• Eating small meals 5 to 6 times rather than eating 3 big meals
• Proper rest is required if you are feeling tired, as moving around may aggravate morning sickness
• Eating food that has ginger in it has been found to reduce morning sickness
• Having small dry snacks 20 minutes before getting up
• Eating food that is high in protein and carbohydrates and low in fat
• Staying hydrated

Morning sickness is a common first sign of pregnancy which affects around 70 percent of pregnant women and can even be interpreted as a sign of healthy pregnancy. Normal morning sickness has no effect on the fetus.

But in some cases, it might be hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness. You might face difficulty keeping food and liquids down, start losing weight, and may suffer from dehydration. In these cases, it is always advisable to visit a doctor as you might require medical attention to protect your and your baby’s health.