What is the 'norm' for morning sickness if one has it? When does it start? Does it get progressively worse or better? Is it only in the first trimester? Any and all info would be helpful.

Thanks,
Sara

I can give you some answers, but bear in mind that these are approximate. Some women have no morning sickness at all, others can have it the whole nine months (It happened to me for one pregnancy) and all gradations in between.

In general, a woman starts having morning sickness about 6 weeks into her pregnancy. It can be mild, moderate, and in some cases severe. It can start off mild and get worse, or not. Every woman, and every case of morning sickness, is different. Usually it lasts until the end of the first trimester and then goes away, but as I said, it can be shorter or longer. Any way you want it in a story is acceptable, as there are very few hard and fast rules.

Nan

And for the record, it doesn't have to be "morning" sickness -- with both my kids, I would wake up feeling fine, but as the day progressed I'd feel worse and worse I remember realizing that it was easing up when I could actually eat all of my lunch

Oh, and I won't tell you how I know but projectile vomiting is a possibility.

Isn't pregnancy fun??

PJ
who, if given the choice, would rather go through labor again than morning sickness...

Thanks Nan and Pam. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't making any huge faux pas.

Sara

It's "all the flipping time" sickness.

I got it around week 8, was FLOORED by it... got weak, sick, tired, haggard. Lost 15 pounds in 8 weeks, and everyone was afraid to ask me if i was still pregnant.

I was sick all the time - brushing teeth was often a bad trigger, but smells, and even sounds would make me sick. I was ill 8-12 times a day, and some weekends would have to spend all day in bed without moving an inch, else i'd be ill. Even drinking water would set me off.

Big thing is -the taste in my mouth had altered during pregnancy, and my sense of smell became "super human". Food aversions galore, and they never really went away, but the throwing up dramatically ended at week 15, and never came back.

What was additionally fun was the horrible fatigue - felt like i'd taken a sleeping pill - that kind of dreadful draggy sleepiness - lasted from week 7 through about week 10.

(Enough detail?)

Wow, L, sounds like you had fun. Thanks for the detail. Now I'm kinda glad that it's Lois that's pregnant, not me.

Sara

Before she disappeared from the fandom, Judith Tylke was writing a wonderful story in which Lois was pregnant. Lois had a special kind of morning sickness: she floated! Could only be controlled by eating, so she always had carrot and celery sticks, bagels etc... with her at the office. I really wish Judith had finished that story and was still writing L&C fanfic.

Jude

My morning sickness was different with every child. With my oldest,I never had a bit of morning sickness. With the next one, I literally had to eat something every two hours throughout the entire pregnancy or I would be sick. With Cara, I started having morning sickness (and occasionally afternoon sickness)from week 7 or 8 and it subsided by week 15 or 16. This time, morning sickness was my first symptom. I'm only up to week 10, and I get nauseous almost every morning (don't always throw up, but I feel quesy). If I have a big lunch or dinner I usually throw up about half an hour later.
So basically, any way you decide to write it, it would be believable.

Hope this helps
AMR

Well, I obviously don't have any personal experience but I did learn a bit about morning sickness in psych class. Moms, correct me or back me up as appropriate.

We were taught that morning sickness and food aversions are there to prevent birth defects. There are some foods that are more likely to cause defects in a developing baby. Mostly plants. The baby is in the most danger during early development (i.e. the first trimester). So, morning sickness is a way to prevent expectant moms from taking in toxins which would endanger the baby. The sickness prevents them from eating too much in general (the less you have, the less likely you are to take in something dangerous), and the food aversions are to the most dangerous things. Salad was given to us as an example of one of the most common food aversions. It turns out that certain chemicals common in plant leaves can be very dangerous for a developing fetus.

After the first trimester or so, the danger of defects is less. Keeping the baby fed so it can grow and develop is more important. So, morning sickness goes away, replaced with a drive to eat more.

Obviously, there's a lot of variation from mom to mom. Everyone feels it differently. That's the general theory, though, as taught to me by my Psych prof (who is also male). Take it for what it's worth.

Paul

Paul, it's a common theory, but I think it's wrong. I actually think it is hormonal.

When I was carrying Kathleen and was awash with her hormones as well as my own, I was queasy, fatigued, and for three months lived on crackers, chicken noodle soup - Lipton's, no other brand - mandarin oranges, popsicles, and dill pickles. I started suffering these symptoms almost immediately and thought I had the flu for about 6 weeks before I found out I was pregnant.

When I was pregnant with Lloyd, I had energy to burn, craved spicy food - the spicier the better - and KNEW that I wasn't pregnant, because I felt too darned good!! Never felt better in my life! Could it be a small infusion of testesterone?

The only reason I had a pregnancy test with Lloyd was because I was supposed to have an x-ray, and there was this little, teeny-tiny, not very likely, but slightly possible chance that I might be pregnant. I just about fell over when the lab tech told me that I was.

Irene

I also think a lot of it's hormonal.

When building the placenta, there are different hormones at play. My sickness ended at week 15, and it was like hitting a switch.

One day, violently ill. The next, all better.

I do believe their is some truth to the food aversion/protect baby from poison, and surely I had aversions the whole 9 mos, but the violent illness.. a different thing.

It was miserable. There are so many symptoms to pregnancy I'd never even heard of until i went through it.

You know, reading all this, and knowing that childbirth isn't much fun either...beats me why anyone ever has more than one kid.

Yvonne

Yvonne, I think it's probably because once you actually have a baby, you're so sleep-deprived you can't think straight, and before you come out of the fog, boom you're starting all over

PJ

****TJGRUFFS in FLASHBACK MODE from 2nd month to 5th month****

THE CRACKERS!!!! WHERE THE FREAK ARE MY CRACKERS!!!!!!

Bleaah, morning sickness sucks! God forbid you crave milk during that time period.

I saw on a cartoon once that some species of sharks can ralph their whole stomach out of their mouths and I'm thinkin' "Yeah it's kinda like that"

If you don't already have kids, do yourself a favor and don't do it. They make you paranoid, sleep deprived, overweight and you get attached to the little buggers and can't bear to get rid of 'em.

TEEEEEJ

TEEEJ,

I'm thinking they should send you to all the public school Health Classes. You know, where 8th and 9th grade kids- hopped up on hormones and looking longingly at one another- can get the 'Shark Ralphs Out Its Stomach' talk.

Might scare some of them into abstaining for life.


CC-who, also, feels a tiny bit smug because she's gotten a tiny hint of what Sara is working on...

LOL. Reminds me of a disgruntled CO in Stargate trying to explain that one to his team:

LabRat

Labby.....hysterical and right on the mark..

Ahh kids..Gotta love them since once you have 'em you're stuck with them!!

~Liz

I'll tell you what, I was blessed that the Morning Sickness Fairy passed me by with both of my pregnancies, but she nudged her twin sister, the Heart Burn Fairy, who gave me a double dose to make up for it. I quickly learned that there is no room in your home or office that couldn't benefit from a bottle or small roll of Tums! I was popping those suckers like they were TicTacs <g>.

Yeah, Lab, I'd say that analysis is spot on. It's funny how many people tell me that once you have two, three and four is no big deal. I beg to differ, and seeing as this isn't one of those situations you can "test drive," I'll just have to live my life believing those people are downright crazy.

Lynn

Teeej - love it!! But I do disagree. Love the little buggers despite the weight gain (which i've mostly lost, finally, 5.6 years post partum), and the lack of sleep (still get that alot).

After all, someone's gotta do my shopping for me when i'm 95 years old and not allowed to drive!


I did not forget how awful pregnancy was with #1. I had this horrifyingly uncomfortable condition called hellp which caused my entire body to itch as if I had poison ivy all over... even on the soles of my feet, palms of m y hands. For 2 mos! IT took about 2 wks post partum for it to go away.

So I dreaded it happening again, and sure freaking enough, it did... despite being a very rare condition.

But I did it because I wanted two kids - had planned on it, had the college funds set up, even... so - did it, and then, got hubby to get the ol' sniperoo.

Just thought of something - Lois could never get Clark to get that, so she'd have to use some form of birth control until menopause, or get her own tubes tied. Would be fun to see her disgruntled about that.

Wow, didn't think I'd get such a response! Hang on...let me stop laughing so that I can say thanks to everybody.

Whoo hoo...I have someone else to blame...<ahem>...I mean darn that muse!)

But seriously, thanks everyone for the info and the laughs.

Sara

Reminds me of a theory I read somewhere about why colic generally doesn't kick in until the baby is about 3 weeks old.

Babies who started howling like that at birth or shortly thereafter got put on mountain-tops. But by the time they hit three weeks, you've bonded, and they're safe.



Count me in the "probably mostly hormonal" camp on theories regarding the why of pregnancy nausea and such. (Although no one has definitively proven any of the currently popular theories.) The only pregnancy I didn't have severe "morning" sickness with before the sixth week was over was the one I miscarried a couple weeks later.


Absolutely. And after the millionth or so, they don't taste quite as much like blackboard chalk, either.

I have three. They LIE. Two hands, three kids. You do the math. :p

No joke, rivka. Same for the lap: two legs, three kids. My oldest was heartbroken when he had to jump off my lap the month before his third birthday to make room for his little brother. And I agree with everyone else--morning sickness (all-day-long-sickness with my first one) is different not only for each woman but for each pregnancy as well.

I also have to disagree with the theory that after two, three is no big deal. With two, I had it all together. Held down a job, kept my house clean (not spotless but decently clean) had meals on time -- then #3 came along. Wow. Total chaos. My schedule was shot. I worked on weekends while hubby took care of the kids and washed the mountain of dishes that collected while I was working when I got home (hubby claimed he couldn't do that and keep track of the ankle-biters at the same time. I pointed out that I did it all week while he was at work, but he claimed it wasn't the same). Meals were eaten when I got around to it, there was always a backlog of laundry ... you get the picture. Explain to me why I went through 3 more pregnancies that produced 4 more kids. I did, and I can only claim complete insanity. Now I'm down to the twins who will be 17 in August and I wonder how I lived through it. They claim children are the grandparents' revenge. I'm watching my older kids have kids of their own now and snickering to myself ...

Nan

So, if I do the math right, you had 7 children total!

I am impressed and happy for you! Elisabeth and I are planning on having as many as we can have which looks to be about 5 or 6, but then again, twins can always change that.

James, proud father of two and wanting more, with Elisabeth's permission

(TJ escapes from the men in white lab coats to address James)

James, can I talk to your wife a second?

*for James's wifes eyes only*

see below


DON'T DO IT!!!!!!

Okay? All good.

(men in white coats drag TJ kicking and screaming back to padded room "it's LEELA's doing, I swear!!!!")

TEEEEEJ

Who's TJ? I had NOTHING to do with anything related to anyone named TJGRUFFS. HONESTLY! Really!