When Does Morning Sickness Start?
There is no exact time when morning sickness starts. However, most pregnant women begin to feel early symptoms during the first trimester, especially from week 6 to week 8. Others may have morning sickness even earlier. In general, it will not first occur after week 14. An important thing to keep in mind is late-pregnancy nausea. This may mimic nausea in morning sickness, but it actually happens when the baby pushes on the intestines and stomach.
Researchers think that morning sickness would be a mechanism to help protect the baby from dangerous toxins and foods in early pregnancy. This would make sense as the first trimester is an important phase of development when all physical structures and organs of the baby grow. [3]
When Does Morning Sickness Peak?
The peak of morning sickness also varies from person to person, but it typically occurs at around week 9 or 10. During this time, the level of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is the highest. The body releases this hormone during pregnancy to make it adjust to the baby. At around week 11, the level of hCG begins to drop. At around week 15, this amount is around 50 percent from the peak. [4]
