A thought of sharing on some rare morning sickness during pregnancy

"Hyperemesis gravidarum" sounds ominous, but it's actually a straightforward condition. Hyper is the Greek root for "excessive," emesis means "vomiting" and gravida means "pregnant."

Morning sickness is thought to be triggered by the rapid release of a hormone called HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), which is released by the placenta. The cause of hyperemesis gravidarum is unknown, although the National Institutes of Health (NIH) says expecting twins can increase the odds a woman will suffer from this condition.



According to the NIH, it’s common for women to experience nausea and/or vomiting early in their pregnancy. Most find success treating these with time-honored tricks like snacking on saltine crackers and other dry foods before getting out of bed, sipping ginger ale throughout the day, or eating several small meals during the day instead of two or three large ones. Avoiding foods that trigger a bout of nausea also helps.

A few lucky expectant moms escape the early days and weeks of pregnancy without some form of morning sickness altogether, while some women find the nausea or vomiting synonymous with the morning strikes in the afternoon or evening.

But while the world sits back and waits for her belly to swell,  According to the NIH, the condition causes moms-to-be to experience extreme and persistent nausea and vomiting that often leads to dehydration. Excessive vomiting can also be problematic during a pregnancy because it can impede proper weight gain.

One of the tell-tale signs that a pregnant woman is suffering from the condition is the severity of the vomiting. Here’s how to tell the difference between morning sickness and hyperemesis gravidarum:

Morning Sickness                                                   Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Nausea sometimes accompanied by vomiting       Nausea accompanied by severe vomiting

Nausea that subsides at 12 weeks or soon after Nausea that does not subside

Vomiting that does not cause severe dehydration Vomiting that causes severe dehydration

Vomiting that allows you to keep some food down   Vomiting that does not allow keeping any food down


Because the condition is so taxing to the body, women may also experience low blood pressure and/or a racing pulse, lightheadedness and/or fainting, and weight loss due the inability to keep down any food.

Extreme morning sickness can happen to any woman, regardless of her age, weight, or lifestyle.


a doctor may prescribe medicine to prevent nausea where vomiting is persistent.

“The most important treatments are hydration, medications that will stop the vomiting, and monitoring of vitamin levels to ensure that the depletion does not become severe to the mother or the fetus. In very severe cases, the patient is fed through an IV,” says Carmella Sebastian, MD, the Medical Director Lead for the Wellness Program, Better You From Blue in Tampa, Florida