Morning sickness usually starts around weeks 4 to 7, peaks near week 9, and clears by weeks 16 to 20 - though a minority run longer, and a few have it to the end, usually milder.
The shape matters more than the weeks: miserable nausea that still lets you eat and drink is the normal kind and does not harm the baby. The not-normal pattern is hyperemesis gravidarum: relentless vomiting, nothing staying down including fluids, dehydration signs, and weight loss - that needs medical treatment, sometimes hospital fluids, and will not resolve on ginger. Contact your midwife or doctor if you cannot keep fluids down for 24 hours or are losing weight. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help you judge your pattern.
What to do
Common questions
How long does morning sickness last?
For most people, morning sickness starts around weeks 4 to 7 of pregnancy, peaks around week 9, and clears by weeks 16 to 20 - the second trimester usually brings real relief. For a minority it stretches past 20 weeks, and a small number have it to the end, though usually milder. The shape matters more than the exact weeks: nausea that is miserable but lets you eat and drink is the normal kind, however unfair it feels, and it does not harm the baby. The pattern that is NOT normal is hyperemesis gravidarum: vomiting so relentless that nothing - fluids included - stays down, dizziness from dehydration, very dark or little urine, and weight loss. That needs medical treatment, sometimes hospital fluids, and it will not resolve on crackers and ginger. If you are anywhere near that line - cannot keep fluids down for 24 hours, or you are losing weight - contact your midwife or doctor promptly. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you judge where your pattern sits.