Feeling nauseous while pregnant but not throwing up

There is good news and bad news concerning morning sickness. If you are suffering with it right now, the good news is doctors believe it’s a sign that the placenta is growing normally. The bad news, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is that although 70% of pregnant women get it early in the first trimester, the cause is not totally known. Whatever is causing it, here are some tips for how to alleviate first trimester nausea symptoms.

Table of Contents Show

Symptoms And Timing Of Morning Sickness
Suspected Causes
Tell us what you think
Is it normal to be nauseous but not throw up during pregnancy?
Is it still considered morning sickness if you don't throw up?
Why do I feel nauseous but not vomiting?
Is it normal to feel nauseous all day in early pregnancy?

Symptoms And Timing Of Morning Sickness

Those first trimester nausea symptoms usually begin around 6 weeks and continue until week 12. During the second trimester they seem to improve. Unfortunately, it is also true women can experience symptoms throughout their entire pregnancy.

Some women can have severe symptoms and should speak to Dedicated to Women for guidance if this happens.

Severe symptoms can include the following:

Vomiting more than three times per day
Dehydration
Little to no urine production and dark colored urine
Dizziness
Losing 5 pound or more

Suspected Causes

It is believed that low blood sugar and pregnancy hormones are responsible for morning sickness. One hormone in particular known as human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) contributes to it, plus estrogen.

You can also develop symptoms from stress, being overtired, eating certain foods, and motion sickness.

No matter what you call it, there are some ways to reduce the symptoms. We will walk through some of them.

Take your prenatal vitamins at night with a light snack especially if they contain iron.
Keep some crackers by your bedside and eat one or two before you get out of bed.
Eat smaller and more frequent meals during the day.
Avoid fatty and spicy foods. Instead eat more bland foods like a plain baked potato, broth, eggs, dry toast, rice, bananas.
Snacks should include yogurt, peanut butter, celery, cheese, and nuts.
Hydrate throughout the day.
Get lots of rest.
Keep rooms well ventilated. Go outside for fresh air when possible. Use a fan indoors.
Avoid odors.
Get to know what triggers your nausea, and avoid it!
Drink fluids 30 minutes before and after a meal, not with it.
Try ginger ale, jello, peppermint tea, pretzels, and flavored popsicles.
Lemons can be quite helpful, smell, eat, or suck on them.

Don’t hesitate to contact Dedicated to Women at (302) 674-0223 if vomiting is severe or if you have questions about other ways to alleviate first trimester nausea.

Tell us what you think

Our dedicated team of gynecologists and women’s health care providers would love to hear your experience with us. Leave a review!

If you're in your first trimester but haven't had even a hint of queasiness or a bout of vomiting, all the other expecting parents-to-be are likely green with both nausea and envy. But you might be worried. The problem is that if you're not having any symptoms of morning sickness, you might start wondering whether your baby is OK—or if the absence of morning sickness signals something is wrong.

Thankfully, there's no need to worry if you have no morning sickness at 6 weeks or beyond. While we tend to equate nausea and tummy troubles with early pregnancy, not everyone experiences those symptoms early on (or ever). In fact, nearly 30% of pregnant people have no morning sickness at all, says Michele Hakakha, M.D., FACOG, an OB-GYN in Beverly Hills and author of Expecting 411. "And that's definitely something to be happy about," she notes.

So, who are those few who avoid weeks-long nausea? Frankly, it could be anyone. "Some women may experience morning sickness, and some women may not. Some women have it in one pregnancy and not the next," says Marra Francis, M.D., an OB-GYN in Helotes, Texas, and a contributing author to the Mommy MD Guides. "Not everyone experiences morning sickness, just like not everyone gets motion sickness."

If you don't experience morning sickness, your body just might be better able to handle the rapid rise in levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), estrogen, and other hormones that come during the first trimester. Hormone levels spike quickly during pregnancy—the levels of hCG alone typically double every 48 hours in the first weeks of pregnancy—and, just like a quick ride on a roller coaster, this rapid rise can make your stomach churn. Once you hit the second trimester, those hormone levels, while still increasing, taper off to a more manageable level.

Sometimes, however, a lack of morning sickness could be because hormone levels are much lower than normal, which may indicate an increased risk of miscarriage, but that is usually not the case. Indeed, you shouldn't worry about not feeling morning sickness as long as you are not experiencing signs of miscarriage and your prenatal health care provider thinks your hormone levels look good.

"I've had women who freaked out because they didn't get morning sickness because they thought they were at higher risk of having a miscarriage," says Dr. Francis. "But if you don't have morning sickness, it doesn't mean that you have abnormal hormone levels; it just means that you tolerate [pregnancy] better."

It's also possible that the nausea is just a bit delayed. Although most pregnant people experience morning sickness experience it between 6 and 14 weeks of pregnancy, every person and every pregnancy is different, and you may find that you develop pregnancy-related sickness later. But if you make it to your second trimester with no nausea, it's more likely that you're just one of the ones who simply won't experience morning sickness.

So if you're nausea-free in your first trimester, you can let go of your worries. The lack of morning sickness isn't a sign of trouble—and may very well make those first weeks of pregnancy a bit more pleasant.

Is it normal to be nauseous but not throw up during pregnancy?

Some women experience nausea during pregnancy and never actually vomit, while others vomit several times a day. The vomiting can sometimes provide a reprieve from nausea, until it returns. Pregnancy nausea is often exacerbated by the intense fatigue that is also experienced during the first trimester.

Is it still considered morning sickness if you don't throw up?

What does it mean if you have no morning sickness? For a percentage of people, morning sickness is simply a pregnancy symptom they never experience. In and of itself, the lack of nausea and vomiting doesn't mean anything is wrong. It's estimated 70 to 80 percent of pregnant people experience nausea and/or vomiting.

Why do I feel nauseous but not vomiting?

Several conditions can cause nausea, including stress, anxiety, infections, motion sickness, and many more. Occasional temporary nausea is also common but typically not cause for concern. Nausea is a sensation that makes a person feel they need to vomit. Sometimes, individuals with nausea do vomit, but not always.

Is it normal to feel nauseous all day in early pregnancy?

During the first trimester of pregnancy, many women have the bouts of nausea and vomiting known as morning sickness. Despite its name, morning sickness can happen day or night. It usually starts around the 6th week of pregnancy, is at its worst around week 9, and stops by weeks 16 to 18.