Signs & Symptoms
Your symptoms will usually begin around week 4-6 and peak
between 9-13 weeks. However, they may start before the pregnancy
is confirmed by a pregnancy test. Some women feel changes
within days of conception. If onset is later than the first
trimester, you do not have HG. Rather, you may need to have
your liver and gall bladder function checked, or it may just
be the physical changes of pregnancy. There are many other
conditions that can cause similar symptoms.
Typically,
you will find symptoms end or at least improve significantly
somewhere around 14-20 weeks, however, some
women (10-20% or more) continue to have symptoms for their
entire pregnancy. Occasionally, a woman will have a worsening
or return of symptoms later in pregnancy. This is uncommon
if you have had several weeks without any nausea/vomiting.
Symptoms may increase and decrease throughout pregnancy
and as long as you feel any nausea, go very slowly when trying
to go off of (wean) a medication. Unfortunately, HG often
recurs and follows similar patterns in future pregnancies,
though severity may vary each time. See the Merck
Manuals for more information on the below conditions:
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Common symptoms you may notice and should mention
to your obstetrician:
- Vomiting, mucus, bile or blood**
- Food aversions
- Increased sense of smell
- Sensitive gag reflex
- Excessive salivation
- Constipation (If severe**)
- Difficulty sleeping
- Fainting** or dizziness
- Ketosis**
- Vomiting small amounts food/drink**
- Dry, furry tongue, thirst
- Loss of skin elasticity
- Pale, waxy, dry skin
- Body odor (from rapid fat loss & ketosis)
- Rapid heart rate**
- Headache
- Confusion**
- Extreme fatigue
- Rapid weight loss (2+ lbs/wk)**
- Secondary anxiety/depression
- Intolerance to motion/noise/light
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Signs & Symptoms your health professional may
note:
- Ketosis
- Vitamin/electrolyte deficiency
- Anemia
- Liver enzyme elevation
- Gall bladder dysfunction (stones)
- Dehydration
- Low blood pressure
- Jaundice
- Rapid heart rate
- Overactive thyroid
- Weight loss of 5% or more (from pre-pregnancy weight)
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** Report this to your health professional immediately
Updated on:
Aug. 09, 2006 |
