Morning Sickness During Pregnancy Is Actually A Good Sign

A new study finds that morning sickness is a sign of a healthy pregnancy

In news that will have vomiting pregnant women everywhere pausing to say, “Oh, fantastic,” before hurking again, a study in the most recent issue of JAMA Internal Medicine has linked nausea and vomiting during pregnancy to a lower risk of miscarriage.

Morning sickness ranks high on the list of “Least Favorite Pregnancy Symptoms,” right along with sore breasts and crying at insurance commercials. Morning sickness, which is, of course, all day and night sickness (ever woken up in the middle of the night to dry-heave? It’s pretty rad) affects up to 90% of all women during the first three months of pregnancy. It can range from mild nausea here and there to “toilet, you’re my only friend” level puking. Some have it for just a few months, while other poor souls can have it for their entire pregnancies. Some can eat whatever they want without a problem, while for others just thinking the word “fish” can send them running to the nearest bathroom. But no matter what kind of morning sickness you have, we can all agree that it sucks big time.

This new study, however, might make it all just a smidge more tolerable.

In a study of 797 pregnant women who had lost one or two previous pregnancies, researchers from the National Institutes of Health found that those who experienced nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy were less likely to miscarry that pregnancy than those who had no such symptoms. The study asked women to keep a diary of their daily pregnancy symptoms from weeks two through eight, and then once a month after that. Those who experienced nausea and vomiting were 50-75% less likely to have a miscarriage. Those are amazing numbers that pregnant women everywhere should keep taped to their bathroom doors like motivational posters. I’d like one that shows a kitten puking up a hairball that says, “Hang in there! This is a sign of a healthy pregnancy! Buy more mouthwash!”

It’s important to remember, however, that just because you’re not throwing up doesn’t mean you’re going to lose your pregnancy. As researcher Stephanie Hinkle told the Associated Press,”Every pregnancy is different and just because [women] don’t have symptoms doesn’t mean they’re going to have a pregnancy loss.”