Coping with nausea

January 2007     View PDF     En español

A note on pregnancy and “morning sickness”

Nausea or “morning sickness” during pregnancy is normal and usually a problem only during the first three months, called the first trimester. However, pregnant women living with HIV may experience particular difficulty with nausea. This may be because of the combined effect of your body’s hormonal changes, using anti-HIV medications and, possibly, HIV disease itself.

Again, nausea in the first trimester is normal. But if it persists into the second trimester (weeks 13–26), or if you cannot hold food down at all or lose weight, consider seeing a doctor at once. It could be a sign of a more serious problem.

Finally, the practical and nutritional tips included in this paper apply to pregnant women as well. Talk to your doctor about the potential dangers of using anti-nausea medications during pregnancy. For more information on pregnancy and HIV, read Project Inform’s publication, Pregnancy and HIV.