Of all the aches and annoyances that ail mothers to be, pregnancy morning sickness is by far the most common. Around 70% of all pregnant women go through this period of nausea and vomiting early in pregnancy.

As you’ve probably noticed, morning sickness isn’t limited to the earlier part of the day. In fact, the medical term is “nausea and vomiting in pregnancy” (NVP) or nausea gravidarum, Latin for nausea of pregnancy. The condition took on the name morning sickness only because for many women the nausea hits hardest in the morning and lessens throughout the day.

Pregnancy morning sickness typically makes its entrance in the middle of the first trimester, around week 4 to 6, although it can start earlier. Once the symptoms come on, they tend to get progressively worse for the next month. The good news, though, is that for the majority of women, symptoms completely disappear by week 14. There are those “lucky” few who experience morning sickness off and on throughout the whole pregnancy, though.

Medical science hasn’t determined the exact cause of pregnancy morning sickness, in part because there seems to be a variety of causes. Some, like increased hormone levels and genetic predisposition, are out of your control, but controllable factors like potent odors, certain foods, and skipping meals can also set your stomach churning. Fortunately, there are numerous home remedies for morning sickness, like sipping ginger tea, smelling lemons, and eating cabbage. Many of these natural cures do a good job of curbing queasiness, but for severe cases, OTC and prescription anti-nausea medications are available.

Perhaps surprisingly, there is a positive side to morning sickness. As miserable as a continually sick stomach is for the mom-to-be, baby won’t be any worse for wear. In fact, it’s thought the whole reason morning sickness occurs is to protect the developing fetus. Studies suggest that food aversions crop up to discourage the mother from ingesting anything that could harm the baby, such as alcohol and potentially harmful pathogens and phytochemicals.

When you’re dealing with pregnancy morning sickness, the important thing is to stay hydrated and try to get a reasonable amount of nutrient-rich food. Home remedies can do a lot to ease your discomfort, but the only real cure is time.