I'm 10 weeks along and sick all day. Is this normal?

I'm about 10 weeks along and I'm sick not only in the morning, but all day-morning, noon, and night. Is this normal? Also, I get very bad headaches that don't go away. Is this also normal?

Nausea (and sometimes vomiting) is common in early pregnancy. It is experienced by about 50 to 70 percent of pregnant women in the first trimester. It's very "normal" and does not indicate that anything is wrong. In fact, it's usually a sign that your pregnancy is healthy!
The pregnancy hormone hCG, produced by your baby's developing placenta, probably causes the symptoms. This hormone helps to maintain the pregnancy. But other factors such as low blood sugar, increased stomach acid, stress, or fatigue can also contribute. It is commonly called "morning sickness" because most of the time that's when the symptoms are the worst, but as you have experienced, the queasy feeling can occur any time of day. The good news about "morning sickness" is that for most women it ends by the fourth month of pregnancy, when your hormone levels begin to decrease. If your symptoms of nausea and vomiting become persistent (i.e., more that once or twice each day), prevent you from eating any food or drinking any fluids, and continue past your first trimester, report this to your midwife or doctor.

There are lots of things you can to do deal with morning sickness. First, try to prevent it. Keep some cream crackers, or other biscuits at your bedside and eat something the moment you awaken, to raise your blood sugar before you get up. Instead of eating three large meals a day, eat five or six small meals to avoid an empty stomach and keep your blood sugar stable. Be sure you avoid spicy or greasy foods. When you're experiencing the nausea, try relaxed slow breathing, ice chips, mouthwash, or "sea-bands." These 1-inch elastic bands are available at your local chemist and are worn on both wrists; they have a small button in them that places pressure on trigger points to relieve nausea.

The hormones of pregnancy also seem to trigger headaches in some women. But headaches can also be caused by fatigue, tension, hunger, and physical or emotional stress. It's a good idea to stay away from pain relief medications during pregnancy, but there are lots of non-medicinal strategies you may find helpful to prevent headaches and relieve them. Be sure to eat regularly and drink lots of fluids. Exercise and relaxation techniques will help, for they relieve stress and tension. You can massage your temples or the back of your neck, applying firm pressure in a slow, circular pattern. Try hot packs or cold packs applied to the back of your neck or shoulders, or an ice pack on your forehead. Since fatigue can contribute to headaches, be sure to get plenty of rest. If your headaches are ever severe and persistent and are accompanied by spots before your eyes or puffiness of your hands and face, contact your midwife or doctor to be sure that the headache is not a symptom of pre-eclampsia or toxaemia.