Has anybody noticed that in movies...?

Question

The first sign of pregnancy is always morning sickness? Whilst in real life it is always the missed period/pregnancy test.

Growing up i always thought morning sickness was the first sign of pregnancy because of the way its portrayed in movies.
But ive been told by pregnant women it does not occur until later.

When does morning sickness really occur? And why do movie writers/directers use the sickness to show the womans descovery of pregnancy?

Yes Steven but they also portray that the character herself did not know she was pregnant until she was sick.

Women do notice if they skip.

Answer 1

Women act differently, but movies speak in a shorthand, so we know that if a woman is hurling and she hasn't been drinking, we are aware that she is pregnant

Answer 2

When does morning sickness really occur?
after nearly the end of the first tri-mester that's through the first three months of pregnancy. So when the movie starts to show this scene, its not THE immediate morning after its, several mornings late after.

And why do movie writers/directers use the sickness to show the womans descovery of pregnancy?

You are right, the missed period is probably more accurate. But they choose to show this scene because it looks good on camera, there's the drama, they can play with diferent expressions of grief, disbelief, pain or joy... things like that. Depending on the theme of the love story.

You are right movies depict these and other things in a successive fashion that people start to believe in its simplicity, until they finally experience in reality how long the process takes.

Answer 3

To my eternal disappointment, for some of us, the first sign is morning sickness. And afternoon sickness, and all-the-rest-of-the-time sickness.

This was true for all three of my pregnancies, although much worse for the first. I couldn't have been more than 2 weeks pregnant the first time i threw up, and in fact my first pregnancy tests were negative, so the doctor thought I might have a stomach ulcer. The last time I threw up was (literally) on the midwife doing an exam while i was being admitted in hospital during labour.

So while it's not the most common signal, it's entirely possible. But you're right, folks like me aren't nearly as common as movies would have it :)

Answer 4

Morning sickness can be one of the earliest signs, though missing your period would be the first for obvious reasons. You have to remember that film is a visual medium and they always try to find the visual way of progressing a storyline. What better way to show that a woman is pregnant than to show her with morning sickness? Morning Sickness does usually occur during the first trimester (1-3mos.), but can last the entire pregnancy and can be had at night as well.

Answer 5

When I was pregnant other than a missed period my sense of smell was stronger and lots of things made me nauseous. But i didn't get morning sickness(which happens all day) until the second trimester or around the third month and for me it lasted three months.
Movies only have 2-3 hrs to tell a story and since most people only remember the worst parts of pregnancy they exaggerate it like the movies do with most things. and i don't think they really want to touch on the whole reality of conception and how a womans body really works

Answer 6

In older movies they went for the morning sickness because there was no EPT home pregnacy tests. They are not that old an invention.

In more recent movies the panic that results in the test is more familiar to women than the morning sickness because women can relate to the scenario these days.

Men have no clue so either way it makes sense to them.

But it really does come down to when the movie was made as to how they show an unplanned pregnancy.

Answer 7

Morning sickness can usually occur throughout the first trimester, and alongside breast tenderness it can be one of the first signs of a pregnancy, depending on the woman, and her cycle of ovulation. For women who don't have a steady period schedule, a missed period is not always a sign of pregnancy, but morning sickness might be.

I think film writers/directors, etc. use morning sickness as an outward sign of pregnancy because it's one that is easily associated with it. While a missed period, tender breasts, etc. can be associated with other things as well, morning sickness tends to be a failsafe way to show a woman learning that she may be pregnant.

I've noticed that a lot of times, when they show pregnancy in this way, its not in a positive light--the sickness is usually meant to show a pregnancy that is unplanned, unwanted, or uninvited--metaphorically tying in the sickness with the dismal outlook of the possibility of pregnancy. It's much like we would show someone with a nasty cough or looking pallid and losing weight in the movies as symbolism of a deeper impending disease, like HIV or AIDS.

Answer 8

Yes, I have noticed this, but one reason I believe that writers use this is so the audience can say, oh, the woman is probably pregnant. Then also, like in shows like House or other medical shows for example, they can keep you guessing as to is nausea in a woman of child bearing age, the first thing you think of is Pregnancy. But if you say, missed period, not too much else to think of. but if you say Nausea, ok, then you have to rule out everything else. Is it the flu, is it a stomach problem, liver problem ( like hepetitis ) emotional problem, eating problem, does the character have a more serious problem like a brain tumor or some headaches can cause nausea and throwing up, etc, etc.In some movies though they can use other symptons such as the girls clothes fitting tightly or people notice the girl has gained weight, getting a belly. Look at how many of the magazines out there that made notice of Nicole Ritchies Pot Belly, and guessed is she pregnant? They couldn't have possibly said she is suffering from nausea, they needed a physcial sympton, something you can see, not hear or guess.
On the old I love Lucy Shows, the first signs that Lucy even noticed was not a missed period, or nausea, but the fact that she was eating strange food combinations, pickled herrings and vanilla ice cream, that happens a lot in movies. Look at the movie 'Fargo, the audience didn't see the character early in her pregnancy where she may have been nauseated, but she was allways eating and ate strange foods.
As far as when does Morning Sickness show, it does not show up in all women and some women who have it severly, can have it almost up to delivery, though that is rare. I have had two children, and suffered mild morning sickness only with my son, and not my daughter.With my son, It started about the second month, coinciding with a bladder infection, and only lasted for a few weeks. With my daughter, I didn't get any morning sickness, but had other symptons.

Let me correct you on your first statement. NOt all women have a missed period as the first sympton of pregnancy. I bled a regular period through the first 3 months of my pregnancy with my daughter. When I was in the hospital (and in a coma ) they presumed I was not pregnant because I was bleeding and after being in intensive care for almost a month, and almost dying, it was not untill I had been discharged and left the hospital before I found out by accident that I was pregnant. I had pnemonia very bad, collasped lung, and in a coma for 3 days, had to have a blood transfusion. After 28 days in the hospital I went home. I still had a fever and the pain in my chest known as Pleurisy.In the emergency room
they ask if there is a chance you may be pregnant. I said I had just gotten out of hospital. They ran the urine test, and it came out positive. I was 10 weeks along. if not for the emergency room, I would not have found out for quite awhile, as I don't show for at least 5 months. Also with all my pregnancies, I bled or spotted up though 5-6 months, including two misscarraiges, so bleeding , or a missed period is not allways a first indicator in all women. There are other common symptons women may get before realizing they are pregnant, bloated and tender breasts, bloating,
urinary infections, backache, nasal stuffiness, tiredness,
body temperture changes, nausea, food cravings or food adversions, headaches, mood swings and more.Hope this helps some. I think it is more interesting in movies to keep the audience guessing if the character is pregnant or is it something more sinister? Remember in Alien, the Men had the Alien in them, but of course they didn't give birth the usual way. and there was no nausea , just a nasty alien popping out of the chest wall! No thanks, I will take Nausea. Oh, and remember Rosemarys Baby. She had a dream about being inpregnated, but it was not with her husband, it was something far more sinister...

Answer 9

Because men are usually responsible for the story line.
I never had a sign of morning sickness with either of my 2 children, in fact I felt more energized and healthier than any other time in my life, except for the hemorrhoids in the 8th month.

Answer 10

I've noticed that. I also noticed in the movie "The Departed", the psychiatrist breaks the news of her pregnancy to Colin (Matt Damon) by showing him ultrasound pictures in which she is able to identify as a boy because of the penis -- however, her stomach is completely flat (if not inverted), and if I remember correctly, it isn't until about 18-20 weeks before you can tell.

Answer 11

Once in a while you have a female character saying "I'm Late." (to denote a missed period).
The movie-writers are men, and it's very rare that periods are discussed in books or portrayed in films, ever.