A review in Nature Reviews Disease Primers examines the biological underpinnings and clinical management of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) and hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). It highlights recent genetic advances implicating the hormone GDF15 and the protein IGFBP7 as key drivers of the condition, acting through receptors in the brainstem. These findings suggest a placental origin for the disease and offer potential targets for future therapeutic development.