# Common Pregnancy Discomforts: Nausea, Heartburn, Back Pain and What Helps

> Relief for morning sickness, heartburn, aches, swelling and poor sleep in pregnancy, and which symptoms need a call.

Stage: pregnancy - Topic: Your pregnancy - Page: https://www.askcladle.com/guides/pregnancy/common-pregnancy-discomforts

Grounded in: ACOG patient guidance including "Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy", "Back Pain During Pregnancy" and "Exercise During Pregnancy", ACOG and FDA advice on pain relievers in pregnancy, and CDC "Hear Her" urgent maternal warning signs. Summarized in Cradle's own words; none of these sources endorse Cradle. General information, not medical advice.

Reviewed: 2026-11

## TLDR

- Check with your provider or pharmacist before any medicine or supplement; acetaminophen is the usual pain choice, and avoid NSAIDs from 20 weeks.
- Small frequent snacks help nausea (B6 is a first-line option to ask about); smaller meals and staying upright help heartburn.
- Call the same day if you can't keep fluids down for 24 hours, or for sudden face or hand swelling with headache or vision changes.

## Before you take anything

- Ask your OB, midwife or pharmacist before any medicine, herbal remedy or supplement, including
  over-the-counter ones.
- Acetaminophen remains the usual choice for pain or fever in pregnancy, per ACOG. Use the lowest
  dose that works for the shortest time, and talk to your provider if you need it for more than a
  day or two or have questions about it. Untreated high fever carries its own risks.
- Avoid NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen) from 20 weeks on unless your provider prescribes one. A
  prescribed low-dose aspirin for preeclampsia prevention is different; keep taking it as directed.

## Nausea and vomiting

- Eat small amounts every 1-2 hours; keep crackers by the bed; choose bland, cold or salty foods;
  avoid strong smells; sip fluids between meals.
- Ginger and wrist acupressure bands help some people.
- Vitamin B6, alone or combined with doxylamine, is a first-line option to ask about. Other
  prescription medicines are safe options too; you don't have to just push through.
- Hyperemesis gravidarum is severe vomiting with weight loss and dehydration (dark or little urine,
  dizziness). It needs treatment, sometimes IV fluids.

## Heartburn, constipation and hemorrhoids

- Heartburn: smaller meals, stay upright 2-3 hours after eating, raise the head of the bed, limit
  spicy, fatty and acidic food. Ask which antacids are fine.
- Constipation: water, fiber (fruit, vegetables, whole grains, prunes), daily movement. Iron can
  make it worse; ask about a stool softener or a different vitamin.
- Hemorrhoids: avoid straining; try sitz baths, cold packs, and ask about creams.

## Aches and pains

- Back and pelvic pain: supportive low-heeled shoes, bend at the knees, a pillow between the knees
  in bed, warm (not hot) compresses, prenatal physical therapy or a support belt.
- Round ligament pain: a brief sharp jab in the lower belly or groin with sudden moves, often
  14-28 weeks. Move slowly, and flex your hips before you cough or sneeze.
- Leg cramps: stretch the calf by flexing your foot toward you; stay hydrated and active.
- Swelling of feet and ankles late in the day is common: put feet up, lie on your side, avoid long
  standing, and try compression socks.

## Sleep, energy and the rest

- Fatigue is strongest in the first and third trimesters. Rest when you can.
- Insomnia: a steady wind-down routine, a body pillow, less fluid in the evening, screens off.
- From about 28 weeks, sleep on your side (either side is fine). If you wake on your back, just
  roll over.
- Frequent urination is normal, but burning or pain is not; that can be a urinary infection.
- Braxton Hicks contractions: irregular tightening that eases with rest, water or a change of
  position. See the signs of labor guide for how to tell them apart from the real thing.
- Stuffy nose: saline spray, a humidifier. Ask before decongestants.
- Skin: darker patches on the face, a line down the belly and stretch marks are common and often
  fade. Use sunscreen. Itching of palms and soles needs a call (see below).

## Moving your body

If you have no complications, aim for about 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, such as
brisk walking or swimming, where you can still talk. Avoid contact sports, activities with a fall
risk, hot yoga and lying flat on your back for long spells later on.

## When to check in

Call your prenatal care provider the same day if:
- You can't keep fluids down for 24 hours, are losing weight, or are dizzy with very little urine.
- Swelling is sudden, or in your face or hands, especially with a headache that won't go away,
  vision changes or pain under the right ribs (possible preeclampsia).
- One calf is painful, swollen, warm or red (possible blood clot).
- Belly pain is severe or constant, or comes with bleeding or fluid leaking.
- Contractions are regular before 37 weeks, or the baby is moving less.
- You have a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or burning when you pee with back pain.
- Intense itching, especially of palms and soles, appears (possible liver condition called
  cholestasis).

Call 911 for chest pain, trouble breathing or a seizure. See the pregnancy warning signs guide.