Nausea, Fatigue and Aches: How to Help Your Pregnant Partner

When your partner is nauseated, exhausted or sore, it is easy to feel useless. You can't take the symptoms away, and well-meant suggestions can land badly. But a lot of what helps with common pregnancy discomforts is practical: fewer smells, smaller meals, more rest and someone else doing the lifting. Those are jobs a partner can take over.

This guide collects the self-care tips that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and March of Dimes give for common symptoms and turns them into things you can do. It also covers when a symptom stops being "normal" and needs a call to the provider. It is general information, not medical advice. One rule runs through all of it: March of Dimes advises against taking any medicine, supplement or herbal product for a discomfort without talking to the provider first.

Nausea and vomiting: what's typical

ACOG says nausea and vomiting of pregnancy is common and can happen at any time of day, despite the name "morning sickness." It usually starts before 9 weeks of pregnancy and, for most women, goes away by 14 weeks. For some it lasts weeks or months longer, and for a few it lasts the whole pregnancy.

It usually doesn't harm the fetus, ACOG notes, but it can affect someone's ability to work and handle everyday life. The most severe form, hyperemesis gravidarum, occurs in up to 3 percent of pregnancies, according to ACOG, and needs treatment, sometimes in a hospital. In other words, "it's normal" doesn't mean your partner should just push through it.

Practical ways to help with nausea

Many of ACOG's suggestions are easier when someone else handles the logistics:

• Put dry toast or crackers by the bed. ACOG suggests eating them before getting up, to avoid moving around on an empty stomach.
• Keep small snacks within reach. ACOG recommends five or six "mini meals" a day and frequent bites of foods like nuts, fruit or crackers so the stomach is never empty.
• Stock bland options, and protein. ACOG mentions the BRATT foods (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast and tea) and nonmeat proteins like yogurt, nut butters and protein shakes. The goal, ACOG says, is finding foods your partner can eat and keep down, so follow their lead rather than a list.
• Take over the smelly jobs. ACOG notes that odors that never bothered someone before can trigger nausea, and specifically suggests using a fan while cooking and having someone else empty the trash.
• Keep water coming. ACOG says to aim for 8 to 12 cups a day during pregnancy and notes that dehydration can make nausea worse. Gum or hard candy can help if a bad taste makes water hard to drink.
• Have ginger on hand if your partner wants to try it. ACOG lists ginger candies, ginger tea and ginger ale made with real ginger as options.

If lifestyle changes aren't enough, ACOG notes that safe treatments are available, so encourage your partner to raise it at the next visit, or sooner, instead of suffering through.

When nausea needs a call

ACOG says to call the ob-gyn or other obstetric care provider for signs of dehydration:

• A small amount of dark urine, or being unable to urinate
• Being unable to keep liquids down
• Dizziness or fainting when standing up
• A racing or pounding heartbeat

ACOG also flags signs that the nausea might have another cause, such as nausea and vomiting that starts for the first time after 9 weeks, belly pain or tenderness, fever, headache or swelling in the front of the neck.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists severe nausea and throwing up as an urgent maternal warning sign that needs medical care right away, including being unable to drink for more than 8 hours or eat for more than 24 hours.

Fatigue and sleep

March of Dimes explains that fatigue is common early and late in pregnancy. The body is working hard and making pregnancy hormones, sleep is often broken by discomfort or bathroom trips, and stress and other responsibilities add up. Among its tips, March of Dimes suggests a regular sleep schedule, short naps when possible, cutting back on activities that aren't necessary and asking a partner, family and friends to help around the house and with errands.

That last one is your cue. Concretely:

• Take over a defined set of chores completely, so your partner doesn't have to manage them.
• Protect nap time by handling other children, calls and deliveries.
• Help set up for sleep. March of Dimes suggests sleeping on the left side with a pillow under the belly and another under the legs.

March of Dimes advises calling the provider if tiredness becomes severe or starts to interfere with everyday life. The CDC's warning signs include overwhelming tiredness that comes on suddenly and isn't refreshed by sleep.

Aches, cramps and other discomforts

March of Dimes describes a range of common discomforts, many of which have a partner-sized job attached:

• Back pain. Pregnancy hormones, a growing belly and weight gain can cause lower-back pain, especially in later months. March of Dimes advises against lifting heavy things, so do the heavy lifting. A heating pad or ice pack on the back may also help.
• Leg cramps. These are common in the second and third trimesters and often strike at night. March of Dimes suggests stretching the calf muscles and massaging the calves with long, downward strokes. It also says to call the provider about cramps that come with swelling, redness or skin changes.
• Heartburn. March of Dimes suggests five or six small meals instead of three large ones and eating the last meal two to three hours before lying down. Planning an earlier dinner is an easy contribution.
• Constipation. Water, high-fiber foods and daily activity are among the March of Dimes tips. A shared walk counts.
• Swelling. Putting the feet up and not crossing the legs can help. March of Dimes warns that extreme or sudden swelling can be a sign of preeclampsia and needs a call to the provider right away.
• Headaches. March of Dimes says these are common, especially in the first trimester, but a headache that is severe or doesn't go away can be a sign of preeclampsia and needs a call to the provider right away.
• Shortness of breath. March of Dimes advises staying away from secondhand smoke. If you smoke, don't do it around your partner.

The emotional side

March of Dimes notes that stress can make fatigue worse, and that depression can happen during pregnancy, not only after the baby arrives. March of Dimes says depression is more than feeling down for a few days. Signs that last more than two weeks, such as feeling hopeless, losing interest in things, sleeping too much or too little, or withdrawing from people, are worth raising with the provider.

The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is free, confidential and available 24/7 at 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262), and it welcomes partners and family members as well as pregnant and postpartum people. If your partner is thinking about hurting themselves, call or text 988, or call 911 in an emergency.

Key takeaways

• Nausea usually starts before 9 weeks and eases by 14 weeks for most, but it can last longer and can be severe.
• Smells, empty stomachs and dehydration make nausea worse, and partners can handle all three.
• Call the provider for signs of dehydration, and get care right away if your partner can't drink for 8 hours or eat for 24.
• Fatigue is common; owning chores outright and protecting rest helps more than offering advice.
• Sudden or extreme swelling, a severe or lasting headache, and cramps with redness or swelling need a call, not a home remedy.
• No medicine, supplement or herb without the provider's OK.

Sources

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy (last reviewed November 2025)
• March of Dimes, Common discomforts of pregnancy
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Urgent Maternal Warning Signs and Symptoms (May 15, 2024)
• March of Dimes, Depression during pregnancy
• Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, National Maternal Mental Health Hotline