When Green Is Not Your Color: Coping with Morning Sickness

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase “green with envy.”. But if you're one of the many women who experience morning sickness (up to 90% of people experience some symptoms of nausea), you likely be envious of those that don’t have morning sickness of pregnancy. Morning sickness varies in intensity and length and isn’t limited to just the morning. Some women will experience mild symptoms, like nausea and food aversions, for about 12 weeks, while others may endure more intense symptoms, like vomiting, sometimes lasting throughout pregnancy. Morning sickness is caused by sensitivity to some of the hormones of pregnancy. While there isn't anything you can do to cure morning sickness, there are many things you can do to help ease your discomfort and lessen the intensity of nausea.

Give in to cravings. Morning sickness often comes with strong cravings for eating "bad" foods, like high carbohydrates and high fat snacks. If that's what you crave, go for it. Sometimes, those foods do help your stomach feel better. And some relief is better than none as well as some calorie intake is better than none, right?

Eat bland, eat small, and eat often. If you're not craving specific foods, try eating very bland, small meals or snacks frequently. Eating often and in small doses helps aid in better digestion and keeps you from overloading your stomach, which can lead to more intense nausea. Likewise, feeling “empty” can in some cases bring on more nausea.

Slow to rise. When you wake up in the morning, get out of bed slowly. Getting out of bed too quickly, especially when you're pregnant, can make you feel faint, dizzy, or nauseous. If morning nausea before arising from bed is a problem, keep something at the bedside to nibble on at wakening. Something high in carbohydrates, like crackers, is a good choice.

Electrolytes. If you're vomiting, you need to counteract your loss of fluids. Try small doses of electrolyte enhanced fluids, like sports drinks or Pedialyte. Be aware, however, of checking the added sugar content of some electrolyte drinks. High sugar isn't necessary and may only add to your nausea. (Vitamin Water is sweetened naturally through fruit juice as opposed to Gatorade, which is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup). However, if vomiting is serious, you may need the calories that a sweetened drink provides. If you crave a sweetened drink, sip rather than “gulp.”

Consider smells. Stay away from foods that trigger nausea. Limit exposure to smells that trigger nausea. Food isn't the only nausea trigger. Warm, stuffy rooms, heavy perfume, and even loud noise can all add to morning sickness.

Have a night cap. If you're taking prenatal vitamins, they could increase your nausea. Consider taking your vitamins before bed and never take vitamins on an empty stomach.

Ginger, peppermint, and chamomile aid. While these supplements don’t help everyone, research shows that they do help some, so try these. There is no known harm if used in moderation. Ginger has long been known to help ease nausea. It can be taken in many forms -- in ginger ale drinks, in pill form, in hard candies, in tea, or by eating the root directly. Even inhaling the essential oil helps some with morning sickness. Chamomile, likewise, can be beneficial. It is usually taken as chamomile tea.  Finally, peppermint as an inhaled essential oil or as peppermint tea may help.

Alternative therapy. Some women swear by alternative treatment to ease morning sickness, including acupressure, acupuncture, and chiropractic care. Acupressure is achieved by pressing on a specific point, specifically the P6 point on the inner wrist to relieve nausea. Commercially, devices that are made of elastic bands to wear on the wrist are available at drug stores, often marketed for seasickness prevention.

Medication. For women with severe and debilitating nausea, which includes frequent or constant vomiting, medication may be the solution. Talk with your healthcare provider about the options and risks involved. If left untreated, severe vomiting can lead to dehydration, which could cause preterm labor.

What did you do to deal with morning sickness?

Get ready for birth with confidence — Join a Lamaze online class today!  Empower yourself with evidence-based knowledge and support every step of the way.

Original Publication Date: March 16, 2012 by Cara Terreri, LCCE, CD (DONA)
Updated: July 24, 2025 by Renece Waller-Wise, DNP, RNC-OB, CNS, CLC, COI, LCCE,
FACCE

Adapted from Giving Birth with Confidence, 3rd Edition. 

Research supports the traditional practice of keeping parents and newborns together. Evidence shows that this is a key element of nature's plan. People experiencing natural birth have high levels of catecholamines, oxytocin, and endorphins. Catecholamines ensure that parent and baby are alert and ready to get to know each other. Oxytocin helps raise a birthing parent's body/chest/breast temperature and helps them feel calm and responsive. As they hold baby skin to skin, baby's hand and head movements stimulate more oxytocin and endorphin release. The oxytocin helps the uterus stay contracted, which prevents excessive bleeding and also increases milk production. The endorphins create feelings of calm and relaxation, and through body/breast milk, baby stays calm and relaxed, too. Physiologically, parents and babies are meant to be together. 

Experts recommend that right after birth a healthy newborn should be placed skin to skin on the birthing parent's abdomen or chest and should be dried and covered with warm blankets. The parent's temperature adjusts naturally to keep baby warm. Newborns (including premature babies) held skin to skin by their parent cry less and stay warmer than newborns placed in warming cribs. Recent research suggests that skin-to-skin contact, as well as vaginal birth and body/breastfeeding, help "seed" the baby's microbiome with long-term positive effects for baby. "Seeding" means that the exposure to the parent's normal bacteria during a vaginal birth and then skin-to-skin contact becomes the trigger for the development of the baby's own immune system, and this ultimately lowers the risk of the baby getting sick. 

Other benefits of skin-to-skin contact for newborns are easier, more regular breathing; higher more stable blood sugar levels; and a natural progression to body/breastfeeding. Most babies kept skin to skin with their parent after birth instinctively crawl to the chest/breast, latch on, and start nursing all by themselves. Even brief separation can interfere with their ability to do this. It's another good reason to delay baby's first bath. In fact, any care that needs to be done immediately after birth can be done with your baby skin to skin on your chest, with a light warmed blanket over you both. Weighing, measuring, and bathing can be delayed for several hours. 

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Learn more information about the benefits of keeping parent and baby together after birth:

• Read the summary of and complete Lamaze Healthy Birth Practice Paper on keeping parent and baby together after birth.
• Learn 60 ways to keep parent and baby together after birth. 
• Watch a video that demonstrates keeping your baby with you after birth.

Welcome to the first four weeks of postpartum in this month-by-month checklist guide to a healthy pregnancy, birth, and postpartum! This to-do list with a twist contains key tips and action items for optimal health and birth and post-birth preparation, in addition to reminders for fun things, too.  Take a look at the checklists from months 1-10 of pregnancy.

Healthy Pregnancy & Birth To-Do List: Postpartum, Weeks 1-4

Weeks 1-4 post-birth is the beginning of what is referred to as "postpartum." While postpartum is often defined as the first 6-8 weeks after birth, some postpartum changes can last far beyond (up to 6 months and beyond). The following are helpful and healthy things you can do during this time after you've given birth.     

 Refer to your postpartum plan for a solid guide and helpful resources. 

 Get sleep whenever and however you can. Apart from taking care of your baby, taking care of yourself is paramount and sleep is critical to your well being.  

 Stop thinking about "should." I "should" be happy; I "should" know how to do xxxx; I "should" post pictures; and so on. Your experience is yours -- do not compare it with others' or how others think you should be. 

 Let visitors know when they can visit -- you are in charge of your space and time with your baby.    

 Continue taking your prenatal vitamin.

 If something feels off, you feel overwhelmed, you don't feel like yourself, or you have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, contact your doctor, the hospital, or a therapist right away. Postpartum mood disorders are incredibly common and very treatable.   

 Accept offers for help! People love to feel helpful, so when someone inevitably asks "what do you need" or "let me know if I can help," etc., get specific: "I would love a hot meal this week" / "Could you run an errand for me?" / "Would you stop by and sit with the baby while I shower?"  

 Monitor your postpartum bleeding -- if you're soaking through more than one pad an hour or passing clots egg-sized or larger, call your doctor or midwife.   

 Attend pediatrician and postpartum appointments.   

 Experiencing difficulty with body/breastfeeding? Don't wait it out -- contact a local lactation consultant quickly.  

 Make sure you're eating enough, especially if body/breastfeeding.    

 Drink lots of water -- keep a water bottle by your side to help you remember to hydrate.  

 Feeling weak in your core is common -- consider purchasing a belly binder for support in the early days and weeks.  

Adapted from Giving Birth with Confidence, 3rd Edition. 

Many doctors and nurses discourage laboring people from pushing until their cervix is completely dilated and/or encourage them to hold their breath and push as hard as they can without a natural urge once their cervix is fully dilated (called "directed pushing"). There's no research to support these practices. Breath holding without the natural urge to do so is exhausting and deprives a baby of much-needed oxygen. In fact recent research suggests that directed pushing is more stressful for the baby and is associated with increased risk of pelvic-floor problems for the birthing person in the months and years after the birth. It's almost too obvious, isn't it? The signal that it's time to push is feeling the urge to push. If your baby is low in your pelvis, you may feel the urge to push before or at the time of full dilation. Bit if your baby is high in your pelvis at full dilation, you probably won't feel the urge to push until your baby's head moves well down in your pelvis. As your baby moves lower in your pelvis -- especially when your baby's head touches your pelvic-floor muscles (the tissue that forms the floor of your pelvis) -- you'll find yourself involuntarily holding your breath during contractions. You may also naturally grunt and groan during pushing contractions. 

How long will pushing take? As long as it takes. Pushing shouldn't be limited as long as you and your baby are doing well. Like Silly Putty, your perineum takes time and effort to soften and stretch. Once it's soft and stretchy, your baby is easily born. Some caregivers interrupt this process and do an episiotomy (cut the perineum to enlarge the vaginal opening). Research shows that routine episiotomy is harmful. 

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Learn more information about the benefits of upright positions for birth and following your body's urges:

• Read the summary of and complete Lamaze Healthy Birth Practice Paper on avoiding giving birth on your back, available in eight languages, to learn more about healthy pushing practices.
• Learn more about pushing. 
• Watch a video that demonstrates alternatives to giving birth on your back.

Instantly quitting alcohol for pregnancy can feel challenging and disappointing. It's common to feel like you're missing out on the fun. The good news is, alcohol itself isn't the source of "fun," but rather it's the event and time spent with others that produces good feelings. If you're feeling down about being sober, focus instead on the ritual of drinking with a fun mocktail instead. Here are some suggestions for what to order (instead of just water or soda) when you're out:

• Soda water with lime/lemon and/or cranberry
• Virgin versions of alcoholic mixed drinks on the menu
• Non-alcoholic beer
• Sparkling water in a fancy bottle
• Kombucha
• Non-alcoholic wine
• Fancy iced tea -- mix with lemonade, cranberry, or a simple syrup; ask the bartender to get creative!
• Shirley Temple
• Fizzy juice -- ask for any juice mixed with soda water; garnish with mint, cherry, lime, etc.

Welcome to Month 10 of your month-by-month checklist guide to a healthy pregnancy and birth! This to-do list with a twist contains key tips and action items for optimal health and birth preparation, in addition to reminders for fun things, too. Looking for later months? Stay tuned as we post about the postpartum month in the coming weeks! Take a look at the checklists from previous months.

Healthy Pregnancy & Birth To-Do List: Month 10

Weeks 37-40 of pregnancy: your 10th month! Notice I didn't say, the "end" of pregnancy? That's because not all pregnancies end by 40 weeks. In fact, most first pregnancies go past 40 weeks, with an average of 41 weeks (unless induced before labor begins on its own). The following are helpful and healthy things you can do during this month of pregnancy. If you've already had your baby, skip this post and focus on your postpartum time!     

 Like last month, remember to take time for you, and for you and your partner. You can't "bank" time before the baby comes, but you can savor the quiet moments! 

 If you haven't already, install your baby's car seat. Take it to your local fire department to have it checked for safety.  

 Care provider check in: Are you happy with your care? Yes, even this late, you can switch your doctor or midwife. It may not be simple, but it can be impactful if you're experiencing poor care.    

 Continue taking your daily folic acid supplement and prenatal vitamin.

 Continue going to your prenatal visits.  

 Mental and emotional health check: It's normal to feel anxious, but feeling overwhelmed by anxiety calls for professional support, either from your doctor or a therapist.  

 Sleep, sleep, sleep. You never know when you're going to go into labor -- getting good rest beforehand helps you maintain stamina for the big job ahead.   

 Preterm labor is still a concern -- report any signs to your doctor or midwife.   

 Keep up with kick counts.  

 Keep up with your walking -- it's a great way to kick start labor!   

 Learn the signs of preeclampsia and report any signs to your midwife or doctor right away.   

 Avoid induction unless medically necessary.   

Welcome to Month 9 of your month-by-month checklist guide to a healthy pregnancy and birth! This to-do list with a twist contains key tips and action items for optimal health and birth preparation, in addition to reminders for fun things, too. Looking for later months? Stay tuned as we post months 10 through postpartum, in the coming weeks! Take a look at the checklists from previous months.

Healthy Pregnancy & Birth To-Do List: Month 9

Weeks 33-36 of pregnancy: your 9th month! You might be wondering why this is the 9th month and yet, not the end of pregnancy (aka, around 40 weeks). Though we say it all the time, pregnancy isn't technically 9 months and one month isn't always technically 4 weeks. For the sake of simplicity, we're using the 4-week model of a month to date pregnancy in these to-do lists. The following are helpful and healthy things you can do during this month of pregnancy.     

 Take time for you, and for you and your partner. You can't "bank" time before the baby comes, but you can savor the quiet moments! 

 Install your baby's car seat according to the user manual. Take it to your local fire department to have it checked for safety.  

 Care provider check in: Are you happy with your care? Any red flags? Yes, you can still switch your doctor or midwife if you are unsatisfied with the quality of your care.   

 Continue taking your daily folic acid supplement and prenatal vitamin.

 Did you get everything you need for baby? Check over your supplies for any last minute items you want to have in time for baby's arrival.  

 Mental and emotional health check: Increased anxiety is common as birth nears. If you feel overwhelmed by how you feel, talk to a professional -- either your doctor or a therapist.   

 Print a couple of copies of your birth plan and put them in your hospital bag. Share your birth preferences with your doula if you haven't already. 

 Sleep whenever and however you can. You likely won't be sleeping soundly through the night at this point, so catch up with rest or a nap during the day.   

 Put any finishing touches on baby's room or sleeping area. 

 Preterm labor is still a concern -- report any signs to your doctor or midwife.   

 Keep up with kick counts.  

 Keep moving! Walking is a great, low-impact way to stay fit for birth.   

 If possible, hire someone (or ask a good friend/family member for help) to clean your house.   

 Ask your midwife or doctor about routine newborn procedures, tests, and screening after birth. Decide what you do or do not want for your baby.   

Adapted from Giving Birth with Confidence, 3rd Edition. 

Although research shows that routine and unnecessary interference in the natural process of labor and birth is not likely to be beneficial -- and may indeed be harmful -- most U.S. births today are intervention intensive. A majority of people surveyed for Listening to Mothers III experienced the following interventions during labor:

• Continuous EFM (93 percent)
• Restrictions on eating (80 percent)
• IV fluids (62 percent)
• Restrictions on drinking (60 percent)
• Epidural anesthesia (67 percent)
• Artificially ruptured membranes (31 percent)
• Artificial oxytocin augmentation (36 percent)
• Episiotomy (17 percent)

Learn more about each of the interventions listed above by clicking on the link. 

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Learn more information about the benefits of avoiding unnecessary medical interventions in birth, including specific benefits and risks of each intervention:

• Read the summary of and complete Lamaze Healthy Birth Practice Paper on interventions, available in eight languages, to learn more about healthy labor and birth.
• Learn more about common medical interventions. 
• Watch a video that demonstrates avoiding unnecessary medical interventions.

Decades ago, the hallmark of Lamaze childbirth education was a type of breathing ("hee-hoo, hee-hoo"). Over the years, Lamaze has evolved into a comprehensive approach to childbirth, part of which includes comfort measures for labor, of which different types of breathing are a part. So, what does it mean to "breathe?" We hope the following information helps (excerpted and adapted from The Official Lamaze Guide: Giving Birth with Confidence by Judith A. Lothian and Charlotte DeVries):

Breathing in Pregnancy: A Daily Check-in
Finding the time, energy, and peace to face your fears or do anything that requires mental focus is a challenge in our culture. One pregnant woman shared that after years of working at her office, she'd tuned out the sounds of phones ringing and computers clicking. She didn't even notice how noisy her office was until an older coworker looked at her across the bank of desks and said, "You're bringing this child into a world of sounds my babies never heard."

Technology has changed the world dramatically. From cell phones to ATMs, from microwave ovens to social media scrolling, from high-def TVs to AirPods, technology fills our days with vivid images and messages. It's a noisy, busy world that can crowd out the peace that humans need to connect with ourselves.

Connecting with yourself is an important task during your pregnancy. It's a big job to pay attention to all the physical, emotional, and spiritual changes you're experiencing. It takes concentration to envision a future that includes a new role and a new person. Finding a place of stillness for a few moments each day can help you do this crucial work.

Even if your space and your schedule are crowded, you can find a place and time to keep a daily appointment with yourself. Perhaps you can retreat to the corner of your bedroom, the bathroom, a closet, or an empty room at your workplace. Perhaps you can sneak a moment before others wake up, after they've gone to bed, before you get in the shower, or during your lunch break. You might want to check in at the same time each day so you treat this appointment with yourself as the important time it is.

Your daily check-in may be a few moments of silence, meditation, or prayer. You can use this time to get in touch with not only your feelings, but also your body and the little one who is taking up more and more of it. Close your eyes for a moment and listen to your breathing, then take an inventory of yourself: Are there any tense areas in your body neck, shoulders, throat, hands, back? Is anything nagging at your mind? Doing a full-body and mind check will help you identify what needs to be released, relaxed, or dealt with.

Breathing Benefits from Yoga Practice
Yoga, an ancient form of exercise that includes breath control, meditation, and body postures, has become popular among pregnant people. It's easy to understand why: Many yoga exercises include movements that open the pelvis. Yoga also teaches rhythmic breathing, concentration, stamina building, and relaxation. Some who do yoga report improved physical coordination and more balanced emotions.

Lamaze Classes and Breathing
Lamaze classes prepare people for a safe, healthy birth by providing the most current, evidence-based information about birth, simplifying birth, and helping people navigate the maze of modern obstetrics. Be wary of classes that spend a lot of time practicing relaxation and breathing and little or no time building your confidence or discussing how to keep things simple and how to have the safe, healthy birth you want in the birth setting you have chosen.

Breathing: Finding Comfort in Labor
When allowed and encouraged to, a person will naturally move, moan, sway, change their breathing pattern, and rock to cope with contractions, eventually finding the right rhythm for their unique needs. Such active comfort-seeking helps baby rotate and descend and helps prevent labor from stalling. As contractions get stronger, the body releases endorphins -- nature's narcotic to ease pain.

Conscious Breathing
Conscious breathing (especially slow breathing) reduces heart rate, anxiety, and pain perception. It works in part because when breathing becomes a focus, other sensations (such as labor pain) move to the edge of your awareness.

Conscious breathing is an especially useful labor tool because it not only keeps you and your baby well oxygenated, it's also easy to learn and use. It's naturally rhythmic and easy to incorporate into a ritual. And best of all, breathing is the one coping strategy that can't be taken away from you even if you're stuck in bed attached to an electronic fetal monitor and intravenous fluids.

Conscious (or patterned) breathing used to be the hallmark of Lamaze childbirth education. For many, it's still an important way to stay relaxed and stay on top of contractions. It's true that conscious breathing can help you relax and feel less pain during contractions. There's no right way to breathe in labor, despite what others may tell you. Slow, deep breathing helps most people manage the pain of contractions. But the right way for you to breathe is whatever feels right to you. Issues like your number of breaths per minute, breathing through your nose or your mouth, or making sounds (like hee-hee) with your breaths are only important if they make a difference for you.

It may help you to have a visual focus to accompany your conscious breathing. You can recall an image with your eyes closed, focus on a picture or special object from home, keep your eyes on your partner/a friend, or simply stare at a spot on the wall. You may also find that as labor progresses, faster, shallower breathing like a dog gently panting feels better. You'll figure out what works best for you. And what works best will probably change as you move through labor.

Many people practice breathing during pregnancy by using conscious breathing when everyday life presents stressful situations, like being caught in traffic, running late for an important meeting, or worrying about any number of things.

Find Your Rhythm
At some point in labor, you'll find your rhythm or get in a groove, much like a marathon runner does. You'll be living in the moment, doing without thinking. To others you'll appear to be in another world. Your movements will be rhythmic; you'll relax between contractions; you'll respond to contractions in the same way over and over again, perhaps shaking your arms, rolling your head, breathing slowly, chanting, or praying.

You'll be totally focused, but you won't necessarily look comfortable. You'll look like you're working very, very hard which you are. When this happens, you'll know endorphins are working their magic dulling your pain and helping you ride your contractions intuitively. You'll be doing exactly what you need to do. You won't need to be rescued; in fact, the worst thing that could happen to you at this point is to be disturbed or interrupted. A healthy dose of encouragement, support, and respect are all you'll need from your support team.

Welcome to Month 8 of your month-by-month checklist guide to a healthy pregnancy and birth! This to-do list with a twist contains key tips and action items for optimal health and birth preparation, in addition to reminders for fun things, too. Looking for later months? Stay tuned as we post months 9-10, plus postpartum, in the coming weeks! Take a look at the checklists from previous months.

Healthy Pregnancy & Birth To-Do List: Month 8

Weeks 29-32 of pregnancy: your third trimester - getting closer! The following are helpful and healthy things you can do during this month of pregnancy.     

 Secure your doula, if you haven't already. 

 Finalize childcare plans and deposits.  

 Care provider check in: Are you happy with your care? Any red flags? It's still not too late to make a switch -- your choice of care provider can have a significant impact on your birth care and outcome.  

 Continue taking your daily folic acid supplement and prenatal vitamin.

 Keep up with childbirth and/or body/breastfeeding classes. Taking a class taught by a local-to-you instructor can provide you with helpful resources in your area for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.  

 Mental and emotional health check: How are you really feeling? What's your support like? If you're feeling overwhelmed, lonely, not like yourself, etc., talk to a counselor, your care provider, or a therapist.  

 If you haven't already, write up a birth plan. Your childbirth class should be able to help you craft a plan that outlines your preferences, while keeping in mind that birth can be unpredictable.   

 Keep making sleep (at least 7 hours a night) and rest a priority. Your body will thank you!  

 Finish up baby shower thank-you notes, if you haven't already 

 Know the signs of preterm labor.  

 Keep up with occasional kick counts.  

 Looking to stay active and comfortable? Try swimming! The feeling of weightlessness in water combined with a low-impact full-body workout is the perfect pairing.  

 Before your energy takes a major drop in the late third trimester, take time now to make a few freezer meals for postpartum.  

 Learn about safe sleep while washing baby's bedding in advance. 

 Take time for you. And unlike this list, don't save it for last!