Work and "morning" sickness

[MidLine]

Hi everyone,

Apologies if this type of question has come up before, but am just looking for a bit of advice/reassurance about the logistics of working full time and coping with feeling as rough as a badgers arse unwell during pregnancy.

DH and I have finally agreed to start TTC in January but, as much as I know that not all women are affected, I'm just struggling to see how I would be able to work with the constant nausea/actual sickness as I don't have a job where I can easily just run off to the loo if needed.

I'm sorry if this is a trivial question and I know there can be far more important issues to worry about but this is my immediate concern and was wondering how others dealt with it? Thanks

[PopcornMouse]

I've no idea... This might be a better fit in the pregnancy forum?
Not all women get it, though.

[HappyCamel]

I just got on with it the second time. It was unpleasant and occasionally I had to run for the loos, but mostly I just sipped cold water and tried to focus on my work.

The first time I couldn't sit up in bed without retching and had to be signed off work. Every pregnancy is different.

[gallicgirl]

I nibbled ginger biscuits. I found the key was in making sure I never got too hungry as that would make me nauseous and then when I ate, I would vomit.

Luckily though, most of my morning sickness was in the evening so everyone at work thought I coped really well. In reality I spent a fair amount of the evening looking at the toilet.

[toddlerama]

I had to wrap up my business until after the birth when it became clear I wasn't improving at around 6 months

As I was self employed, I just took my maternity allowance and started working again when DD1 was younger than I would have otherwise. Same with DD2. With DC3 (preg now) we have just shelved me working for the time being. I may not restart at all. But the reality for me (work from home, after 7pm only as a music tutor) is that it's much easier to work with a child than pregnant! I was shouting scales to students from the bathroom. Not very professional.

[freelancescientist]

I had evening sickness with both of mine - came on about 4pm.
It was bearable though - please don't worry about it.
All the women I've worked with have managed to hide their pregs until at least 12 weeks so not everyone is badly enough affected for it to affect their work.

[loveisagirlnameddaisy]

I'm having this very problem right now. Am nearly 10 weeks and feeling sick as a dog all day long. My job is desk based so I'm not physically challenged at work (you don't say what your job is), but it's very hard going and I'm always exhausted by about 3pm.

I do already have one child so this doesn't help as weekends are not a chance to rest, if this is your first then I'd recommend just getting all the rest you can outside of work and that should be a big help.

Unless you are very unlucky or have pregnancy related 'issues' such as SPD to deal with, it tends to be the first trimester that's the worst. And typically, it's the one where you're keeping quiet, so you have to suffer in silence at work!

Good luck TTC.

[MotherPanda]

Gin gins, boiled sweets and lollypops where my lifesavers- remember that not everyone gets morning sickness in the morning! Mine was generally evening, on the way home from work.

[gallicgirl]

I think the chronic tiredness was more of an issue than sickness. I could have happily crawled under my desk and slept all afternoon.

[RubyrooUK]

I felt sick for about 10 weeks and was emotionally bonkers but wasn't puking everywhere. As gallic says, it was more the enormous exhaustion that got me - I was grey.

Most of my friends or pregnant staff have been able to hide it easily. Some have felt totally fine.

A couple of my staff who have suffered really terrible morning sickness told me very early on (about six weeks) and I was able to help them when they needed it, rather than thinking they were being weird all the time. Of course there is a risk in telling your boss early but if you are puking all the time and can't bear anyone eating in the office, there is little choice.

In the main, though, I would say myself and the majority of people I know have just nibbled on ginger biscuits or crackers and got through the day alright.

[MidLine]

Thanks for your replys. Guess it's just a case of go for it and hope for the best. As lots of you have said, I suppose you just get through it because you have to!

Good luck with all your current and future pregnancies x

[eurochick]

My colleague puked loudly and violently in her office bin when on an important conference call with a client CEO once. It later became an amusing office anecdote she liked to tell.

[DeeLite]

Midline I was quite nauseous from Week 7 to Week 11 of my pregnancy with DC1. Morning was the worst and I was regularly retching at my desk but it's a mind over matter thing so I never retched in meetings nor on the telephone. The journey to work was the worst as I eat breakfast at my desk and and morning sickness and empty tummies are a bad mix. It feels interminable at the time but you get through it and even forget how miserable you felt. It just goes to show how wrapped up in themselves other people are because no one else noticed that I had been constantly nibbling at things in my office, constantly running to the loo and avoiding social outings. I felt it was really obvious but no one guessed and I was 17 weeks before I told anyone at work.

It was something that worried me too before I got pregnant (as well as what I would wear at work when heavily pregnant) but it seems really trivial this time 'round. I say that now and will (hopefully) be eating my words before too long when I'm sick as a dog and unable to lift my head off my desk.