Not coping with morning sickness

[HuggleBuggleBear]

I'm 7 weeks with my second. For the last week I have experienced severe nausea all day every day. I've been sick a few times but it is the nausea and sheer exhaustion which I'm struggling with. I struggled last pregnancy but then I didn't have a toddler to look after. I can't do anything. Having a shower totally floors me. I just want to sleep all day. I'm scared that this will hang around till about 15 weeks which it did last time. I also think I'm less far on than my dates as I ovulate late so even longer to endure this.

I know people have this so much worse and I honestly don't know how they cope.

Any one found anything that helps?

[lightrain]

It sounds really bad, you have my sympathy. I had constant nausea from 6 weeks to around 14 weeks. Only thing that helped me was nibbling carby foods very often, every half hour or so. Whatever didn't repulse me at the time - mostly crackers, sometimes crisps (salt and vinegar good), toast, that sort of thing. I did not win any prizes for healthy eating but really had no option if I was to function at all! I also found drinking milk first thing in the morning settled my stomach, I think it might have lined my tummy iykwim. If I didn't drink some milk within a few mins of waking up, I'd throw up yellow bile (yuk yuk yuk).

Hope you feel better soon.

[IcouldstillbeJoseph]

You have all my sympathy. I have been where you are.

It's not for everyone but honestly, the only way I coped, was to take medication. I had Buccastem for most days/nights and ondansertron for the worst times. They worked well and I found once the nausea was under control the exhaustion improved too - I think the overwhelming nausea makes you want to lie down more.

I tried all self-help methods to no avail. Good luck.

[millyme]

Drugs. Prochlorperazine and cetirizine. My GP was reluctant to prescribe them but I got an appt with my hospital obstetrician and explained that I couldn't cope or look after my older DC properly because of the nausea and she wrote to my GP asking to prescribe for me. She showed me a recent study that showed the safety of these drugs which are used internationally (just not much here) by thousands and thousands of women who go on to have perfect healthy babies (as did I).
There's a growing feeling that women should be allowed easier access to drugs like these and in fact there's a website - I forget the name - run by doctors who advocate greater choice for women re. drug treatment for MS. The site describes a combo of over the counter meds many women apparently take (a B vitamin and an antihisthamine I think) to help, and obviously it's never a good idea to self-medicate, so they argue that safe drug options should be made available by GP's to stop this happening. They're also proposing a greater understanding of the wretchedness of extreme pregnancy nausea as opposed to hyperemesis.
I guess most GP's - and mothers - are still hsunted by the ghost of thalidomide. But the study my consultant showed me was totally convincing re the safety record of various drugs.
Usually you only get offered them with hypermesis but as you say the nausea can be so totally disabling.

OP I feel so sorry for you! My first (drug free) pregnancy was unbearable because of extreme nausea but my second was completely transformed and I was able to look after my family and myself so much better because of medication. I was able to enjoy healthy food and exercise - in fact sometimes wonder if that's why my DC2 came out big and fat and happy whereas poor DC1 throughout whose gestation I was lying in bed unable to eat, was and is a scrawny, pale little thing.

Good luck OP!

[millyme]

Oops wrong drug name - CYCLIZINE (it's s motion sickness drug)

[Timeforabiscuit]

You have my utmost sympathy, definitely go back to gp - mine was milder than yours, found that sipping tonic water helped, as well as nibbling crackers - but I really feel for you on the exhaustion

[IcouldstillbeJoseph]

I just rang my gp - couldn't face going down there with my head in a carrier bag (admittedly I'm a MW so I 'played that card' ) but just said I couldn't cope with my toddler, that I knew from experience that it hasn't peaked yet and I needed him to prescribe something.
I hope yours is as obliging.

[IcouldstillbeJoseph]

Oh and just another thing, Buccastem works so well as you just let it dissolve between your gum and lip so you don't have to swallow anything. Works almost immediately. I didn't even feel I could face swallowing the tiniest tablet on the worst days.

[HuggleBuggleBear]

Thanks for all the replies. I feel guilty when its not as bad as others but I feel I can't function properly. I'm gonna try the suggestions although in the last pregnancy nothing worked. But it feels worse than last time. I've got booking in appt on Thursday so will see what they say. Last time they offered acupuncture on the nhs but I didn't take it as it was getting better by the time it was offered may look into that. I am really reluctant to go down the medication route but if I can't work or look after my toddler then well I don't know how i'll get through the next few weeks.

[HuggleBuggleBear]

Lightrain will try the milk in the morning if I can stomach it!

Icouldstillbejoseph, millyme, suffolknwhat thanks for information on medication to be honest hadn't really entertained this as an option but I think if this continues I need to seriously consider it. Millyme thank you for your post its reassuring that there are studies that show the drugs are safe.

Timeforabiscuit somebody else recommended tonic water never had it before but it's worth a try.

And I'm sorry others have experienced this.

[millyme]

Hope you're feeling ok today, OP and other sufferers!

Here's the website I found useful
www.pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk/
Click on "resources" and there are links to some of the research papers about the safety records of the armour drug options.

I know it's scary to consider taking drugs in pregnancy - that's why I didn't with my first - but it seems that many, many women have taken these mild anti-emetics with nothing but good results.

If your GP is reluctant to help you, I'd say go straight to your hospital and ask for an appointment or phone consultation with an obstetrician. I had to do this to get the help I needed.

I also found that the ante-natal midwives were very dismissive (this is just my experience of course) and kept telling me to try ginger biscuits etc. As if I hadn't tried every bloody ginger / peppermint / dry cracker combo known to woman! So I politely insisted on seeing a hospital doctor. In my experience they seem to be more up to date with recent development in drug treatments, perhaps than GPs or community nurses.

If you live in London and would like to get an appointment with my very understanding and helpful consultant at Chelsea and Westminster, PM me and I'll give you her email address.

Good luck everyone - one day soon you will not feel sick I promise!
Xxxx

[Timeforabiscuit]

Hi op - fingers crossed the gp has given you something that will help you function, please don't be afraid to make a nuisance of yourself!!!

[misskatamari]

Hey, I've been feeling similar with constant nausea and frequent vomiting. My doctor has signed me off work for a couple of weeks as I just couldn't cope whist feeling this dreadful.

I have had a few acupuncture appointments and they do seem to help me feel better. I would definitely recommend giving it a go. Good luck and I hope it passes for you soon x