Emetophobia and morning sickness

[teaandkittens]

I'm 5 weeks pregnant and very excited and happy apart from one big fear.

I am phobic of vomiting. I haven't thrown up for years (apart from the odd alcohol accident) and I am terrified of morning sickness.

I know it doesn't happen to everyone and I can cope with a bit of nausea just about....I just don't know what I'll do if I actually vomit.

I just want a bit of reassurance really. is it controllable? like how much warning do you get or am I just going to throw up all over myself at my desk?

What helps? What doesn't help? Is it usually just in the morning or all the time?

Thanks! (I know, I'm ridiculous)

btw I mentioned it to my gp and she said there are anti sickness drugs. Are they safe?

[peeapod]

ginger, eating some plain toast before getting out of bed (or similar if you dont have a slave to get the toast like bisucits beside the bed. seriously dont move til youv eaten)

Make sure you dont get hungry at all. Eat lots of little things all day. Eat just before bed so you can get to sleep ok.

Eat plain foods, dry, boring tasteless foods. and carbs, lots of carbs.

Trouble iv had with ms was because i was nauseuous all the time I couldnt tell when i was actually going to be sick :(

[teaandkittens]

thank you-v helpful.

so when you say you don't actually know when you're going to vom, what happens. ..can you usually get to a toilet in time?! (This is my biggest fear)

[EmB1715]

I never vomitted with my ms and I hate vomiting too! However, I was so nauseous from 5-18 weeks that I was willing myself to be sick most of the time. So I'm not sure what's worse! Sorry that isn't very reassuring, all I can really advise is that you try everything and you will find things that help you. And you will get used to it very quickly! Good luck and I hope you stay ms free!

[MollyMatey]

I've had one pregnancy with nausea most of the day for the first few weeks, and one pregnancy with a bit of vomitting just in the mornings. Neither have I puked on myself or not been able to get to the toilet on time.

Eating bland things little and often and never getting hungry really helped with the nausea. When I was sick just in the mornings I was luckily able to have a lie-in everyday and basically sleep through the sickness.

[peeapod]

a combination. usually i was ok, but then i always had my emergency back up if i didn't. i get kinda shaky before being sick so sometimes standing is difficult. in a lot of ways having the back up stopped me from needing it.

[puntasticusername]

I've only felt sick with one of my pregnancies (out of two) and when I have, it's just been feeling nauseous rather than ever actually vomiting. So it may not even be an issue for you.

As others say, the best way to head it off is to keep eating! Which is hard to do when you feel like crap to start with, but it was the only strategy that remotely worked for me.

All the best with your pregnancy!

[Foxeym]

I too have emetophobia and have just had DC3, I had Terrible ms with DD1&2 and in a way it helped me cope better as there was nothing I could do about it, I was bad in the evenings so I found going to bed early really helped. I know that's not the answer you were looking for but you honestly will find a way of coping as you know it's not an illness and it will end :)

[teaandkittens]

thank you so much for all your helpful replies!

I think maybe my main fear is being out on my own or at work and needing to throw up and not having anywhere to go! Does this happen or can you kind of stop it?

I'm hoping pregnancy will cure my silly fear!

[PacificDogwood]

teasandkittens, yes, the meds for morning sickness are safe - if you need them.

I had 8 pregnancies (4 children) and was not sick once - felt mildly sick on the odd occasion and totally went off pork , but nothing more.
I am just saying this as you just don't know how sick you might be.

Eat something bland before getting up.
Eat small and often during the day - you might prefer 'grazing' all the time rather than 3 square meals.
You may have morning sickness, or all day sickness, or (like I did) afternoon sickness.
Try and relax in to your pregnancy - it helps if you can manage it.
Ginger is often banded about and no doubt helps some people, but not everybody...

V best of luck x.

[Notonthisplanet]

I too have this phobia and not thrown up since I was 18 (I'm 35). Both my pregnancies I had 24/7 nausea til 16 weeks and coped ok by resting as much as I can and nibbling on dry biscuits, but you will find certain foods help IF you get ms. I have found that going through ms has helped me to overcome the fear a bit and I know what you mean by having warning of needing to throw up, I found that you will definitely know that you will be in time to react as I found I was able to do nothing else once the feeling has taken grip. I have suffered two stomach bugs this year, one during the height of ms and my family laugh at that as they know how bad I am with it

[Notonthisplanet]

And I wouldn't say I'm cured of the phobia but I have a little more confidence in dealing with it x

[starrynight123]

I am so glad that I found this thread. I have emetaphobia and had my first bout of ms this morning - I’m 8wks. For the last few weeks, I’ve been nauseas but not sick and I was all right-ish at work yesterday (didn’t move from my desk between 9.30am-3.20pm because I was so scared in case I was sick.

I’m supposed to be at work right now, but I’m so scared that I’ll be sick again that I dare not leave my bed. I have no idea how I am going to make it to work tomorrow and am feeling traumatised about having been sick :-( God, I feel awful, so scared and on the verge of tears.

[Writerwannabe83]

I suffered nausea from about 8 weeks pregnant but the actual vomiting didn't kick in until I was 10 weeks. With me my sickness came on very quick, I'd be lying in bed, feeling lousy and then suddenly I just knew I was going to be sick. Sometimes it would be a full on sickness episode but at other times it would just be retching and bile. Sometimes food would trigger it off but other times it would just happen for no reason. I tried various foods to try and relieve it but the only thing that settled my stomach was 7up/lemonade type drinks. Thankfully my sickness, only lasted over the period of about 2 weeks, some days I'd be fine but other days I was lying in a heap on the bathroom floor. I was signed off by my GP because there was just no way I could have worked - but that's because I am a Community Worker so I was either in my car or in someone's house, neither of which are an ideal place to throw up! It might bee easier if your are office based and can run to the toilet. However, I also felt very shitty and very weak because I wasn't eating or drinking properly for days on end so just didn't feel up to working anyway.

[Listmaker]

I had ms with both my pregnancies up to around 20 weeks and I was actually sick quite often. But it wasn't like a sickness bug in that I knew I was going to be sick but not super urgently. With dd1 I was working in an office and the loos were down a flight of stairs and I always walked there more or less calmly and then was sick. I never had to be sick anywhere in public or anything like that.

[Cupcake11]

I didn't know whether to comment but I thought you're better off having a balance of answers.
I had ms from 8 weeks till 14 weeks and was often six up to six times a day. I hardly ever got any warning and was often sick in public
But, I always made sure I had a plastic bag or something to use in case it happened and that made it a lot easier. It's not nice but it does pass (for most) and I don't know anyone else in rl who this happened to so like most nasty pregnancy symptoms you just have to hope it doesn't happen to you.

[OrangeMochaFrappucino]

I have always had a fear of vomiting. My first pregnancy helped because I was sick so frequently that I realised it's not so scary and I could cope with it. I am now pregnant with my second and have been very nauseous but infrequently sick, which isn't any better. It is very hard, it can be very upsetting and I was signed off work as well. The best thing I found was rest - lying down as much as possible and eating small amounts of salty bland carbs frequently. I also drank coke, lemonade and other fizzy drinks - my diet was not good! But I learned that these things were more pleasant to vomit up than plain water.

Vomiting still makes me panicky but I know I can cope and I know it won't last long. I also know that resisting it only makes it worse - if it's going to happen then you can't stop it and you just have to get through it. Be kind to yourself and remember it will pass.

[starrynight123]

It was helpful to read all your stories... helps to think about it more normally instead of in the terrified, jittery way that I am right now. I obviously need to go to work tomorrow (thankfully no one asked any questions about today) and I do work in an office which helps. I have a bin right next to my desk and some tissues plus bottle of water and mints. I’ll also take in newspaper/bags just in case I’m ill and some crackers and/or boiled mini potatoes plus gingernuts.

I’ve got a Dr’s appointment on Friday afternoon to get some anti-sickness tablets, so as long as I can keep it together until then, I hope I am okay.

I waited for so long to get pregnant because this was the one thing that really scared me and having the reality of morning sickness thrust on me this morning has really shaken me.

I know it sounds daft to be so scared of being sick, but to me it is the single worst thing that could happen to me.

[commsgirl]

I have severe emetophobia and I've had nausea pretty much constantly throughout my pregnancy (I'm now 30 weeks). I've been lucky in that I haven't vomited very frequently.

I'll second everyone else's advice - frequent meals, eat before you get up. Making sure I have enough sleep helps greatly. You'll find out what foods work for you, don't try and eat things that you don't feel like you can stomach. I had a lot of toast in the first trimester!

You will get through it, you can cope and it isn't going to last forever. I've found as my pregnancy progresses that I'm able to be more rational about feeling nauseous and although actually vomiting still sends me into panic I know that it will pass.

[starrynight123]

I managed to get to work yesterday - arrived c.10.45 and left c.4pm. Not the longest working day, but I got a bunch of work done and I was so pleased with myself. Today is another story. Dressed and ready to go to work but feel so nauseas that a few steps around the flat and I’m struggling to keep my breakfast down. Argh! I honestly was so happy at yesterday that I assumed it would be the same today. So frustrating.

Thank you for the tip of eating before I get up out of bed. Feeling so nauseas makes it feel a bit counter-intuitive to eat, but I find myself waking up in the middle of the night and reaching for a cereal bar. Then, I do the same when I wake up in the morning. So far, I haven’t been sick, just nauseas. So, that’s a step in the right direction.

[starrynight123]

My GP prescribed me avomine yesterday and it seems to work for me!!! OMG!!! Took an hour or so to kick in, but felt SO much better afterwards. Couldn’t believe it - felt really weird to not feel so horribly nauseous and sick. Hope it continues working.

GP also gave me a sick note for next week and told me to take the opportunity to rest as much as possible.

[amyo34]

so happy reading this i thought emitophobia was so rare and to know that are new moms out there who are suffering from EMP and dreading MS is so reassuring i'm terrified but in reality i keep telling myself if the nasuea gets to the actual vomit point that its max 20 sec and then im safe ect ect i hop i can just stay in the luck lady category of nausea only and no actual pukies can we all just pray for each other :(-- only plus is since im so tired and nauseaus i dont miss my beer/wine

[bananafone5]

I also have this phobia and touch wood have not actually been sick. I'm almost 12 weeks with my first pregnancy and was lucky to have only 2 weeks of feeling so nauseous that I had to lie down a lot.

What I would say is that - for me anyway - once I realised what morning sickness felt like I felt so reassured. It's been more like travel sickness for me, which is miserable but not unbearable like having a bug or something.

I went to the doctor and had to almost cry before he'd prescribe cyclizine, but I only ended up taking it once anyway (for a work meeting - like you, there's a social element to my phobia and it's not so bad when I'm at home). Just knowing I have the pills is really reassuring. Hope this is somewhat helpful, and that you're lucky enough to get no morning sickness at all.

[Skiptonlass]

I lived with a flat mate with emetophobia - it's real, don't think you're being silly!

Another 'bad' story for you but I was very, very sick for months and I'm still sick now. I bought the proper sick bags (sicsac) and stashed them in every bag, pocket and coat I owned! I had buckets all around the house and I think only once or twice I've been sick without making it to a loo.

If you do get nauseous, it's so variable. There's really no way of knowing how bad it will be. Hopefully you won't be badly affected and if so you can manage it with the excellent advice in previous posts. If you do find yourself getting bad, I'd encourage you to visit your doctor- there are some meds that can help.

[pickleandflux]

I also have this phobia, and thankfully have got away without being sick during this pregnancy. I find that anxiety about possibly vomiting makes me feel worse, and so I found ways to make me feel a bit more at ease if the worst were to happen. I had heard that Promethazine Teoclate (Avomine or Vertigon) is safe and often prescribed for ms, and so I bought a packet over the counter at Superdrug - I only took it once, but even just having it in my bag made me feel better!! Also making sure that I had a toothbrush/toothpaste handy etc. My biggest fear is being sick in public, or making a mess, and so also a good idea to carry some sick bags. As I said, doing these things helped to reduce my worry around it, which in turn seemed to help reduce the nausea. I hope that helps xxx