Miserable early pregnancy

[Mermaid36]

I'm only 6 weeks in and I feel bloody shit and am struggling.

I have pregnancy rhinitis, abdominal pain, insomnia, sore boobs, nausea and dizziness and generally feel disgusting. I can't do my normal fitness stuff which is depressing me too.

I don't think DH expected me to be this miserable in early pregnancy. In fact I don't think he expected there to be any difference in my behaviour etc at this early stage. He is trying to be supportive but really doesn't know what to do.

[SunnyDays1987]

I felt utterly awful in early pregnancy too. I ended up being signed off at 8 weeks for a few weeks because I was basically falling apart. I'll be honest, I never enjoyed pregnancy all the way through and I suffered with insomnia to the end. However, some of the initial hard stuff did get easier when I got to about 13 weeks. DS is now nearly 11 months old and I'm considering doing it all again, so the horror does leave you!

Good luck and don't be too hard on yourself, pregnancy for some people really is complete and utter shit!!!

[NotSoYummyMummy23]

I've been the exact same this time too. This is DC2 and I can't remember feeling this bad the first time!! I'm now 10 weeks and starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I haven't been sick since Friday, and my mood has perked up quite a lot, well, most of the time!! It is really difficult to look forward to the rest of your pregnancy when you're feeling so rubbish and low, but it will get better. Even if every one of your symptoms don't go, some of them will and you'll be surprised at how much better you'll feel. Sending you hugs x

[April2013]

I think the first trimester is definitely the worst, and the early weeks particularly bad, thankfully for most people it improves soon, I am 23 weeks now and occasionally feel human, a lot of people feel better much earlier than that, it does get better for most women, I recommend asking to lay down when they take blood at your booking in appointment with midwife to avoid fainting, its no problem for them, I am not normally a fainter but early pregnancy makes me one, the only thing that kept me sane was TV, ebay and baby name research. I had to tell people fairly early I was pregnant because of all the rubbish symptoms. It is hard on my DH too because he has become nurse\cook\cleaner etc whenever he isn't at work, yesterday I made him breakfast and he was so shocked! I think you both need to just simplify life a bit so you can manage easier, there might be things that go on the back burner for a while. Congratulations!

[Junosmum]

Awful isn't it, no sooner have you got you're BFP when the smile is wiped off your face when the symptoms hit you like a train. I felt like hell until 16 weeks. I'm now 33 weeks and feel pretty good - bit tired and bump gets in the way, but totally human! So it does pass.

[spilttheteaagain]

I bloody hate early pregnancy. 9/10 weeks now. For the last month I have been a bag of total misery, complaining about everything, doing nothing, feeling shite, nauseous, exhausted, glum and frankly feeling useless which is frustrating and upsetting.

Think it's normal tbh, but it's a horrible shock the first time round. #3 here so I was expecting it, but it's still pretty rubbish. It should get better though, this is the worst bit for me certainly! Hope you feel less crap in a few weeks.

[Klaptrap]

I have had a pretty crap early pregnancy too - have been lucky compared to some, but have had constant, very intense, nausea from about 5 weeks and a lot of morning vomiting. Oh and I had diarrhea. It is a shock to the system as you expect to be 'full of the joys' and I just wasn't at all. I felt guilty for not feeling happy.

I stopped being sick every day the day I turned 10 weeks and my nausea is gradually receding now, to the point where I feel mostly human. Still ridiculously tired, but I can cope with that!

Really hope the rough bit passes for you ASAP.

[Pregasaurusrex]

I am a little further along than you and also feel horrendous. I've been signed of work for two weeks, but ended up going back today, a after one day, as I felt guilty! Why- I don't know as I am still up chucking. Hopefully it will get better for us soon! I find lots and lots of sleep helps.

[Beansprout30]

Can I jump on your post and ask when you started getting sickness etc? Im five weeks and aside from feeling tired and sore boobs, I feel fine. Im worrying that my lack of symptoms are a bad sign

[Mermaid36]

I've had the everything except actual sickness since 4.5/5 weeks....The actual sickness started about 3 or 4 days ago

Though just to put it in perspective, my friend who is now 15 weeks has had no nausea or sickness....not fair!

[InsufficientlyCaffeinated]

Hey Mermaid36 I'm 5 weeks and 4 days so very similar stage as you and I know exactly how you feel. I want to feel excited but the nausea kicked in at the end of last week and, ironically, morning is the only time I don't feel sick but from lunch time onwards my stomach is churning. Also have incredibly painful breasts which I think is being made worse by it being winter and cold nipples plus pregnancy breasts makes even my softest, comfiest bra feel like it's made of barbed wire.

Re not being able to do your fitness stuff, I love cycling and although my last couple of rides have made me feel more sick at every bump in the road, when I hit a smooth bit on a hill, I felt better than I had in days. Just for a short while but did my mental wellbeing the world of good. Also going for walks just to get out and do some physical activity. It may not be possible to do your full fitness regimen depending on what it is, but perhaps some physical activity just to keep moving might help.

I hope it gets better for you

[spilttheteaagain]

beansprout, lots of women don't get nauseous in pregnancy, the lucky sods, but at 5 weeks there's still plenty of time for it to start. Mine started at 6 weeks 1st time, 7 weeks 2nd time and 4 weeks this time. Eat now would be my advice!

[clarabellski]

mermaid. I could have written your post a few months ago.

We were originally going to keep pregnancy a secret under after the first scan, but I felt so miserable I felt I needed a woman to confide in so I told my mum (DH is lovely, but not used to seeing the useless creature I became). Perhaps if you have a female relative or friend that you trust, you could confide in them for support (someone who has been there before)? I found it a huge help.

[DrGee]

Oh I'm so happy to see this thread (in a sympathetic way) as I'm 8 weeks pregnant with my first and oh my goodness what a shock the nausea is honestly it's been revving up for 3 weeks now and this week is just a write off so far. The guilt at eating too little or too much crap and generally feeling like a useless human is actually quite depressing and I too feel guilty for not feeling "over the moon" like I really want to be. I just feel like death! My work involves a lot of "thinking" for want of a better word and sadly that's not an option lately. I'm holding all you lovely ladies reassurances that it will get better! And it is actually very comforting to know I'm not the only one finding early pg extremely unpleasant! Hope you all feel better soon! X

[Quodlibet]

Nearly 8 weeks here and the sudden nausea at completely random times of day is getting worse. I feel hungover most of the time, have the rhinitis too (why??) and now also tender boobs.
Moan moan mutter mutter. I don't feel horrendous and I know I'm getting off lightly compared to some but it's shit just feeling quite rubbish all the time.

[Mermaid36]

Yeah, strangely my nausea is worse in the afternoon/early evening, rather than mornings...and the bloody rhinitis!!! At least I can just tell people that I have a bad cold....

[Quodlibet]

My nausea was the same in my first pregnancy - I'd feel really sick on the way home from work and often have to get off a stop or two early for some discreet retching. Fruit ice lollies were the answer. I suspect they won't be this time!
I was thinking this morning though how the bone-crushing tiredness doesn't seem as bad as I remember it. But then perhaps I'm just used to feeling pretty tired all the time with a two-year-old!!

[Beansprout30]

Hmmm perhaps I spoke too soon! Have had some real queasiness the last couple of days and can't stomach the thought of healthy food, I just want to eat crap which is not like me. Been munching on ginger biscuits, hope it doesn't get too much worse

[spilttheteaagain]

Yep eating crap is part and parcel of it in my experience - vegetables totally intolerable. I find orange juice quite helpful though. Good luck working out what you can stomach. Bacon sarnies and mini cheddars have been my mainstay through the worst of it this time.

[Beansprout30]

Funny you should say orange juice, ive been guzzling lots of it. Cant even face chocolate right now!

[Mermaid36]

Yeah, I'm having quite a bit of orange juice... have gone right off sweet things though (chocolate, haribo etc), even plain biscuits aren't very appealing...

[cantbelieveImquittingcoffee]

I'm 18 weeks now and physically over the pat few weeks I now feel the best I have felt. Although I didn't have any extreme symptoms ( just the "usual" - extreme tiredness, nausea every evening though no vomming thank GOD as I am phobic) I found that psychologically I really went through the mill. I have suffered from depression for a few short periods in the past and I definitely went there from about 6-12 weeks - everything felt overwhelming, joyless and terrifying. I had to give up my usual activities (yoga every day) which help me keep my equanimity and mental stability so maybe that was part of it, but I was sitting at home googling "first trimester is the worst" as my main activity. It will get better, I promise!

[cantbelieveImquittingcoffee]

Oh, and the sweet tooth came back for me after a first trimester obsession with toast and butter and cheese...now I can polish off a family sized bar of dairy milk when before only super-high cocoa content dark chocolate would do!

[malvinandhobbes]

I am in completely the same place. I am just 5w5 days and I am miserable. I can barely keep my eyes open and am going to bed every night at 8:30. I feel queasy, frequently light headed, but mostly I have absolutely no control of my emotions. I am sad then angry then sad again. My other kids are 10 and 12 and I don't remember this being so hard so early. Thanks for all the kind words that this will pass.

[Quodlibet]

Yourusername, I (like probably several of the women on this thread) have previously suffered a miscarriage, so can fully appreciate the pain of a pregnancy failing, thank you very much.

It is perfectly possible to be very grateful for your pregnancy AND to feel miserable and grotty at the same time, believe me.

This thread is a supportive place for women undergoing the difficult bits of the first trimester to have a bit of a moan and get some of it off their chest. I don't think your judgemental assessment of what is or is not an issue is helpful to anyone so perhaps keep your opinions to yourself.