Work and morning sickness

[LiveFatsDieYoGnu]

I’m 8 weeks pregnant. I should have left for work 40 minutes ago, but instead I’ve been in the bathroom vomiting. Nothing left to bring up but every time I try to leave I’m back down retching uncontrollably. Thank goodness my work are flexible, but yesterday I was like this until noon, and even after that the nausea was pretty overwhelming until 9pm. I don’t know what to do! I could ring in sick but I’m not sure I’m sick ‘enough’.

Does anyone have any advice? Words of comfort? A telling off? I’ll take anything right now

Retching everytime you try to leave the bathroom counts as sick enough. Make sure you take small sips of water to keep you hydrated and rest. Tiredness makes it worse.

Throwing up until Midday is sick enough!!

From a practical point of view, I can’t really help. I threw up several times a day from weeks 7-18 or so, both pregnancies, and was hospitalised for rehydration several times.

From a legal point of view, pregnancy related sick leave cannot be used against you, but you must tell your employer (you don’t have to tell everyone, and you can ask for discretion though). Your employers normal sick pay apply.

Pregnancy Sickness Support is really helpful too.

Yes it is sick enough, if you've tried all the remedies, eating biscuits before getting out of bed and it carries on much longer then get yourself to the doctors and either signed off til it's a bit better or anti sickness tablets. I didn't get any til 20 weeks and they were life changing, I was sick all day and could only keep down lemonade.

I understand OP because I'm in the same boat right now! Also 8 weeks. Feel like death warmed up yet still somehow feeling I should struggle into work.

What I keep trying to tell myself is - if this were anything other than pregnancy sickness would I call in sick? For me, the answer is 100% yes. If I had food poisoning/a stomach bug/virus which meant I couldn't leave the bathroom without retching, there would be absolutely no question - I would call in sick! I don't know why but when it's pregnancy for some reason we feel we have to struggle through.

Gosh, thanks everyone. I really felt like I might get a kick up the arse but you’re all so kind

Treelamp - sorry you’re suffering too. I completely get what you’re saying about feeling the need to struggle on. I feel like a complete wuss, which is daft because I would have nothing but sympathy for anyone else in the same position!

I have a friend who was hospitalised with HG and I know I’m nowhere near as bad as she was which does make me feel like I should just suck it up, but maybe it’s true that you don’t need to be at hospital stage to take it a bit easy!

Just had another round of vomiting so far I seem to be able to keep food down in the afternoons though so I don’t think I’m at any real risk. Just a bit miserable!

I'm 7 weeks and you basically described my last Friday.

Luckily I was working from home, but by about 9am I was retching and throwing up anything I tried to get into my stomach. Made it until 12pm, where I used my hour lunch break to just lie on my bed upstairs, came back down to work and it was a massive no no.

Ended up messaging my manager to say I've been sick and logging off for the rest of the day, which I spent nibbling on toast and sleeping!

There was no way I could function when I felt like that, and just had to throw in the towel.

I've got a private meeting with my manager this week so i am going to have to tell her, just in case it happens again. Will just ask for her discretion not to discuss it with anyone else until I have the clear at my 12 week scan.

@alarae I had to tell my manager earlier than planned too. I'm glad I did though because he agreed to change my start/finish times and I'm WFH more too. Still a massive struggle though.

Fingers crossed the next few weeks go quickly and we all feel a lot better in the second trimester!