Is it really poor form to have time off work in the first trimester?

[Sparksi]

I don’t want to seem flaky and appreciate I might just need to get on with it!

I’m feeling nauseous most days, most of the day, and off pretty much all food. I am eating but find it really difficult to not feel sick while doing so. Even opening the fridge or smelling someone else’s lunch is a trigger to me. Not been physically sick (yet) but a couple of dry heaving episodes.

I also just feel so body tired. Not fall asleep tired. Just physically fatigued, like I need to lie down a lot 😂

I’m nearly 7 weeks so appreciate my symptoms might get a bit worse yet. I also don’t want to tell work that I’m pregnant yet due to a previous loss. What would you do? Would you muddle through for now?

Didn’t want to read and run.
1st trimester can be tough! I started taking iron tablets (after talking to the pharmacist) as I have a history of anaemia, which helped. You should be feeling better in your second trimester.

Personally, if I can work I go in, as you don’t know what’s around the corner. I preserved until I caught a virus and had a blood pressure of 80/50 so was unable to move.

You're pregnant, not flaky! Don't worry about form and all the rest of it, do what you need to do.

Not at all - the first trimester can be the hardest time physically.

Personally, I found I was unable to work from about week 7 - vomiting wasn't excessive (about 2 - 3 times per day), but the nausea was absolutely relentless and I couldn't focus on anything. I noticed things gradually improving from around week 10, and was able to go back to work at 13 weeks. I think all nausea had gone from about 18 weeks for me, and I really enjoyed the rest of my pregnancy.
I told work as soon as I needed to go off sick, as pregnancy-related sickness is recorded separately from usual absences, and can't be used to discriminate against you.

I know a lot of women feel they should grit their teeth and push on regardless, for various reasons, but if you have the option to go off sick then please do

Of course it’s not poor form. Put yourself first, you’re growing a human! Do what you need to do.

Morning sickness can be horrendous. Up till about 12 weeks I could barely get out of bed, let alone go to work!!

I remember the feeling well.

best advice I got from people here was to stop taking the massive pregnacare vitamin that includes iron and just take folic acid and vit d and c - the pregnacare was a massive cause of the nausea it turned out.

the other was to eat and drink immediately when I woke up, literally have water, crackers and an apple next to the bed and eat and drink before moving and then eat little and often from then on throughout the day.

If you feel reasonably secure in your job, take time off if you feel you need it. It should get discounted from sickness record. I was at my worse around week 7-12 and ended up telling work early as I was super unproductive and nipping to the loo all the time. Can you get anti sickness meds from GP?

I've had nausea pretty much all the way through my pregnancy and I had to get an exemption from working in the office, this lasted 12 weeks! The smells, the heat etc were too much in our open plan environment. Management were very understanding, I think you might have to mention something for your own sake once nausea ramps up. Make it clear that your absence is due to a pregnancy related illness. They can't penalise you for that. Please don't be a hero, nobody likes working with a vomit monster (I speak from experience 😅). In all seriousness, if it is making you stressed then there's even more reason to take it easy in the first trimester, having noticed your sad news of a former pregnancy loss. Best of luck to you