To ask how much sickness you had off work during pregnancy

[Betty94]

Hi all,

I know I'm worrying over nothing but I hate being off work sick - in the first trimester I had a lot of time off due to HG, was put in hospital twice on fluid etc so nothing really could be done - thank god it settled down by 15/16 weeks but now I find myself every couple of weeks having spells of really bad sickness - there's no pattern or reason for it, it just is what it is and it's difficult because I work on the phones so throwing up and talking isn't ideal, in 23 weeks I've had about 20 days off sick  and I know it can't be helped but it doesn't stop you feeling guilty does it - how many days did you have off?

It's crap because like there's nothing I can do to help it but I feel like work will think I'm taking the mick I guess it doesn't help as a girl a lot younger than me (8 years younger) had a breeze of a pregnancy and didn't take any time off although saying that she delivered 6 weeks early due to complications so you can't always tell can you?

So I just wanted to know how much time off other people have had to either make me feel like a wuss or to help me feel a bit better

None and I finished work 12 days before my due date!
Did suffer with sciatica but somehow managed to get to work

None. I had a really easy pregnancy with virtually no symptoms or sickness. I did have GD so lots of extra appointments which involved time out of work but the hospital was next door to my office so was minimised.
As an older FTM (41) I was really shocked by how well I felt, I was one of those annoying people that gained minimal weight and really glowed
Every pregnancy is different though! I wouldn’t feel guilty about needing time off and I manage big teams and don’t mind how much time people need either.

A few weeks probably, and then I changed my start time to a later time, so I could travel in with my DH... I was so worried about being sick on the train! Thankfully I managed to only be sick on the platform 👍🏻

If you're sick, you're sick. Pregnancy is completely different for every woman. Don't feel guilty for taking the time off. You'll be going on maternity leave soon, so they need to start getting used to you not being around!

None in either. I was very good (read - very lucky) at being pregnant. Was sick a lot but nothing I couldn't work through.
I suffered hideous complications in labour though, which was less good.

None off sick for either pregnancy, but I did have a lot of time off towards the end for extra appointments in my 2nd pregnancy (6 in one week at one point!) because they thought baby wasn’t growing (she was fine!).

Not much in my first pregnancy, I had an amnio though so had a few days off after that. In my second pregnancy I was off for a month with a horrific chest infection that needed 3 lots of antibiotics to clear

I’m like you OP, I’m also 23 weeks along and have been hospitalised with HG because I was so dehydrated. I was off for 8 weeks because of it because I couldn’t function at all. I am back now, but I honestly can’t say that I’m firing on all cylinders even now.

None. I had bad nausea throughout but luckily didn't throw up.

Quite a lot in first tri and early second with sickness and then headaches with my first.
A month off with a miscarriage in between my kids and i was pregnant within weeks followed by...
Lots with sickness up to 20 weeks with my second and then off at 24 weeks until birth on bed rest.
It can't be helped.

None & I was really sick (twin pregnancy) one time I threw up in the bin. Haha. Every woman is different. Don't feel bad & good luck with your pregnancy. 😊

Like others with HG, I had about 8 weeks off sick followed by a gradual return to work. You will probably see the pattern from the replies, most women with HG have significant periods of time off sick. My sickness was better controlled by about 20 weeks but came back in the third trimester. Tiredness was a massive trigger for me so perhaps you could agree reduced hours? Hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well OP. HG is horrible so I understand how you feel.

A couple of days. Honestly, I wish I'd taken more. I had 8-12 bouts of vomiting a day for the first four months, and spent several of my lunch breaks asleep on the office floor, but struggled in and got on with it. And then they made me redundant in my third trimester.

I didn't have any sickness

Same as you due to HE. Left for maternity leave at the earliest date allowed which was around 26 weeks iirc

I was lucky in that I had fairly easy pregnancies and didn't need to have any time off sick during them. As long as I could throw up in the railway station toilets when I got off the train on the way to work and again when I arrived, I was fine

My contract said I had to start maternity leave no later than six weeks before my due date, and I could take a year after the birth which was very generous, so I didn't need to worry about commuting in late pregnancy when it was getting very uncomfortable.

First pregnancy I was signed off sick from about a week after I found out I was pregnant until I went on mat leave at 28 weeks, bar about 3 days in the week before I went on leave. I was so so sick and couldn’t be far from the bathroom. Working from home wasn’t an option unfortunately

Second pregnancy I had 4 days off from sickness and 2 from bleeding.

Every pregnancy is different

No days off, although as I had nausea all day up to about 22 weeks I did work from home a lot. I have managed a few pregnant ladies and it really is totally different for each person (and pregnancy!) so try not to worry too much. As a PP said pregnancy related illness is treated differently also.

I had a textbook pregnancy but a horrific labour so they are definitely not linked!

I muddled through with only a couple of days off till 12 weeks. Then I was off 8 weeks until week 20 due to HG. Then a few more days later in pregnancy. Try not to worry. You can’t control it.

4 months. I was borderline preeclampsia and the hospital signed me off for a month at a time. Prior to that, early pregnancy gave me migraines Atleast once a week, so was also having time off for them.

I had no time off with DD1 but then horrific labour and EMCS as a reward! With DD2 I was off from 7 weeks until about 16 weeks, I threw up about 20 times a day and was hospitalised 4 times. I went back to work as I was feeling so guilty and in one day, I vomited on my colleague, a customer and in my senior managers bin! Funnily enough I stayed off sick until she was born at 38 weeks via planned CS. I was still being sick when they were placing my epidural...oddly I have no more children 🤢🤮

None but then I didn't need it. If you need it you should take it. Fuck feeling guilty. Guilt serves no purpose. Look after yourself and your baby.
I did finish two weeks earlier than planned mind, because I was just too exhausted to be at work. xc

10 weeks in total. I also had HG and was too poorly, I just couldn't function. There's a really good group on here of women with HG, really supportive lots of discussions about treatments that have worked for others. For me I had lots of meds that made it some what bearable. It's really horrendous, absolutely feel for you x

None but I’m self employed and I have to be on my death bed to not be at work.
If you’re sick though and you can take the time off, then do.

I had 2 weeks off around 24 weeks with anxiety due to my risk assessments being ignored/my T1 Diabetes being completely disregarded, despite several meetings and agreements it wouldn't happen. I was having major panic attacks and could not continue that way. It was sorted when I returned although not fully and then I was off from 32 weeks after being signed off with pre eclampsia. I delivered less than 4 weeks later and had been in hospital for 2 of those!

A handful of days because of migraines (which I get about once a year usually but get more often when I’m pregnant). It’s so different for everyone, I had very mild sickness but can completely understand how people with bad sickness can’t work, same for a whole of host of other pregnancy problems. The fact you’re feeling a bit guilty about it shows you’re not taking the piss, you can’t help it!