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

Nearly three months.

This is why you are protected by law when pregnant. Don’t worry about it.

This is my 5th week off with HG and I don’t feel guilty. Baby comes first.

None, but I had a pretty easy pregnancy.

My second (long time ago now) I was signed off for 1.5-2 months because of an infection they couldn't treat with "safe" antibiotics that I wasn't allergic to. I then went off on maternity early (7.5-8 months) because frankly I was in so much physical pain I couldn't sit for long or walk for long (in fact I couldn't do much).

The first pregnancy a couple of days if that.

Technically none , but the week I had DS (early) I was meant to go to Wales for five days for work. I had SPD and gestational diabetes and had been in the North East the week before with the chief exec working on a specific project and my manager called and told me not to go to Wales, to work from home or pop into the local office if I wanted, I think CE was a bit stunned I was travelling so much so heavily pregnant. DS was born that Friday, we still joke that if I'd gone he'd be the only Welsh member of the family

a couple of days when I had some bleeding with my first - took rest of week off

Other three kids none - however that doesn't mean I wouldn't have if I wasn;t well enough to work

A lot of women go in to work and wear it like a badge of honour that they toughed it out, but there is truly no shame in saying that you can't work as your head is over a toilet bowl and you are so weak you can't stand. Honestly, if it's that bad, you deserve all the rest you can get.

I had HG as well. Off for about 3 1/2 weeks total of you add it up. Some of my colleagues felt I was being a baby about it, but they didn't spend the first 12 weeks of pregnancy vomiting 10+ times per day.

Signed off from 6-13 weeks

On the flip side, DM was told to go on early leave with full pay as additional holiday, from five months pregnant with me. It was the eighties and despite the misogyny companies had money, they saw how sick the commute into the city was making her and it was before the days of working from home, she was only in an administrative role but they treated her very well

I had bad HG with both of mine. Stopped work totally at 7 weeks with first and took 6 weeks worth off during second.

None at all, but that certainly doesn’t mean you’re a wuss, it means I was lucky to have an easy pregnancy! I did have hours away from work for extra appointments and scans because I had GD though.

I was signed off at around 7 weeks and never made it back. HG, OC, SPD, Anaemia (so bad it even affected my eye sight) I literally fell apart during pregnancy.

.... just found out I’m pregnant again, pray for me

@MooseBreath pregnancies really aren't comparable are they. I didn't know I was pregnant until I was between ten and eleven weeks, just thought I'd put on a bit of weight! No chance of that if you have HG

With DS1 I was off every other week for scans, bleeds, bed rest, all kinds.

With DS2 not a single day. Easiest pregnancy in the history of humankind.

It's totally down to chance; I was equally healthy, fit and well prior to both but DS1 was just a tricky bugger.

If you are off sick for of related illnesses they are not counted vis a vis absence mgt. Pg women shoukd put themselves and their babies first.

I had no time off but I have never suffered from morning sickness although the sheer tiredness was hard to manage but I managed to take a few long weekends to pace myself.

I don't know anyone who has had a good pg, good birth and good first six weeks with the baby (4th trimester). My 4th trimester with ds1 was ghastly - infective mastitis and a breast abscess.
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1 day. I wasnt sick though I just couldnt be arsed and had got to 34 weeks with no sickness and wanted to do something with a friend. If I'd had to carry on after 36 weeks I wouldnt have been able to, SPD and 12 hour shifts was getting too much.

I hardly worked at all in my most recent pregnancy. In my first two I breezed through with easy pregnancies and I paid for it this time.
Due to my job they wouldn't let me work after March so that was nearly 3 months off. Also had horrendous morning sickness and generally felt crap the whole time. Between November and March I had something like 5 weeks off as I was just so ill.

I had loads of time off. I had terrible sickness and anaemia.

They got another manager who was pregnant to have a meeting with me to tell me that she was having a good pregnancy and why wasn't I!

Quite a lot... A few days in the first trimester due to pains. Then one day in the second trimester when I had urinary retention, and then another ten days for the same thing a week later and had a catheter.

Then later on in the second trimester two weeks due to being at risk of pre term labour, had a phased back to work when the consultant was happy, to then be signed off at 32 weeks for the remainder of the pregnancy and made to rest. Every pregnancy is different, it's just one of those things, hope you feel better

A few, but do you know what? It's not important. No one cares and you need to do what you need to do to be well.

Bo one gets a wee medal and a certificate at the end for powering on. You are growing a human. It is hard work!

First baby, 1 day when I suddenly went green at about 18 weeks, threw up in the toilets and my boss sent me home.

Second baby from 2 weeks to 16 weeks I was fully signed off with HG. Couldn't get out of bed without vomiting. Went back part time for 6 weeks then back to full time but WFH 2 days a week.

None, but I didn’t have HG! If you have that at of course you’ll be off.

I did have bad morning sickness, and PEP (PUPPS) rash towards the end - horrendous.

I really didn’t like being pregnant!

None in either pregnancy, but I didn't have HG.

None either time. BUT and it’s a big but- I only didn’t have any time off for the second pregnancy because I was still on Mat leave from the first, so I could do all my vomiting from the comfort of my own home! 😁.

If I’d been in the office it would have been a very different story as I was carrying twins so my HCG levels were through the roof and i couldn’t keep anything down for weeks.

One day and that was because she was born on my last day at work before maternity leave started. I was very lucky though to be well throughout my pregnancy.