Emetophobia and TTC

[hermionelodge]

Hi, my partner and I have decided to begin ttc this month. I will be coming off my pill in two weeks (after holiday) and I am very excited but also really worried about morning sickness.

I was just wondering if anyone else has been in the same boat and how you have gotten through it? I know not every one gets the sickness symptom but I can't help but worry.

I haven't been sick in years, but when I am sick the panic attacks before are awful! I can't imagine that stress constantly for months, also I imagine it would not be good for baby which also worries me.

Would love to hear any experiences/tips?

Hello!

Fellow emetophobe here.. I have a daughter who is two and early pregnant with my second.

I, like you, hadn’t been sick in years. I don’t let myself. I have an iron clad stomach! Sometimes it’s almost like I can’t physically do it..

I’ll be honest, my first pregnancy wasn’t easy. But I think to an extent, it’s helped my phobia. I typically got awful morning sickness with my first.. I went to the doctors sobbing & she saw first hand my sheer panic at being sick (while I was there). She was thankfully wonderfully kind & we started trying anti-sickness meds. She agreed that a) I was pretty poorly & needed to stop being sick and b) me struggling to breathe & almost passing out in fear was dangerous to my baby

I eventually ended up on ondanestron which luckily for me stopped the throwing up but not the nausea. I spent about 16-20 weeks feeling sick all day long. Mentally it was really tough. But I battled through, cried a lot & knowing I probably wasn’t going to be sick was a huge help.

Before I got pregnant this time around, I’d say I pretty much blanked it from my mind. I was feeling positive I could do it again & cope better this time. 7 weeks later, I’m rolling my eyes at my confidence. Got myself on meds much quicker but the all day awful nausea is back .. plus I have a two year old to entertain. But I’m plodding through it. It’s all you can do. I want another child so it’s a big sacrifice I’m making for a few months. I do wish I could just sleep through it though!

You can do it! I’d say, make sure you get a support system in place. Maybe speak to your doctor first about your phobia or make sure you see a doctor you like & is helpful! Have your family around who understand. And keep your fingers & toes crossed you might be a lucky one who breezes through with no sickness!

Oh & my daughter is absolutely fine despite the stress, worry, upset of those early months! She’s a fabulous two year old

I also suffer with this phobia, it’s awful isn’t it
I’m 12 weeks 3 days pregnant now and so far I’ve been quite lucky to be fair, but also surprised myself at how well I’ve coped with the nausea. I haven’t been sick (sometimes through sheer willpower only) but the nausea was all day - like a mixture of travel sickness, mixed with too long on the waltzers mixed with hangover - from about weeks 6-10 then it eased a bit... but I also soon learnt what helped and what didn’t and only panicked once when I was at work and retching.
I tried to guess what might help from when I first found out-eg eating before lifting my head in the morning, wearing travel/sea bands over night, just in case, ginger tea etc even when I didn’t really feel nauseous. I have no idea if any of it actually helped physically, maybe some of it psychologically, or if I was just lucky.
But you’ll cope better than you imagine you will right now, even if it’s bad, because like the pp says-you’ll go to GP earlier etc anyway if it’s a problem early on and there’s options to help.
Good luck!!

I’m in this right now.

I havnt been sick since I was 12-13 and was very careful about what I ate/drink to try to ensure it stayed that way! I panic SOOO much when I feel sick or when anyone else is sick around me!

DH and I started TTC and honestly I was worried. You just have to either ignore it/not think about it or ... not TTC as there’s really no middle ground. Nobody knows how they’ll take pregnancy it’s a matter of luck!

I’m now 5+2 and signed off with horrible nausea/dissyness/cramps I wake up several times in the night with nausea and wretch stomach acid. I’ve not actually vomited yet but have such panic attacks over it with all the nausea I can’t funtion outside of the house!

I was given cyclizine and told it would help...it did not! It made me WAY more ill and I was VERY nearly sick. I was on the bathroom floor for hours crying.

I was then prescribed properazine and that kills the nausea ... unless I try to eat. It kills my appetite and if I try to eat anything I want to vomit. I’ve already dropped over half a stone so far (and I do not have it to lose) so I can’t not eat! So I can’t keep taking it!

You’re just going to have to bite the bullet - or don’t but there’s no way you can get pregnant with a guarentee you won’t get sick. Time spent freaking out about it now is just a waste of energy.

Thanks for your replies. It's reassuring to hear there are other people who feel the same and are coping. Although I feel bad taking some comfort in that as it's a horrible thing to wish on anyone! Its difficult as no one around me understands it, they just brushe it off with 'no one likes being sick'

I do keep telling myself that it will be different when I'm actually going through it myself as it's for a purpose and not just a bug but it's hard to see it that way. I joined a new medical practice a few months ago and at the routine appt I did make a point of mentioned my fear of being sick but the nurse didn't really say much so I may book a doctor's appt just to discuss in fuller detail. Also good to hear the stress etc had no harmful effects on your DD as that is a worry, don't want to create a hostile environment and hinder my chances before I've even started the journey!

Flowers that nausea sounds horrific! Travel bands is a good idea, I use them for travelling any way so I'm well stocked up on them. Like you say, not sure if it's more placebo affect or actually works but if it helps then that's the main thing!

gonewith sounds like you are having an absolute nightmare of it! What a catch 22 to be in as well! Fingers crossed for you that the symptoms ease up for you as you reach closer to the 12 week Mark!

You are all managing to be so strong and battle through it that it gives me hope I can just deal with it. Like you say, there's no option really, if you get it then you get it. The end result is what we are doing this for and our bodies have to go through a hell of a lot to get there! And, I have to actually manage to conceive first but that's a whole other fear that most women will understand

Sorry, using the app and it doesn't appear to be spacing out my paragraphs which is annoying!

My family are much the same - ‘oh no-one likes being sick’.. I know but are they terrified of it?!

The only person I’ve ever managed to get to understand is my Dad who has an enormous fear of spiders. I said to him one day, imagine being trapped in a small room with multiple spiders 24/7 with no way of escaping it. That’s how I feel about being sick. I feel the same fear you do when you see a spider. Except you can leave the room. I’ve no way of escaping feeling sick. Morning sickness, it’s like being in that box. It’s inescapable 24/7. He consider it for a while then said it must be truly awful. He’s been super sympathetic ever since!

It’s a horrible phobia. I feel lucky that when I don’t feel sick, it doesn’t affect me. I can go out to eat, I’m not an obsessive cleaner etc, I live a normal life. The fear & panic only starts when I start feeling sick. But it’s so hard to explain to anyone & debilitating when it strikes.

But it was worth it for my little girl. She’s the love of my life. And you do forget .. once she was here, I never gave it a moments thought. And I didn’t until we were considering another. I’ll never be doing this again though.. I feel like a dreadful mum at the moment

Fellow emetophobe here. DD is 18ms and currently 7 weeks pregnant with DC2. My first pregnancy and labour was absolutely fine sickness wise, felt bloated/nauseous a lot in the first trimester but coped ok by eating regularly.

This time I’ve had intermittent nausea and bloating, but I’ve had a few nights where I’ve woken up feeling so sick it definitely panicked me. I think it was a combination of not eating enough before bed and earlier this week was due to an upset stomach. I coped without being sick but needed my DH to help reassure me through it.

Tbh, the pregnancy sickness is less scary for me, it’s DD getting sick that I’m terrified of. Luckily I have a very understanding DH!

I'm also an emetophobe. My little girl is 3 and i was so lucky that I didn't get terrible morning sickness.
I would feel nauseous, particularly if I didn't eat and often it could be a feeling most of the day, but it never turned into retching or actually being sick. I am so grateful.
Currently TTC, and I really really pray I will have the same experience again.
I hope you also have a good experience!

bol87 that's good you have managed to explain and have some understanding of your situation. I will maybe have to try that! I'm similar to you in that in can go about daily life normally until I feel sick, or someone around me says they feel sick or have been sick. I cannot stand when people come back to work too soon from a bug! Stresses me out! The worst part of this fear is that I cannot explain why I'm so scared. It's not for fear of choking, I really can't articulate it which makes me think I will never be 'cured' as I don't know what needs cured.. if that makes sense!

The fact you all are going/hoping to be going through pregnancy again does speak volumes. You are managing to face the fear and get through it. I think what I can take away from this is that you just have to find what works for you to ease it as much as possible. I definitely need a lot of reassurance too ithought sleepless nights comforting me will be good training for dp I suppose...

Got my fingers crossed for us all that there is not too much suffering in terms of nausea/sickness. And hoping you get that positive soon happy

I do feel a lot better about the situation and feeling less anxious about actually trying. I've heard even coming off the pill can cause pregnancy like symptoms to begin with so that will be interesting, I've been on it for 15 years!

I do agree actually, I’m less afraid of pregnancy sickness/nausea, it’s just bloody horrible. But I imagine most people who are suffering also feel awful!

I’m def more afraid of my daughter catching a bug, illness sick is terrifying, I’m just the same, I panic when people are sick around me or I know they’ve had a bug!