How to hide morning sickness at work

[Wiggy29]

It just started yesterday. Not been sick but just so ill I had to sit down for a bit. I'm a teacher so it's not like I can just walk off and leave class and don't want anybody at work to know for a few weeks yet as still very early days. Any ideas?

I know on other threads people have suggesting eating certain types of food little and often but again, I can't exactly whip out a slice of bread and start eating it while I teach (secondary school).

Any advice would be great

Not sure about morning sickness, but ginger biscuits are meant to help stave off nausea so possibly worth a try :)

Hi Wiggy, I'm in EXACTLY the same position - secondary teacher with morning sickness. I've been blaming the dizziness and sickness on vertigo (i do have a history of it so it's only a tiny lie) and have found my colleagues really sympathetic. I also keep biscuits with me and gobble one down in between lessons whilst the kids are moving to a different room. Plus I've been carefully cultivating a bit of a reputation as an oddball teacher so if I do need to suddenly drink or eat something, the kids don't bat an eyelid any more!

Feel for you so much......I suffered terribly from nausea and sickness so I tried everything; ginger tea, ginger biscuits, water (bluuuuurggggh) and toast, those wristbands that travel sickness sufferers use....ummmm and pretty much what the magazines suggested but one thing they didn't mention was hard boiled sweets; I ended up keeping a load of those chubby lollies in my bag and as soon as I felt the ole wet mouth, or felt light headed I shoved one of those in my mouth and it did help. Bland food just made me sicker but everyone is different; I hope you get some relief soon.....it's like a ever ending hangover isn't it?! X

Chewing gum can help.

And this is not helpful for in school, but outwith, ice lollies are amazing! I had one every morning at the height of my sickness.

Ice lollies rule!

Ritz crackers worked for me but it's difficult.

Sweets or mints might be good and I did get some relief from the wrist band things.

Sweets. My first pregnancy it was haribo, this one fruit pastilles or Percy pigs. It's the only way I survive!! I find that as my blood sugar dips I'm in the danger zone and they just lift me back up quickly. I try and eat along gi principles to slow down the dips but it's hard when feeling so bloody tired and rotten. Basically stuff your face when you can I guess! Good luck.

Chewing gum rules. The stronger the better. Also any sharp flavours which linger in your mouth, so cola bottles, sour haribo, grapefruit juice, etc...

Primary teacher here... had same problem so sympathise. I found the answer was ice cold water with crushed ice (ice is still my best friend now), chewing crystallised ginger (strong, strong flavour) and, my saving grace was telling my trusted TA even though it was too early to tell, really. She noticed when I was looking wonky and jumped in on a few occasions.

Good luck.

Boiled sweets helped me during my first pregnancy (nothing much helped in subsequent pregnancies unfortunately). I was particularly partial to Foxes Glacier Mints!

I'm not a teacher and it obviously massively depends on what kind of sickness you have, but I seemed to be able to hold off on actually vomming if I needed too. Admittedly I felt utterly shitty and engaged in some probably quite obvious deep breathing in order to achieve this.

A friend of mine (who is a teacher) kept a bucket in her cupboard. Maybe that's a better option.

Agreed, pascha (waves!)

I find that a lot of my sickness tends to come on when I have a flavour lingering in my mouth after a meal, which then leads to its reappearance! Many throw ups have been averted by quickly having something sharp!

Hey Bunty! Bizarrely enough, minty toothpaste doesn't work. Brushing my teeth is a dangerous game for me right now, it sets me off at least half the time.

Ask your midwife to refer you for acupuncture. It works.

I'm the same, pascha. Can't even eat tic tacs (they leave a weird aftertaste), but chewing gum is fine.

DS (21months) thinks its funny DH thinks its funny

Men. Huh!!

One thing to bear in mind is that people likely won't notice. I felt self-conscious about how my behaviour at work changed when trying to cope with nausea (snacking constantly for example), but most colleagues -and kids I bet -aren't attentive enough to notice! You'll have good days and bad days, so however you try and cope, remember it's not forever and eventually you'll be at a stage where you can say 'I'm pregnant, that's why I need to sit down/have this biccie'

Thank you for all the advice folks. I defo wouldn't get away with chewing gum/ eating as it wouldn't be tolerated with the kids in our school so they'd be foaming if they saw me do it! I could however, probably get away with boiled sweets and pretend they're throat lozenges or something? Ice lollies/ crushed ice won't work as there's no freezer as work but I'll keep it in mind when I'm at home.

I have a friend who's a teacher who did the bucket in the cupboard thing! I don't have a cupboard but will have in a few weeks as moving class ready for next year. With DS, I was only actually sick twice but felt lousy most days and passed out a couple of times to. I only have to last four more weeks till the summer so hoping I can make it till then without vomiting on a student

Don't bet on it SimplySoo. Allegedly my colleagues had their suspicions a week or so before I did (I found out a week into the summer hols).

I was 11 weeks on the first week back when year 8 just asked.

As far as I know I did everything the same as usual. (They all said I just looked like death. Thanks!)

If I have another I'd just tell my colleagues straight up. I'd need their support whatever happened, and I'd need it the most in those first weeks anyway.

Our department is a bit more lovely than most though!

Ours is lovely but I want to hang on as going for a promotion this week and don't want to think it would affect their judgement of me. You'd like to think it wouldn't but I think I'd always wonder.

Deffo hold fire then!

I've got no practical tips. But good luck for the promotion and I hope you feel better/find something that works! x

I agree with MsPickle jelly sweets, especially fizzy ones got me through being stuck in class with morning sickness. They are small enough to shove in your mouth unnoticed. In fact I ate so many I was quite surprised that ds wasn't a green gummy bear

Oh you have my sympathy! I was lucky enough to have two assistants and very mild sickness that tended to be gone once I got to work. I haven't really got much advice but I really hope it gets better for you!

I used to wear those travel band things on my wrists under a long top. Found they really helped with the nausea. Meant to be for travel sickness but worked for me worn them for about 4 months!

Pretend you've taken up heavy drinking. Each morning come into the office looking tired/sick, mumble "I'm never drinking again" then you have a free pass for running to the loo, groaning, stumbling about.

You're welcome.