PLEASE HELP - aversion to ALL food

[LittlePeaPod]

Hoping the experienced MNs can help me. First time mum to be and I am really struggling and it's really starting to get me down. I need to eat something but I seem to have developed an aversion to All Food . Cant even face the really unhealthy foods we would all love to eat normally. I am just about managing to take my vitamins and drink some fanta or water. The last real meal (if you can call cheese on toast with coleslaw that) I had was Friday night (now Monday morning).

I am 8 weeks tomorrow (1 previous mc) and I am really worried this could affect the baby. Has anyone suffered this in pregnancy and what did you do.. Really need some advice and help.

[Teaandflapjacks]

p.s. other posters quite right . baby basically takes all they need from you, you get what is left over!

[Teaandflapjacks]

God it's awful - hope you feel better soon. I had the same, and even now in third trimester can only eat very plain stuff like pasta and tomato sauce or toast or special k. that is basically it! I lived of fruit pastilles and S&V pringles at first. water made me vom actually - i found very cold diluted ribena helped (had to be very cold). A lot of people with severe MS or HG all swear by some form of S&V crisps to help - something to have a think about? for you x

[LittlePeaPod]

Well just got it of hospital having passed out... Never would have dreamed you could get sooo sick.

[DorisIsWaiting]

I had HG with all 3 of my DD's.

One doc said imagine they are parasites they will take all they need.

I also developed a real aversion to food, I could not eat at all at the table with family the sight and the smell of it all was just too much.

I managed by eating with distractions watching tv (but not the cookery programs , reading a book anything that was not focused on the food.

I also drank tons of tonic water and later progressed to coke (for the sugar I presume).

Mine did eventually pass (after meds and admissions) but try and rest as much as possible . My was definitely exacerbated by stress and doing too much.

[brettgirl2]

sipping water

[brettgirl2]

With dd2 I got to the stage where the only thing I could eat were chipsticks. I was only doing water. Anything with high sugar content just left a vile taste in my mouth and made me sick. 8 weeks ime was the peak, by the time I was 11 weeks I went on holiday and we were staying next to a carvery. I had one dead on 12 every day.

I would take meds if you can, they helped me to keep food down and therefore made me feel better.

[LittlePeaPod]

Thank you..

[BentleyBelly]

I lived off chips with salt and ketchup or really juicy oranges for the first 8 weeks. I must have got through about 5 big fat oranges a day. Went back to normal about the same time as my first scan at 13 weeks and am now at 27 weeks stuffing my face with anything and everything. It will pass, don't fret x

[RaRaZ]

One of the few things I could cope with was roast potatoes. God knows why, I don't generally eat them, but all of a sudden it was all I wanted and all I could stomach.

[LittlePeaPod]

Thank you again ladies. Managed to get a last minute appointment with GP today and she thinks I have a form of Hyperemesis Gravidarum. They are going to keep a close eye on me.

Can't remember who mentioned the breadsticks and plain salted baby potatoes. Managed a little of those today which is the most I have had in a number of days. Slowly working through your suggestions and the tips on the link someone kindly sent me earlier in the thread.

Thank you so much.

[loveschocolate]

It's awful. All I could eat was fruit and orange juice. Water made me retch. I was prescribed metoclopramide which helped. By 13 weeks I was able to eat again and am cuddling my 3 month daughter. Will never forget how bad the first trimester was though.

[LittlePeaPod]

Thank you ladies.

[HeffalumpTheFlump]

You poor thing, I was so glad when this stage passed, no more crying in the supermarket because they have all the food and I wanted none of it. I think you have to find what you personally can stomach and stick with those things for a while. What works for one woman will be seriously vomit inducing in another, so trial and error is the way forward i think. And if you suddenly think about a food and it seems tolerable, quickley eat it before you change your mind!!

My safe foods were: chocolate milkshake (first thing in the morning), jelly, cheesestrings, green apples and toast. Oh and ice in all drinks made them so much more tolerable, anything lukewarm was a huge no no. Either really cold or really hot!

[DwellsUndertheSink]

I sucked on hard boiled sweets until I could face food again. Helped take that disgusting taste out of my mouth. Id not drink Fanta, as its full of sugar and will be filling you up with empty calories. Try some real fruit juice 50:50 with sugar free lemonade instead.

I found that all I could manage were spicy noodles and chicken from Sainsburys. Its all I ate for 3 months. Im sure all that MSG was not good for me, but at least it got me through the worst of it.

Little and often is the way to go - small small portions. YOu could also try crudites with dips, like tzatziki which is fresh tasting, or spicy salsa. I saw yesterday a number of new dips - butternut, beetroot etc...

Eat one or two celery sticks or carrot batons, and then put away for a while.

Drink small cups of water, rather than trying to force 500ml at one time. Just 200ml every 1/2 hour would be better.

[blondebaby111]

I have been constantly hungry for weeks. Eatinganything and everything but yesterday everything I thought of to eat I just couldn't face it, it was like a switch! Hope you start feeling better soon peapod xx

[embaker112]

It is awful isn't it! I had that for 6 weeks and now at 12 weeks I can pretty much eat normally again. Don't worry it will end! I could half manage a few things if I really tried: mash potato, mini milk ice lollies, salt and vinegar crisps, jacket potatoes. I even resorted to slimfast drinks a couple of times as a source of protein. Protein helps the sickness fade a little so try cold baked beans or peanuts if you can.

If you really can't face anything don't force it down, but do try to eat something every day.

[flipflump]

I've been there, it was horrid at the time. You'll come out the other side and at some point it will become a distant memory. I used to make smoothies, would take forever to drink but made me feel like I was putting some goodness in. Yogurt, honey, splash of milk and banana was a favourite but you can come up with what ever combination you find easiest to get down. Don't feel bad, baby will be fine and you'll make up for it in 2nd and 3rd trimester. Hope you feel like yourself soon.

[cupcake78]

You have my absolute sympathy. I've been like this with 4 pregnancies. Each one I found different things to eat and hate.

Keep hydrated with constant sips of cold iced water. If you happen to fancy anything at any time then get it and eat a small amount. Don't go mad. Go to your gp for anti sickness tablets if you can't keep the water down. They don't stop the nausea but once you get some food into your system you tend to feel more human. Stay well clear of cooking and smells. I would vomit the minute the fridge was opened from anywhere in the house it smelt so bad.

I nibbled on plain foods that had no smell. Rice crispies and dry cereals are good, dry bread, a green apple cut up into small pieces. Gradually over time the more I ate the more I could eat and the better I felt. Eat extremely small amounts or you will be sick.

I still have major food versions at 35 weeks but I know that once I give birth it's like a miracle has happened and I'm back to normal instantly. It's very odd and such a relief! For some it all just disappears some point in their 2nd trimester.

[SummerRainIsADistantMemory]

With dd I used to drink complan as I couldn't eat.

I survived on that and plain pasta for the first few months.

With ds2 I was even more ill and couldn't really eat at all. I lost weight in the first 5 months. I couldn't even be around dp eating the nausea was so bad.

Both times at 5/6 months the sickness died down and I developed a ravenous appetite.

It was fine in the end, they were both healthy and I survived! The worst part was the constant headaches from not eating as I couldn't take painkillers.

Remember, the baby will take what it needs, it's you that will suffer but baby will be just fine. Eat what you can for now and just get through these first few months.

[LittlePeaPod]

Thank you so much... I will try and increase my water as I don't think it's anywhere near enough. I am having about 500ml at most and a couple cans of fanta. I have a MW appointment tomorrow so will tell her and book an appointment with my GP. It's so reassuring to hear others have had this and the babies were fine. Thank you so much..

BikeRun thank you for the link.

Love our baby but making babies definetly isn't easy... Well not for me anyway...

[devonsmummy]

The only thing I could stomach was cod from the chip shop (so I didn't have too feel sick with the cooking smells!) with the batter removed.
DH had to stop at chip shop on way home from work every day until I was about 20 weeks.
If you can't even drink water try ice pops
A bag of choc buttons & a bag of peanuts helped too , just one every now and then

[LaVitaBellissima]

I lived on chocolate milkshake for the first 3 months, I don't normally drink it but the sweetness helped and it seemed to line my stomach, I lost 6 kilo's during my first 5 months of pregnancy (twins) and was I'll until the end. You totally have my sympathy, pregnancy for me was wretched

[meglet]

If you're that sick that you can't keep any food down then you need to see your GP for some medication. The baby will be ok but you won't be, you need to eat.

During my pregnancy with DD I was reduced to sucking ice cubes as I couldn't keep water down. NHS direct told me off when I phoned them and said I must see my GP as I would end up seriously ill - funnily enough an ice cube an hour isn't enough to sustain a pregnant woman . FWIW I was given Avomine which IIRC is a travel sickness rememdy but mainly used for morning sickness these days. It made me sleep so I spent a few days out of it but also allowed me to keep food and water down.

Don't let it linger as you don't want to end up really ill. Please see you GP tomorrow, it's a wretched feeling but there are things they can give you for it.

[Wishfulmakeupping]

Bless you OP as bikerunski said it does go mine went around 14 weeks, I basically lived off toast, plain jacket potatoes, plain crisps, rice and digestive biscuits until then. Try and eat when you can and drink lots if you can. I was really worried but was told the baby will get what she needs so try not to worry

[BikeRunSki]

Poor you. I had this in both pregnancies ( and both children are fine). If you do manage to eat, does it stay down? Staying hydrated is the most important thing. Can you manage water? I used to melt ice cubes in my mouth as anything else made me throw up. You can ask your GP for anti sickness meds, but i found that they didn't help that much, and didn't take away the actual nausea. I ended up in hospital on a drip to get rehydrated. Then, suddenly , at 15 weeks it dissapeared overnight. It was the grimmest time of my.life though, and the absolute worst I have ever felt. People told me to "keep my eyes on the prize" but I felt so rough I barely thought of the baby.


If your condition carries on, then please see your GP, especially if you are not hydrated. Also have a look at Pregnancy Sickness Support. I think you may have hyperemisis gravidarum. There's an ongoing support topic on here in the Pregnancy topic too.