Intense nausea and fatigue, questions from a first timer (again)

[Sundaylunchhappy]

Hello all,

After the initial surprise of finding out I was pregnant a few weeks ago. I am on day 6 of the most hideous feelings of nausea and fatigue.

I was absolutely convinced I should expect something, but it's blown my socks off and I'm struggling big time.

From the moment I wake up around 6am to the moment I go to bed (now getting as early as 8pm) I am dealing with constant and unrelenting waves of nausea without actually being sick. I have hardly left the house, can't cook, can't use laundry detergent, can't go near my dh when he's used deodorant and take an age to shower and dress (so far still hasn't happened today).

I am usually napping for up to 2 hours if I have managed to go out in the morning and my diet consists of hoola hoops, breadsticks and water.

I am six weeks today.

Please tell me, is this normal? Do I just need to suck it up or is there anything I can do to make this better? I don't work during the school holidays thankfully but I do need to be able to function!

Well a Dr phoned up and was very sympathetic sounding and generous with their time but said people like me are tricky because I'm not actually vomiting

Apparently the drugs they can offer that might help could have adverse implications for the pregnancy which terrifies me.

Said I'd try and carry on but am finding it very debilitating due to not being able to drive/ go out alone/ cook proper food/ drink much fluid. Left it with ' come back to us in a week or so if you feel you can't put up with it'.

Don't want to sound ungrateful, but surely enough women must take prescription medication during pregnancy for there to be reliable evidence to suggest they are pretty safe?

You can have drugs . Its just that most drugs are not tested on pregnant women (for ethical reasons!) So GPs have to give the warnings they MIGHT be harmful.

I was like you; not vomiting much, but only because I couldn't put anything in my mouth! I think it is partly because a woman's senses (smell / taste / touch etc) are heightened in pregnancy and in some women they heighten to a ridiculous and dangerous level. Read up on sensory processing disorders and see if it rings any bells.

You have my huge sympathy. Just remember, it will pass x

That's pretty much what the midwife said to me, although she did emphasise that it's less that the medication is definitely unsafe and more that there aren't enough studies to prove that it's safe, so they tend to prescribe on a 'what's worse' basis, so normally they only recommend them if you're vomiting so much you're dehydrated. I was nauseous ALL DAY and vomiting 2-3 times (as well as dry-heaving a dozen or more times a day) - and from my research that was pretty mild - it helped me to know that as I knew other women had got through worse and therefore I could too!

I honestly felt the same as you and thought I'd never get through it but I would say after the first week I'd discovered coping mechanisms which worked for me (eating dry crackers every hour, never getting hungry, relying on 'easy' food like cereal, jacket potatoes etc, getting enough sleep and STAYING HYDRATED - can't emphasise that one enough!) and that made the nausea much easier to handle. Then I had one really terrible week where I had to work from my bed because I couldn't move without vomiting (week 7). After that I just kind of got used to it and was surprised how much I could do despite the constant nausea. Distraction was good too. And I know other women found sea sickness bands really useful.

But it's a balance. If you really can't cope and it's negatively impacting your life, then you must go back. I'd say, if you can, give it a week and try every remedy under the sun to see if you can find something that works for you and takes the edge off.

It DOES get better, I promise! I'm 16 weeks now and probably have a day of nausea every 2-3 days, and vomit maybe three times a week - which is a breeze in comparison to what it was!

You have my sympathies - the nausea is crushing.

Thank you, I don't want to sound like a whinge bag as I know there are so many other women in the same boat, however it has been hugely helpful to be able to read your experiences and advice.

I'm going to decamp to dm's whilst dh is abroad as I know she won't let me get away with dehydration whereas I could happily go to bed until Thursday!

Someone mentioned bath oval biscuits earlier, I know they sell those in the deli so will ask dm to stop off en route. In the mean time, its watermelon city here.

Thank you again everyone and good luck to anyone else feeling so rubbish!

Oh it's vile OP, bless you.
I'm 34 weeks and only last week did I have a few moments where I actually felt 'normal', sorry! I'm still vomiting but rarely and the nausea and fatigue is not constant or debilitating.

The only 'cure' I found for the nausea was to not let my stomach get empty which is probably why I've doubled in size. Crisps like Space Raiders, fruit, ice lollies, tangfastics.... Anything 'tangy' and/or fresh seems to help me. Might also be worth trying some heartburn tablets and they seem to settle my tummy too.

I second what others have said about medication in that they can't say it's safe as there just hasn't been enough testing done, nobody wants to test on pregnant ladies. I was desperate for antihistamines but the doctor said it wasn't worth it. However, if you Google benadryl in pregnancy they 'let' you take it in America. Might be worth Googling the medication you've been offered and have a read yourself?