Pregnancy related sickness absence

[NerNerNerNerNerNerNerNerBATMAN]

Hi All

Am 6wks pg with number 2 and really struggling to function due to extreme nausea and vertigo. It's not HG as I don't vomit, but honestly I feel like death.

GP is excellent and didn't hesitate to give me the cyclazine that helped last time. It has taken the edge off the nausea but I still feel like I'm swaying on a boat.

I've had a week off work self cert and really want to go back in tomorrow but I just don't know if I can. It's a 2.5 hour round drive to the office, which is the bit I dread the most.

I can't decide if I'm being really unreasonable to take another week off such to lie still and hope the spinning stops. I get sick pay and the world won't end of I don't go in but part of me wonders if I'm taking the piss as many pg women feel rough but still go to work.

Did any of you have lots of time off? I know legally pregnancy sickness doesn't count against my record but my boss is a bit of a...one...and I don't want to tell her I'm pg this early on.

Take the time off!

I had three weeks off with severe nausea this time around, and then did a phased return. I was basically bedridden and could barely move some days without feeling like retching.

If you need the time off, you do. I think there's a tendency for many people who've experienced mild/moderate sickness to tell you you just "have to get on with it," but the truth is, they have no idea what severe consequences pregnancy sickness/HG is like.

No idea why the word consequences is in there...sorry! X

I think that for pregnancy related absences not to count in your normal sickness level your employer needs to be aware of your pregnancy?

Thanks both for your replies. I guess because it's that halfway between normal morning sickness and HG (at a guess) then I feel like I should make more of an effort as others have it lots worse.

The only thing that really helps is lying still and eating beige things in small amounts, and cyclazine!!

star yes you're right. I have a good sickness record so two weeks off is fine overall. My worry was having one week off, then going in for a day or two only to find I couldn't cope and then going off again. That would look much worse on am absence record and would make me feel like I had to tell work about the pregnancy.

@NerNerNerNerNerNerNerNerBATMAN just tell your manager and take time off. Do you really think it's safe to drive in your condition?

I was exactly the same as you and massively dehydrated as every time I tried to drink I retched and couldn't swallow.

I had to take time off in both my pregnancies. The doctor signed me off for about 6 weeks, a week at a time as I had to take a urine sample every week to check my dehydration.

Work were actually lovely about it I was afraid of telling my boss but it turns out his wife had hg through both her pregnancies, and everyone was really supporive when I returned.

I think you need to take the time off, it's really not worth the risk (especially with the drive).

Take the time off but make sure they know it is pregnancy related.

Having been in a redundancy situation before I know they can't include pregnancy related sickness if they are comparing the amount of time you have had off.

You're all right, I'm not safe to drive if I'm being honest, and telling my boss is probably the right thing to do.

We've had a run of pregnancies in the team recently and she's not been best pleased about it. She's not even had the common decency to hide it.

Thankfully, I'm a union rep

Thank you all for taking the time to reply, it's been helpful to hear it from others.

My understanding (sorry, can't remember where I read it as it was 3+ years ago!) is that trying to battle through can often make the sickness worse and more prolonged, because you get more dehydrated, your stomach is emptier and you're tireder, all of which tend to make you feel sicker. On the other hand, taking rest and being at home where you can focus on trying to get as much liquid/food into you as you can tolerate can help to stop things deteriorating. This thought definitely made me feel better about the 2 weeks I spent lying down sucking ice cubes!

I had to tell my work at 5 weeks due to HG

I think you're right Una

Writing this has helped. I've realised that it's my perception of my boss's response that it making me feel like I should go in.

I will rest. It's not worth the risks

I know you don't want to that early but I'd tell your boss for health and safety reasons, plus it covers your back if they know and they can help out if anything were to happen (god forbid).
I had a lot of time off with DS, he was my first and I suffered with the worst migraines during my pregnancy, the drive to and from work was horrible and it was only a 20mins drive there and back.
The doctor had to sign me off sick in the end and I went on maternity leave early as I just couldn't cope