Did you ring in sick during the first trimester?

[Gobletoffire]

As the title reads - did you ring in sick to work during the first trimester? I’m 10 weeks tomorrow, no time off sick so far but today I feel by far my worst. I got home from work and burst into tears because I feel so weak and sick and I’ve been trying to put on a brave face all day because nobody knows yet other than my boss and we’ve had an incredibly busy day. If I worked in a bigger office and having time off meant it wouldn’t affect anyone that much then I’d take a couple of days out to try and get some rest, but at the moment we are very understaffed and struggling as a department. The last two ladies in our team had no time off sick during their pregnancies so I would feel so guilty. I haven’t been sleeping brilliantly due to bad acid reflux which I’m on tablets for but it flares up worse at night, so I think that’s making me feel more drained. I’ve had one day off sick in the several years I’ve worked at the place I do, but I just can’t even bear the thought of work tomorrow.

I had one day off so far (currently 27wks) and it was in the first trimester cause I just felt so drained, tired, weak and strange... I couldn't stomach the thought of work so just took a day off.

A lot of mornings in the first trimester I considered calling in sick but really tried to push through in case I needed the days later down the line and could take them guilt free.

9/10 times by the time I got to work, although totally pooped, I was glad I went in...

Hope you're ok though and keep your chin up. You're doing great.

Any time of sick isn’t classed as normal sick it’s a completely different record so take as much time as you need! I’ve had loads of time off work since been pregnant,mine and my babies health is more important then a company what would replace me in a heartbeat if I left xx

Any pregnancy related illness is treated differently from normal sickness. You CANNOT be fired or disciplined for it, not without your employer breaking employment law. It's hard work growing a human. Take as much time off as you need.

I've been lucky and only had to take one day off so far (I'm 11 weeks), but I wouldn't feel an ounce of guilt had I needed to take more.

You're making a human!!!!! I'm lucky in that I work from home now (6 weeks yesterday - the fun is just beginning), but used to work in an office with someone who had terrible morning sickness. She got signed off for a week and she often took days off here and there. None of us thought less of her.

We were also a small office and short staffed - we got by fine!

I had hyperemesis and was signed off for about 6 weeks. I also had a couple of weeks annual leave already booked so I wasn’t at work for most of my first trimester. You can’t feel guilty if you’re physically incapable of doing your job or doing it would be so difficult that you end up burning out.

Yes I did. I phoned in for a week and this led to me disclosing I was pregnant as being off sick was so unlike me. As previous posters have said, pregnancy related sickness is treated differently to normal sickness. You can not be disciplined and the sickness is not recorded in the same way. Likewise, you would not disclose this sickness to future employees x

I had a week off sick at around 10 weeks with my first.

I felt guilty at the time, the whole, "you're not sick, just pregnant" thing in the back of my mind, but without a hint of exaggeration, I have never felt as miserable as I did in early pregnancy.

In hindsight, I wish I'd taken longer off. I'd looked awful for weeks beforehand, so much so colleagues had been commenting on how unwell I looked, and when I was back at work afterwards my fairly stoic approach to the constant vomiting and complete exhaustion I was enduring went unappreciated by my less than ideal manager.

I had to go off sick when I was pregnant. I had hyperemesis from 6 weeks til day I delivered!
I pushed myself too hard to keep going to work and plodding on through but I wish I had listened to my body sooner and gone sick sooner. I was so weak and ill.
Call in sick. Stay in bed for a few days. Regain strength and start again at work when you feel recharged. If you don't feel recharged, either have longer off (can self certify for 1 week then gp needs to give you a sick note) or ask work to do a phased return or alter your workload. You should be getting regular risk assessments done at work and they involve checking on how you're feeling x

Yup I had two days when I felt really awful and was horribly sick in the first trimester. Apparently two of my colleagues realised as I'm never off sick ;) they didn't say anything until I told everyone much later though. It's so exhausting when no one knows, take the time you need.

I had hyperemesis and was off for weeks at the start until medication got it under control. I probably pushed myself too hard though and was signed off at seven months by the consultant. If you feel awful maybe take tomorrow and Friday, a few days and then the weekend may help to get through next week. Being really tired always made me even worse

As a previous poster said, it's different to sick leave, I think 🤔 as it's a pregnancy thing so it's not actual sickness IYKWIM? X

Also, bring understaffed isn't your problem. Easy to say I know- it's why I forced myself into work for too long I think- but your priority is baby xxx

I took two days’ off as sick in the first trimester. I had pretty bad morning sickness. Work had been really, really busy. And by half way through week nine I was exhausted and felt terrible. I woke up at 4am to vomit as was becoming my norm, but on that day I just couldn’t cope with it. Was so tired. Couldn’t get back to sleep. Continued vomiting. Felt faint and just couldn’t face the one-hour commute to work. I stayed at home and slept between bouts of getting sick for two days and it was an excellent decision. If you need the day off take it. I hadn’t told work I was pregnant at the time, so just told them I was vomiting. Haven’t needed to take any since but I really did need those days off.

I haven't taken a single day off my whole pregnancy but I've only been off once my entire career anyway. If I needed a day off I would have definitely taken one. Put yourself and your body/baby first - that's more important than struggling through a day of work :)

Like PP, I suffered from hyperemesis. In my 3rd pregnancy I was signed off for pretty much the whole of the first trimester. I spent it in bed, barely able to move my head without throwing up. My employer was very understanding.

Even if you're not suffering from hyperemesis though, early pregnancy is horrifically draining. The sickness and exhaustion are utterly bone crushing. Please take the time you need to rest and try not to feel guilty. As others have said, you have to prioritise your own health, and your baby's.

Thanks so much everyone. If I still feel rotten in the morning then I’ll ring in. Because I’ve only known two other pregnant ladies off work and they’d had no time off sick (from what I can remember anyway!) I think I just needed to hear from others that they’d had time off so I don’t feel as guilty (even though I know I shouldn’t feel guilty!) thank you xxx

How long have you been there for, OP? Just be careful if you're still under probation

I was signed of two weeks during my second pregnancy during the first trimester as I was being sick, dizzy, weak etc.

Do not compare your pregnancy to others. Some women skip through until 40 weeks with barely noticing, some get all the sick, and others get all the sick followed by low iron and crippling SPD. ( These were my three pregnancies each completely different from the last)

Don’t compare to others who have been pregnant there everyone copes differently!! Go get a sick note after 5 days if you need too!! Even if you are under probation period-again this can’t be used against you xx

I had to take a couple of days during the first trimester. I think I was about 8 weeks the first time and I had been struggling in with horrible sickness for a week and came home one day crying to my partner about how awful and tired I felt. He told me to email my boss and tell her I was pregnant, how I had been feeling and that I needed a day off. She was really lovely about it and said I should take time off whenever I needed it and and work from home sometimes if that made things easier.

Pregnancy can be so tough and you shouldn’t feel guilty for having to take time off.

None, but I’m freelance so couldn’t let clients down, and I’d have to work twice as hard when back to catch up. I survived on carbs, mints and water.

I was as sick as a dog for most of my first pregnancy. I struggled into work for the first trimester - by the time I announced my pregnancy everyone was just relieved I wasn’t seriously ill, I looked so rough! After that I didn’t take time off but did shorten my hours a little.

If you would take time off if you were feeling this rotten when you weren’t pregnant, then take time off now. It isn’t a time to be a superhero, and you don’t have anything to prove. Look after yourself.

My first two pregnancies I took about 3 days off during my first trimester because I felt so ill, this time round I didn’t have to as I didn’t feel so bad. You can’t compare your pregnancy to anyone else’s - you don’t know how they felt, all pregnancies are different.

No I was a martyr and went in feeling absolutely awful. Dreadfully sick and on anti nausea tablets hindsight taking a few sick days would have been better but didn’t want my work knowing I was pregnant till after 12 weeks