Fainted!

[bellainthemiddle]

14 weeks, and just went a bit dizzy in the kitchen. I went to sit down and next thing I knew, I found myself "coming to" face down on the floor! I'm home on my own (DH away for work) so I have no idea how long I was out for.

I'm guessing it's just low blood pressure, but I'm terrified that I might have hurt the baby! I've just drunk loads of water and I feel a bit better - just a bit wobbly and bruised, but otherwise alright. Now trying to decide if I pull myself together and go to work, or go back to bed and take the morning off (tempting!).

Any thoughts?! I know this can happen in pregnancy but this is my first ever faint, so I have no experience!!

I doubt you'll get a sicknote (or fit note as they are now) that says you can't do the travelling work but you are fit to work as normal tbh. I expect GP will tell you to self-cert as that is what's expected before they do a note, but you may be able to get it on a 'fit to work but only with adjustments' basis and the adjustments would be to avoid the excess travel, if you suggest it?
Main thing is get those bloods and work out how to make you feel better, balls to worrying about work til that's the case!

When you ask for the appointment, make sure you tell them maternity triage told you you should see a GP today!

I don't know how it works at your surgery, but I've been registered at various surgeries and the one method for getting a same day appointment that has worked at all of them is turning up before they open and queueing. My surgery appointments open at 8 but the actual building opens before then so if there isn't a queue there is somewhere warm to sit.

Yep, that was more or less what I thought re. the note - and in truth it's not like I'm physically unable to get on the Eurostar and go on my work trip, but I am just a bit concerned about what I would do if I felt worse while there (especially with the language barrier - while my French is OK, I don't know if I could do medical speak effectively! ).

Good tip about going to the surgery. Mine is also in a big health centre and the building is open before 8, so I will go there early and wait! Thanks for the suggestion, I'd never have thought of doing that otherwise :)

You've done the right thing. Fingers crossed you get seen and a blood appointment tomorrow and you could be feeling much better by this time next week 🙂

I suffered with fainting in the early stages of both my pregnancies because of low blood pressure. I also commuted by tube and would faint if I had to stand up for very long so I would either get off after a few stops and sit down on the platform and get back on when I felt better or I would squat on the floor in the carriage. If I was lucky, somebody would offer me a seat! However, this was in the days before “Baby on Board” badges and I was not visibly pregnant. Hopefully, the response would be better now. It lasted for several weeks both times (approx 6 - 14 weeks of pregnancy) so certainly could not have taken all that time off work - I just allowed extra time for commuting. Doctor had no suggestions for anything which would help other than to sit down!

Thank you everyone for the very sensible advice! I did manage to get the blood tests done and they came back showing iron deficiency anaemia and also low white blood cell and platelet counts, so it was definitely a good call to get them done! I've started tablets for the iron deficiency but have to get the tests redone for the WBC count and platelets to see if it's an anomaly or something that needs treatment. It does explain why I've been getting whacking great bruises all over my legs and back though - I thought I was just being clumsy and walking into things! Thank you for the encouragement to get this investigated - GP surgery were really not feeling that it was urgent to be done so in the end I had to get it done at the nearest hospital (which fortunately provides it as a walk-in, which I didn't know) but I think it is good that I persevered!

Well done glad you got seen too! Hopefully you start feeling a lot better soon. I'm 11 days into iron tablets and patiently waiting on them kicking in!

Brilliant, it'll be the iron making you feel faint so when they start doing the job you should feel loads better. The WBC and platelets must be worrying too but they will be quietly being a nuisance in the background so hopefully you'll be back on form soon

I know, I'm pleased that it's something I can just take tablets for and feel better! I don't know how worrying the WBC and platelets are - the platelets seem to be very low and the WBC less so, and I haven't had any infections or anything, so I am trying not to worry about it!