First trimester fainting

[littleV58]

Just wondering if anyone has any advice or experienced anything similar

I am 12+5 weeks pregnant and keep nearly fainting. I feel horrendous and it's stopping me from doing my job. I'm a self employed hairdresser and have had to send a client home early this morning as I couldn't do her appointment.

I've taken my blood pressure and it's 102/68.

I don't really know what to do. I had this with my son but it only happened twice in my pregnancy, whereas this is the 4th time now and it's breaking me 😩

Any words of wisdom are appreciated 💕

Hello! Totally feel your pain. I had this so bad! I’d be shopping and all of a sudden know I was gonna go :( it happened in primark lol and before I knew it, I was on the floor with a crowd round me. For me, it was more the embarrassment of it and because I didn’t really have an evident bump yet I felt like people looked at me like ‘why are you throwing yourself on the floor’ 😩😂 it got to a point where I didn’t want to leave the house on my own in fear of it happening and not having someone to help me or explain to others I was pregnant! It gradually got better as I entered the second trimester but unfortunately returned in my third (although not as bad) i spoke to my midwife so many times about it but everything was normal such a BP and iron levels so they weren’t really bothered. Anyway, just make sure you carry sugary drinks round with you and gulp them whenever you feel like it’s coming on. I also bought glucose tablets (orange flavour are really nice) from the chemist and took them if I felt a little unsteady. Try keep cool aswel don’t allow yourself to get too hot. I don’t think there’s a cure unfortunately but hopefully those hints will help. Get yourself seated fast too when it comes on. It may help for you to read about how your centre of gravity changes during pregnancy aswel, try not to go from low level to high level too quickly. Hope that helps you slightly, and hold on, it won’t last forever xx

Thank you for replying @TLBftm! I was in Asda the other day and it happened but I had my little boy with me so I panicked which obviously made it so much worse.

Well this is my problem, it happens when I'm sat down 🤦🏽‍♀️. As soon as I have a client arrive I sit down in my seat to make sure I don't go dizzy, but I bloody do anyway 🤦🏽‍♀️.

I'll call my midwife on Monday and see what she suggests. It's just so frustrating!

Thank you again 💕

Oh no, awful isn’t it. I had the same in Asda, I was the Q and felt it coming so shopping on conveyor belt I walk to the end of the till and sat myself on a pallet with my head between my legs. Mortifying isn’t it lol! Yes still happens sat down unfortunately but at least you can’t fall and hit the floor.

Do you get blurred vision and see like black spots? I did sometimes and the midwife was worried it could be early PC but urine sample proved otherwise. Deffo give them a call just in case.

I started to warn people aswel like ‘look I might go dizzy and faint so just bear with me’ I guess I felt like it made me look less stupid when it did happen. But at least that way your clients are prepared.

All the best xx

No advice, I just wanted to commiserate. I'm also self-employed and I've just started today with nausea and dizziness and I'm already wondering how I'm going to see my clients every day if this continues/gets worse It's adding a lot of anxiety because even if I got signed off, I'd still have to try to find cover which would be a nightmare. It's too early to tell them I'm pregnant and I don't want to be a complete flake, cancelling all the time.

@TLBftm I don't get blurred vision but I see stars which makes me really confused. I think I'm going to have to do that. I wanted to put off telling people as long as I could till at least 20 weeks, but with my job I don't think I'll get away with it 😔

Congratulations lovely @CatSmize 💕. I was lucky enough that when I felt really shite, it was over Christmas and I had time off and hadn't booked anyone in till after New Year. Do you have anyone that you trust that can look after your clients? I say trust, I did this on maternity, let a good friend take over my clients for me and she actually stole the majority of them and told them not to go back to me which was lovely. How many weeks are you? Xxx

Ahh I didn’t realise no one knew yet 😣 I’m a dental nurse and was about 4 weeks when I found out, I was so excited and couldn’t hold my own s**t in so told the girls at work (even though you shouldn’t yet really) so whenever it happened at work they knew why. The dentist I assist was also so helpful, having 3 children of her own she was very understanding and constantly asked if I was ok or needed a break etc... there was however a couple of whisperers at work I felt, it was almost like they thought I was milking it and it was too early on for me to be not feeling great etc (they don’t have children)...

Wish you both the best, you could either tell people so they know why, it just try keep going and then when you eventually tell them, at least they will understand then why you’ve been feeling the way you do.

Hope you both keep your clients too 😱 xx

Congrats to you too! I'm glad you were off when you felt the worst. That's definitely something that us self-employed people share - being happy we are ill during our holidays!

That's awful that your "friend" stole your clients! My friends who do the same as me have their schedules full with their own clients, unfortunately. The only option would be interviewing for someone to take over and anyone without any clients of their own would probably be inexperienced and lose me all my clients anyway! But on the plus side, at least they'd miss me and want me back!

I'm only 5+5 so right at the start! I hope yours eases up soon as you're further along. Let us know what your midwife advises!

Thanks TLB!

it was almost like they thought I was milking it and it was too early on for me to be not feeling great etc

That's a concern of mine too! I'd hate anyone to think "god, she's not the first woman to be pregnant!" so I'm going to try my best to just get on with things but I really think different people suffer and deal with illnesses differently. I've always been a pathetic mess when I feel sick, and my ribs hurt for days after throwing up!

I'm hoping, as you say, that when I finally tell them I'm pregnant they will understand why I hadn't been 100%.

I had this too... Was working in a shop and trying to hold it together but ended up fainting on the the shop floor! Luckily my dh was there to see me at the time.... Got taken to hospital and checked out and everything was fine... I had to self certify in the end as i was dizzy when i woke up and still lying down in bed and couldnt risk it happening again as i could have been standing at the top of an escalator next time.... Never had to go back in the end as they decided they didn't need me after Xmas(was xmas temp)
Anyhow... That was just before xmas and now im 13 weeks and mostly much better, but still have the odd day where the dizzyness can come on... its awful when u dont feel you can go out alone so i really hope you all feel better soon!!!