I'm just gonna start burning scented candles! As I'm only in 2 hours at a time at the moment, I'm not really spending any time with students (lots of prep work for other staff to use). When I do start getting into the room woth students I'm going to set nice reflective moods with scented candles....! I'll even do a risk assessment first! I'm glad I made you chuckle, Lucinda, I've found that if I don't try and see the humour then I'll just sit in, corner and sob (And I have a fair bit of corner sobbing!!). Fabulous GP extended my 2 hours only at work sick note for a month on the 4th Feb, so I don't have to worry about that for a while.
Gestational diabetes. Cos hyperemesis isn't enough... sasseh how have you got on balancing managing the GD and the hyperemesis? I'm genuinely quite worried about the whole thing, as not only am I craving sweet things all the time (genuine cravings, I'm not sually sweet toothed - it takes me weeks to eat a bar of chocolate cos I'll have a couple of squares then pop back in the fridge for another day! And I don't like sweets normally, too sweet for me!), but keeping a fairly steady flow of sweet things (biscuits, fruits, sweets, soya custard/choc pudding, vegan ice cream, lollies... And so on) has proved key in keeping my general nausea levels down. I don't quite know what to do if I have to cut all that out. I've had 2 of the 3 readings above the limit to tick the diagnosis box (technically I've had 3, but it was 10 mins early, and the reading 20nins late was significantly under, so I decided to ignore the first one...!). At this stage in my pregnancy it seems unlikely I'll get to the end without triggering a GD diagnosis. It doesn't help that so many of the suggested snacks involve ricotta, cottage cheese, cheese generally, and dairy is an absolute no no for me. I'm trying not to stress about it, but I cried all the way home yesterday after the early high reading. It feels so unfair!!
Welcome to newbies, sorry you need this space, but do make the most of it - no judgement to be found here, only understand and empathy.
Constipation thing... it's always a hot topic! So frustrating that most doctors don't see the need to prescribe a laxative at the same time as ondansetron. It's such an establish side effect, and can have such a negative affect on nausea levels (as well being damned uncomfortable!!). For me, daily lactulose works. But constipation is simply not an issue for me at the moment... I'm going several times a day, often with very little warning, and it's at the other end if the Bristol stool chart from the malteaser like constipated poop! And the farts!! Loud and smelly. Very dignified. Comfort of my own house is bad enough. Morrison's with a child that likes to comment on "mummy, stop doing toxic trumps!" rather loudly is a whole other matter.... No idea if this is cos of the combo of drugs, simply cos I'm preggers, a new thing that my body does now (hoping to God it's not this!!).... Oh, how I love being pregnant.
On the plus side, baby is now pretty active a lot of the time, which is incredibly reassuring. Cos of the anterior placenta, I only feel movements at the bottom of my bump, think theplacenta acts as a buffer elsewhere. Which I've decided is a blessing, cos my son moving around gave me motion sickness last time!! I am carrying incredibly low already, and am in fairly constant pain at the bottom of my bump/top of pubic bone. Like a niggling, nagging pain all the time, that sporadically becomes a bit more 'stabby'. Not sure what's causing it, but I'm not concerned that it's a sign of anything untoward. I am carrying very low, and I remember feeling it towards the end of my last pregnancy, when my bump 'dropped'. Just frustratingly early!
reastie I'm sorry your mental health was ignored. It's no consolation, but this does seem to be the case with most professionals. I remember the sheer relief when I finally met my now consultant for when first time, when she specifically referred to the mental health aspects, and caring for and managing those as well. Depressingly unusual.