Pregnant and Emetophobic

[BeckyG86]

Hello.

We are over the moon that we have got our positive pregnancy test yesterday (we did do a cheap one on Saturday, which was very faint, but confirmed it yesterday). This is our first baby and first pregnancy, and if we go by the first day of my last period my due date is Christmas Day.

However, my feelings of joy are being taken over by anxiety and my emetophobia (fear of vomit/vomiting). I have tried self-help before getting pregnant and felt it went well (I did the Thrive programme from home with the book) but I have been anxious most of the time (not all of the time) since we got the positive on Saturday. We had the positive confirmed yesterday and last night I didn’t sleep well. I am fearing getting ill. I am not wanting to particularly go out anywhere (I will go out but don’t want to in case I am ill at all), and with this being early days I am fearing it will get worse.

I called my doctors to tell them about my positive pregnancy test and said I wasn’t sure what the next step was. The receptionist was ever so nice on the phone. She said it was up to me what the next step was- am I happy about it. I was taken aback a little but she didn’t say it in a funny sort of way and I understand that they have to ask these questions, so I said I was happy but I did have some questions that I wanted to ask and some concerns (I didn’t tell the receptionist) and she has got me in to see the doctor at 11.15am today. I am now currently sat in the waiting room for my appointment. I am hoping they will let me have something like anti-sickness tablets or help in some way with this anxiety. Ideally I want some anti-sickness tablets to keep just in case (medication is not something that I take lightly, I only take medication if it is prescribed to me, which I currently don’t have, and won’t even take paracetamol for a headache).

Anyone else got any advice? I think I will be the next one in there now.

Thank you for any help in advance.

Hello. I am also emetaphobic and it SUCKS!!!! However, I was very lucky in my two pregnancies (and I am hoping for this third one) that I never felt sick or vomitted. So far I feel fine and I am hoping it continues. I would not take anything unless you actually feel sick. You might also be lucky and not need it. Make sure you have crackers handy as sometimes if you get too hungry it might make you feel sick so making sure you have something to eat prevents it.

It is horrible. I have spoken to the doctor about my concerns and he has prescribed me some anti-sickness tablets to have just in case and gave me a number for counselling to call and arrange an appointment. I have also brought some Sea Bands to keep with me.

Congratulations to you too! xx

I suffered massively with this. Felt like a living nightmare. I made myself sicker by holding it in, I think. In the end there were occasions that wasn't possible and in the end I got kind of used to it. Instead of fighting it and feeling afraid i would take proactive action and get to the bathroom and just let it happen. The last few times I was sick it was fine, I was able to somewhat control it, do it cleanly and felt a lot better afterwards. Compared to the first few weeks of gasping and being in tears and miserable for hours afterwards. I realise some have much stronger phobias than others though so hopefully the medication will help you!!

Thank you. I feel happier and more relieved to have some anti-sickness tablets with me. It is like a big weight off my mind. I have also brought some mints, ginger nut biscuits and crackers to keep in my handbag just in case, and I had an unopened packets of Gin Gins (ginger sweets) so put those in my bag. I know you can get some pregnancy sweets from Amazon that I might get (I would rather have a mixture of remedies as precautions).
They gave me a number to call for counselling at the doctors today. I only got back home about 15 minutes ago and tried calling them but they close at 5pm, so left my name, numbers, date of birth and a brief reason for booking an appointment on their answer phone as requested and it said they would call me back so I expect to hear from them tomorrow.

I think since leaving the doctors this morning I have been the calmest I have been since finding out I was pregnant. I hope it stays this way.

Thank you for sharing your experiences. It really helps. We haven’t told many people yet and don’t plan to tell many just yet (just parents, my Husband’s brother and sister-in-law and work), but I asked my Husband if it was ok to tell one of my best friends today who I was meeting because she is someone I trust and understands my anxiety, and I said I could do with someone to talk to when I feel anxious, so he was happy with that, and it felt good to talk about it with her this afternoon.

I’m a bit emetophobic, but it wasn’t a problem because I didn’t feel the slightest bit sick or vomit in either of my pregnancies. Don’t worry - it’s not a forgone conclusion!

--The trade off was that neither of them slept but I shan’t mention that—

I am in the exact same position as you. First pregnancy and have high anxiety and emetophobia. I went to the drs and was given prochlorperazine for the anti-sickness. I feel better on them, but the nausea is still there. Definitely not as bad though with the tablets. It's horrible. I will do almost anything not to be sick, my fear is so high! I wish I didn't have it. I did the Thrive programme for my anxiety and started for the phobia, but didn't complete it. This time onwards is such a struggle for me and I dread it every day. For whatever reason, the evening is worse and the nausea is definitely brought on by eating. Even though I eat, it clearly is never enough in the evenings. We have told more people than we would have liked as I needed a support network so that it wasn't all down to my husband to help when I'm anxious. Here if you want to talk about it!
I'm 10 +5 weeks.

I'm not emetophobic but really don't like throwing up. However, having Hyperemesis in both pregnancies has forced me to get used to it. And actually, accepting beforehand that it's going to happen made a huge difference. Like a PP said, I felt better afterwards because I knew I'd feel better rather than trying to hold it in. Not that I can anyway. Hyperemesis is not kind.
I'm glad you got antiemetics though. Some women really struggle getting them from their GP.

I'm emetophobic and also didn't have even the slightest bit of nausea at all throughout pregnancy. You may be lucky!

I am really hoping I am lucky. I will go through sleepless nights of it meant no sickness! Aside from a healthy baby and pregnancy all I ask is for no sickness or nausea.
I am waiting for a call back for counselling but the doctor prescribed me Cyclizine (I think that is how you spell it). I said I will only take them if I need to, and he knew that I don’t take tablets lightly, so I think that is why he allowed it. He was really supportive and made me feel at ease, so I was really happy with that. I have my first midwife appointment on 29th May (when I am 10 weeks pregnant), the receptionist was going to try and book me in for the week before but the midwife is on holiday, so it had to be the week after. I didn’t click on at the time but it is the school holiday then and I am on annual leave that day so it has worked out well.
I plan to tell work when I return next week, but we are out for a work trip to see a little play, and my line manager is going so I don’t know whether to mention it tonight if the opportunity arises.

I'm emetophobic and had pretty horrible 24/7 morning sickness. Grim. I didn't actually vomit though- not once! Came close a few times but generally speaking it was under control.

So, even if you do end up with morning sickness you won't necessarily vomit with it!

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

I have emet so I feel for you, I wasn't sick during pregnancy just felt it a bit, I had a baby last year and I'm 7 months pregnant now and haven't been sick this time either, doctor prescribed me cyclizine to take for nausea which did help. I did have a panic that I was going to be sick during my section and was a bit of a nightmare flapping about it convinced I was going to be sick ( I wasn't) that they sedated me in the end to shut me up

I had anti sickness and was safe for pregnant women. Cant remember the name began with c... I have other health issues and usually vomit atleast 3x day. With the pills only sick once in a week.

Thank you everyone. Emetophobia is horrible and I am living every moment thinking am I going to feel sick or be sick. It really is the only thing I fear about being pregnant. I am going away for a couple of days tomorrow and dreading it in case I am ill. We have days out planned during our time away and dreading it in case I am ill, we have family staying over the start of June and I am dreading that in case I am ill, and we have at least two day trips and going to another family member’s house for food and dreading those in case I am ill, and we are going away for a couple of days at the end of June for our wedding anniversary (I will be 14 weeks then so I hope that will be ok, but there’s still a worry).
I have been on annual leave since finding out that I am pregnant and don’t return until Monday but I am dreading going back in case I am ill.
I felt so much better in myself yesterday after speaking to the doctor and getting anti-sickness tablets just in case, and I brought things like sea bands, crackers, ginger biscuits, mints and I have some ginger sweets I have never opened that I have had in my bag for a few months, and I plan on buying some of those Prego Pops that are on Amazon (if that is what they are called). I really feel that the doctor was supportive and that made me happy and able to cope with yesterday (I didn’t want to go out really but I felt better once I got out of the doctors). I did spend a few hours with a best friend yesterday after I had been to the doctors and I told her because she understands my anxiety and I just thought I would need someone to talk to and she is great like that.
I had a look this morning about the size of the baby, etc, and it was saying about symptoms such as morning sickness can be experienced now, and I feel like I want to look further but scared to as well.
I am hoping that the counselling can get sorted today, but I still hope that I don’t get nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and labour.

Even if you do end up suffering with morning sickness I think the reality of living with it will actually be easier than the fear of it looming over you, honestly. Granted it's not nice, but the all consuming fear is crippling- I know how hard it is feeling like a ticking time bomb but you really need to try and relax and see what happens Everything will be ok x

@BeckyG86 I am honestly the same as you. I don't even like reading the v word, however, slowly doing it through these threads!
I fear going out and am off to Cyprus at the end of May to see family. Scared to death of that incase I feel ill, but then I know I am with family so hoping that will make it easier. I will also be about 15 weeks then so hoping its all eased by then too. I haven't really left my house apart from going to the drs as I'm too scared. It's so crippling like you said. But each day, I am trying to move forward a little bit so that I know it will be okay.
I have had nausea for the past 7 weeks. It's been horrible, and I have cried pretty much every day, but then I think, okay, I have made it through that day. It's one step closer to feeling better.

I think most of us emets are really good at not being sick, my last time I was 12 and I'm 35 now! Keep us updated how you get on

I was last sick in December (suspected it was something I ate), but it was about 3-4 years before that the last time, and again about 13 years before that.

Congratulations. I had hyperemesis so I just sort of endured it knowing that it would end. Eventually. I was hospitalised at one point.
I stopped throwing up daily at about 25 weeks.
I stopped feeling nauseous about an hour after she was born.
I am still emetophobic.

I'm emetophobic too, and had horrible nausea and one instance of "oh god I am going to throw up right now" but was never actually sick. I was given cyclizine and wore sea bands and to be honest was pretty miserable in my first trimester. But, I got through it, and plenty of women don't throw up (I posted a thread on here asking whether anyone had had bad nausea and not actually thrown up, and got lots of responses), plus I think emetophobic people are less likely to throw up generally. Ginger biscuits helped me, as did carrying around some raisins, which I think helped me get my blood sugar up when I really couldn't stomach eating much, and also granny smith apples seemed to really settle my stomach - I'd spend all afternoon just nibbling on one apple!

hope you’re getting along well now. Final stretch....

Op I have emetophobia too. This is my third pg (1st ended in mc) and every time have had extreme nausea issues throughout. I am literally living my worst nightmare and the nausea doesn’t go for me until birth. My last pg mentally broke me but because of that I did a lot more research before getting into this one. I’m now 31 weeks and still on a combination of two medications including cyclizine and have been signed off for months.

My emetophobia is quite bad. It prevents me from a number of ‘normal’ daily activities in normal life and at times has made me housebound for fear of catching bugs.

You sound like you’re doing all the right things getting prepared. That’s really important. The better prepared you are to try different things to find what works for you the more likely to find something that helps. It’s worth remembering most people only suffer occasional mild nausea and this will often be because they haven’t eaten or overdone it.

Things that help me are first and foremost rest. Activity and getting overtired are a huge nausea trigger. The more you can take it easy the better. Starting medication early has also been shown to be more effective and reduce severity of sickness. This time I started on cyclizine as soon as I got my bfp. The fact your gp has prescribed it to you as a preemptive is great, mine refused last time and said I’d have to contact them if and when I felt sick. Just mentally having something there to take if needed is a real help. For a warning though cyclizine may make you feel very drowsy when you first start taking it. This will wear off if you continue to take it after a few days. Also, it’s more effective when taken regularly as it builds up in your system.

Eating frequently is one of the only things that makes a difference to me as well as rest and medicine. I don’t get out of bed in the morning without eating something first. Eat what you can manage, which might be nothing but potatoes for weeks but that’s ok if you can manage it.

With dd I woukd sniff lemons and have mints. I also had a ms hypnosis cd and a nevasick cd.

If you find th cyclizine not helping there are other medication options so dongo back if you find it’s not working. You should know very soon if it makes a difference or not.

Honestly, pg is the hardest thing I’ve ever done but I wouldn’t be without dd. I only did it again knowing the end goal would be worth it! My body reacts intensely to the hormones in a way that most people don’t experience so don’t let my experience scare you.

Thank you everyone. I haven’t taken anything yet, but it is all here ready. I have got an hypnosis app and have done that today, but I might do a few different ones to see how they make me feel. I am going away for two nights tomorrow and dreading it in case I am ill.

Thank you for your experiences and understanding. I hope the counselling team call me back soon, although it is looking less likely now as they close at 5pm and they said this first call is about half an hour long.