Morning sickness - is this normal?

[RK2019]

Hi, I am around 8 weeks pregnant after having a MMC at 12 weeks in June. Since around 5 and half weeks I have been sick every day, some days up to 30 times. I spend all my days off in bed and am struggling to get through work (full time in an office) and am sick several times a day at work. I had an emergency scan for spotting on 22/12 and told my GP, nurse and the consultant about how often I am being sick but they were all quite dismissive and after the scan (there was a tiny baby 6 weeks 6 days with a heartbeat - so wonderful to see after MMC) the consultant even said to me that I could have a nice day being sick. I am struggling to drink water or anything and feel dizzy but have kept down my evening meal and a drink the last couple of nights. I know that this is probably nothing compared to what people go through but wanted to know if it is normal? I have tried ginger and it made me more sick! I am a vegan too and normally very careful with what I eat but only managing plain things like rice noodles and pasta.

Sounds like hyperemesis to me. I've had it since week 5 and been on a lot of medication and fluids in hospital for it. Please join the hyperemesis support page for some advice and help.

NICE guidelines state that moderate to severe nausea and vomiting in pregnancy should be managed with anti emetics.

You definitely fall into that category!

I agree with @abbs1 Please join the support group and go to your GP tomorrow. There is so much help you can get! If your gp is dismissive speak to another one. I ended up in hospital for fluids so many times and it took a while to find an anti sickness that worked for me. But there is help.

Good luck and congratulations on your pregnancy. I fully understand how difficult this early stage is and even now at 18 weeks I'm still pretty much housebound but I do have more and more good days as the weeks go by xxx

Sounds like hyperemesis to me - have a look on the pregnancy sickness support website and there's also a Hyperemesis support thread on here which has loads of excellent advice , I can't link but you should find it if you search. It is awful, poor you - and so many people don't understand which is very frustrating. You need to see a sympathetic GP who can prescribe you something to help.

Thank you so much for your replies, I really appreciate it. I feel very lonely and scared. I will look at the links and the support group and see doctor tomorrow if possible. Good luck in your pregnancies.

It is isolating, my GP has been understanding and i'm going back tomorrow for more medication, people i have told have generally been 'everyone is sick', which makes it worse as you wonder if you're just over reacting. Im not as sick as you, its only 12 times a day, but very little stays, and what i can drink is severly limited.

The turning point for me i think was when the gp secretary didn't take me seriously and i ended up saying it was that or an abortion, she gave me the appointment quickly after that. And equally when the GP asked me for a urine sample and all i could do was laugh at her as i hadn't been able to wee more than once a day for a week.

Hypermesis support here : www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/3645842-Hyperemesis-Support
and the pregnancy sickness support has pages, and a forum ( you have to join up to see but they also offer peer support.

You aren't alone, if you want to talk you can message me

@RK2019 I've tagged you (hopefully!) in the hyperemisis thread. The ladies their are full
Of advice xxx

Oh no you sound like you are really suffering. Do join us on the hyperemesis thread, you don't need an official diagnosis to come and chat! Being sick that many times in a day isn't normal, and there is safe medication that can help. Glad you are keeping a meal down in the evening but that doesn't mean you don't need help. I'd be speaking to your GP about a sick note too, it can just be for a week or two while you get used to the meds and rest but I can't believe you're still working whilst so ill. I have been less ill than you and have been off work.

Thank you very much, I will try and get an appointment today with GP x

Good luck

Is there anyone you can take with you to fight your case if the GP is dismissive.
Don't leave without a prescription for an anti emetics and a sick note.

Hope you managed to get an appointment x

Thank you, I have an appointment tomorrow so hopefully they can help x

I am sure they will be able to help. Mention sickness up to 30 times a day and they should understand you need some help. Hope you get on ok

Thank you... I saw the nurse, she said it was normal and lots of people are sick this many times but some cope better than others. She offered me cyclizine but said she wouldn't recommend it in the first twelve weeks and it was up to me as if I lost this baby too I might blame myself. Also if i am still weeing a bit then some water must be getting through. Was so sick yesterday and so fed up! Just hope twelve scan is better than last time after all this x

@RK2019 sorry that nurse sounds appalling you should not have to cope with hypermesis without help/support or medication. Yes no medication can be tested on pregnant ladies so can't be considered 100% safe but saying if you lost it after taking cyclizine it's basically your fault is unforgivable and unprofessional. You need your ketones checking I was still peeing a bit but had ketones +++ in my urine yesterday so was sent straight to A&E for rehydration and meds.

I agree with @MrsH497 that nurse is appalling. Did you look at the hyperemisis thread? The ladies there will be able advise on what to do next.

I have been taking anti sickness since before the sickness started this time (4th pregnancy. Had hyperemisis all 4 times) Yes no meds can be tested on pregnant women but some are deemed safer than others. I'm allergic to cyclizine but have taken about 5 different ones before settling on one that work. And all my children are healthy.

Please - what you are experiencing isn't normal. Please get a second opinion. And also make a complaint about that damn nurse! Xx

www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/gtg69/

cks.nice.org.uk/nauseavomiting-in-pregnancy#!scenario

Familiarise yourself with the NICE and RCOG guidelines, and then get another appointment (or even go to a&e, and I say that as a paramedic) to see someone else.
Take someone confident with you who can support you.

If you look at the NICE guidelines you will see that the nurse is talking total bullshit. The only drug where there may be possible issues is ondasatron, but that is more a lack of quality evidence to say it is totally okay rather than actual evidence to say it is harmful.

And remember, no man ever would be expected to carry on as normal with constant nausea and vomiting for weeks (even months) on end, and certainly not carry on working. It is ingrained misogyny that sees nausea and vomiting in pregnancy disregarded and belittled. Just the use of the phrase "morning sickness" boils my blood.

@RK2019 that nurse should not have said that to you, there are many antiemetic medications that can be taken throughout pregnancy. I took cyclizine from about 6 weeks until delivery and my son is now 10 1/2 months old. You’ll feel more unwell if you’re not managing to keep fluids down and many ladies are admitted to hospital following severe sickness so you shouldn’t be being fobbed off by healthcare professionals. Sickness in pregnancy is of course one of the normal symptoms but not to the extent that it’s causing you to become dehydrated. I hope you get to see someone sensible soon!

I am furious to read this. What an awful experience. I took cyclizine from about 8 weeks and was told it was safe I think.
Going forwards, I would buy some at home tests for keytones so you can monitor yourself for dehydration levels. They take those measurements seriously. Available on Amazon. ++++ Is the highest level of dehydration and you would be admitted to hospital on that. If you call GP and say this is my keytones level that will prompt them. Perhaps it's that you saw a nurse not a midwife or doctor? I went straight to a&e once and was took very seriously.

Thanks I will get a keytone kit and hopefully see the doctor. I am seeing the midwife on Saturday so can speak to her about it then.