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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

How much time off work did you have in your first trimester?

93 replies

Paris2019 · 11/05/2020 14:49

I'm 11 weeks and have been struggling on, despite feeling like cr*p most days! Did you take time off, how much, and was your employer understanding??

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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Notlostjustexploring · 11/05/2020 14:56

I had a week off at around 10-11 weeks. I had been struggling in for about a month by that point, regularly leaving meetings to vomit, and I just looked grey. I think they were relatively understanding, but there will always be an undertone of "you're only pregnant not sick"

I feel no guilt or shame about taking that time off. I have never, never, never felt so bad in my life (including during an induced labour) as in early pregnancy, and being able to rest made me feel so much better.

ilikebigbuttsandicannotlie · 11/05/2020 14:59

None at all. I was lucky in both pregnancies thankfully as I don’t think my employer would have been very understanding. If you need time off, say it’s something non pregnancy related.

saylor · 11/05/2020 15:00

I was a trailing spouse at the time so wasn't working but I remember thinking there was no way I could go to an office as I felt horrific everyday for weeks. There was just no way I could commute on the train and tube without vomiting on someone or in the office.

DateandTime · 11/05/2020 15:02

I did an hour commute by train everyday. Was sick before leaving and again immediately on arriving at the office everyday without fail but never on the train. No idea how my subconscious managed that.

I do remember wanting to cry with tiredness in the afternoons but I didn't have any time off.

PlanDeRaccordement · 11/05/2020 15:05

No. And two pregnancies I was fainting several times a week and on another I had bad morning sickness until 36 weeks. But I’m a workaholic so don’t feel bad if you decide to take time off. My job is also not physically demanding.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 11/05/2020 15:06

First PG virtually the whole of the first trimester and the third. The second PG was much easier

cookielove · 11/05/2020 15:08

I had a few weeks off in the beginning as i thought i was miscarrying for the 5th time.

Then i was from week 6 - 30 ish!

PlanDeRaccordement · 11/05/2020 15:09

“I do remember wanting to cry with tiredness in the afternoons”

I had the same, so I would take a one hour nap during my lunch break and then eat at my desk. First three babies, I had a small office so I’d nap in my car in the car park. By last baby, I had a massive office with it’s own comfy sofa. That was luxury to just tell my secretary do not disturb, lock my door, fluff up a pillow and snooze. I could not have made it through a full day without my lunch time naps.

2020hello · 11/05/2020 15:11

None and I was super sick, but that was only because I wanted to take all my holiday off in the last trimester before maternity leave started.

Superscientist · 11/05/2020 15:11

My worst weeks were over Christmas and new year but had a few days off. Work were really understanding and tried to send me home a few times but the idea of getting back on a train to get home was worse than staying at work.

Theyweretheworstoftimes · 11/05/2020 15:16

5 weeks in hospital. Then additional time after that as I couldn't walk or clean my teeth with HG.

Temple29 · 11/05/2020 15:21

Second pregnancy I had one day off to attend the emergency department because of cramping. Thankfully all was well. My employer is crap and unsympathetic though and I definitely went to work on days where I was much too sick to do my job well.

aneliese · 11/05/2020 15:38

None. I suffered from extreme tiredness and nausea but fortunately wasn't ever sick so my long commute was just about manageable.

PippinStar · 11/05/2020 15:44

12 weeks both times (HG).

Original poster

Paris2019 · 11/05/2020 15:45

Ok so the responses are making me feel like a bit off a wuss 🙈 I had extreme exhaustion between 6-8 weeks. Luckily I am working from home so didn't have to drag myself into the office (which i don't think I'd have been able to do) and was able to carry on working, albeit pretty unproductively. Otherwise, it's just been queasiness and stomach cramps.

My OH says I have a low tolerance to being unwell...

OP posts:

AliasGrape · 11/05/2020 15:55

I left work one morning due to bleeding and cramps, had the rest of that day off, that was a Monday and I got a scan at the EPU on the Wed, so I didn’t go back till after that. I also needed a follow up scan 2 weeks later and had the day off for that too. Luckily all was ok.

Employers were fine about it.

I felt absolutely shattered, anxious as hell due to being high risk and bleeds, and generally felt almost a bit fluey a lot of the time but I was really lucky on the sickness front and didn’t get much of that (28 weeks now and starting to get a bit of nausea), also the times I felt worst tended to be evenings so work was a bit more manageable (with plenty of biscuits to keep me going mind!).

Mammyloveswine · 11/05/2020 15:59

I had a week off with food poisoning around 6 weeks in (was horrific, was so ill!), I then had two weeks off with a blood clot...Around 9 weeks! Then I had flu at around 30 weeks...

I didn't actually finish until 40 weeks though!

HarrietM87 · 11/05/2020 16:03

None in my first pregnancy because I had no symptoms!

I’ve had one day off in this one - had a big bleed so had to go to hospital. Lockdown completely coincided with my first trimester though (I’m 14 weeks now so was 6 weeks on lockdown) and thank goodness because I’ve had horrendous morning sickness and exhaustion. I’ve worked from bed most days and am so grateful haven’t had to commute. I really didn’t want to tell them before 12 weeks (and still haven’t) so couldn’t risk taking time off - difficult to explain catching any other illness if you’re at home all the time!

NeverHadANickname · 11/05/2020 16:04

I didn't work at the time but I couldn't have done anyway, I was vomiting constantly, couldn't keep anything down. Once the vomiting stopped and I just felt sick constantly it was more manageable.

Redcrayons · 11/05/2020 16:06

No days sickness, but a days holiday for the scan.

20 weeks onwards I had crippling migraines so it was at least one day a week.

Hercwasonaroll · 11/05/2020 16:06

None apart from the 3 days I was in hospital with a uti.

In the kindest possible way you do sound like you have a low tolerance rather than anything really wrong with you.

Nachonacho · 11/05/2020 16:10

None in my First or Second trimester, 2 Days in my Third as I'd had a row of sleepless nights due to V&D!

Superscientist · 11/05/2020 16:34

Do you have any annual leave to take? My fatigue has continued into my second trimester and I was starting to unravel. I had some leave to take before it expired so booked a couple of 3 day weekends and the extra down time has helped improve my energy and concentration at work.
I'm having to be quite wary of my energy levels and ensuring I get enough sleep and rest, it has been a learning curve to listen to what my body is telling me. I'm prone at the best of times of running myself into the ground!

heroineinahalfshell · 11/05/2020 17:36

None. I was working from home 2-3 days per week anyway so that helped, but there was a period of 3-4 weeks where I went in to the office feeling very rough and downed a lot of rich tea biscuits at my desk!

Gallacia · 11/05/2020 17:37

None, very lucky I had a great pregnancy

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