How much time off work did you have for Morning Sickness?

[TTCSoph2019]

I'm currently 8 weeks pregnant and have had debilitating morning sickness since 6 weeks...

I only work 2 days a week in an office so feel really guilty that I'm off... but I can't get out of bed It's 24/7 morning till night without any let up.

On week 6 I called in sick myself the 2 days I work, and the doctor put me on cyclizine. It didn't work, then he bumped me up to a stronger medication that completely wiped me out and didn't help with the sickness either.

At 7 weeks the doctor signed me off work for two weeks, and basically said there's nothing else they can do if the medications aren't working.

I was 8 weeks yesterday and am meant to be back in work on Friday, I'm completely stressing out as I can't function as a normal human being and it's so early I don't want anyone to know. (Only my boss knows). I'm just so stressed at the thought of another month of this....

Did anyone else experience anything like this? What did you do about work?

Thank you!

Please don't feel guilty for taking time off work for severe pregnancy sickness. If you are not well enough to be in work then you need to be signed off. No one would be expected to go to work with norovirus which is how I felt for most of my pregnancy (I've barely had a day off sick since!). There is an awful attitude that ms is just part of normal pregnancy and women need to man up but it can be hugely disabling and isolating condition. Please do not feel guilty about having to be signed off it you need to and try and find a sympathetic GP who will be supportive. Good luck!

Thankfully I found cyclizine helped me function but I had a week off for sickness early in both pregnancies. I was still sick but was able to function with the meds. if they hadn't have worked I would have needed a hell of a lot more time off.

@Elephantsaregrey Thank you for saying that, it's so nice to have a sympathetic ear! It's my husband and I's 5th wedding anniversary today and we had to cancel the little celebration plans (COVID safe) we had made, because I'm so ill. But I know it will be all worth it in the end! We've wanted this for so long! Thanks again

@Elmo230885 That's really interesting, i just wonder why they haven't worked for me! So annoying! They even tried me on Prochlorperazine and that hasn't worked either. So happy it all worked out for you! MS is the worst

Two weeks but I could have done with a bit longer to be honest.

Don't feel bad, morning sickness is really, really awful!

On the plus side I did feel back to normal by about 14 weeks, doesn't happen like that for everyone but does for most I think.

I was hospitalised with it so that pretty much made it clear to my employer that I wasn't well enough to work.

Thanks @Thirdchild88 I hope it goes away by then!! Must be awful for the ladies who have it all the way through

None so far but I work from home and can take it pretty easy if I need to this time round. Go to your gp and get medication OP. I had no idea with my first 2 pregnancies that there was medication for morning sickness, and suffered through it and ended up depressed with my second.
This pregnancy wasn't planned and the sickness was killing me. At 7 weeks I was already getting depressed. I'm now on my 3third kind of medication (mixing 2 different kinds) and its made such a difference. I can actually eat! Don't suffer through it op. I told my midwifes previously how bad I was suffering and they just offered old wife's tales.

I had 3.5 weeks off, weeks 9-13.
Went back at 14 weeks, it's still not resolved, I still feel sick most days at 15 weeks, but work are being a bit kinder to me now I've had the time off, rather than me going in and struggling, and looking like I wasn't doing my job properly.
It's like they've realised actually I was feeling crap, and i wasn't just being lazy.

Don't feel guilty. Get signed off. There's nothing they can do about pregnancy related sickness.
Better for you and baby to be home and resting, than suffering at work with no thanks for it.

33 days. I started off on cyclizine but it stopped working after a while I ended up on steroids this helped enormously . it is truly awful.....don't feel bad about time off. ..its not "normal" morning sickness

@bellinisurge that's so awful! Thankfully i am still able to eat a little. I have lost weight though and my appetite is diminishing as it goes on. But it must be so awful if you can't keep anything down, even water, bless you!

Don't feel guilty, I didn't take much time off as it mostly fell over Christmas and New year so I wasn't working. I took the odd day here and there off but there were more days where I struggled in but then felt too bad to make the journey home so had to wait it out till it passed enough to manage getting back on a train. I felt awful and was not productive. Me being in work was not good for me and it wasn't good for my employer either.
My sickness has returned in the third trimester and I have been better at taking time off when I need than I was in the first trimester. I feel much better for it.

I was off for 8 weeks with my 1st as my gp was similar and I had to fight to get taken seriously.
There are numerous types of medication to try and combinations. Its finding the right one that works for you. I was hospitalised in the end and it was the drs at the hospital who tried really hard to find me the right medication. The best was a junior dr who really fought to get me placed on a certain type of medication that kick started me getting better. Sadly you really have to fight to be taken seriously with morning sickness.

Sorry I see you are already on meds. The next step up would be Phenergan (promethazine hydrochloride) I moved to that. It worked but didn't last long enough now I'm on the full dose of that and the full dose of prochlorperazine. That's working well. The next type of medication they don't like to give out until you are past the 12 weeks so I'm trying to manage on what I've got.

Phenergan is what worked for me in the end as well. Made me really sleepy though.

Over the years I’ve worked with maybe 15 pregnant women, including myself, and a similar number of men with pregnant partners, so about 30 in all. Three of the women have had to take extended sick leave or bed rest for hyperemesis (and another was put on months of bed rest for another medical reason). It’s not the norm, but neither is it super-rare, so if you present a doctor’s note any manager with a reasonable experience of life should be aware that this is just one of those things.

The Duchess of Cambridge’s well-publicised struggles with HG have fortunately raised awareness that sometimes a ginger biscuit and a positive attitude don’t cut it. Fingers crossed that this is just a first trimester issue for you.

I posted on MN about it aswell because I really needed help and everyone was fantastic with info. Someone posted a link for me to look things up. I'll see if I can find it. It's like a relief when people actually take you seriously and don't just expect you to suck it up.

I had initial 2 weeks from when I was 8/9 weeks and on cyclizine. Thought I'd be ok and ended up in hospital with dehydration the day before our 12 week scan signed off for another 2 weeks and put on prochloperazine which worked for 10 days before I was back to the sickness again. 16 weeks back in hospital and put on ondansetron which was a life saver absolutely worked wonders. Eventually stopped being sick around 17/18 weeks and now have my gorgeous 8 week old baby girl.

In total I think I was signed off for 5/6 weeks. Hypermesisis debilitating the nausea and physically being sick is just horrific. Do NOT feel guilty your priority is looking after you baby will take all the nutrient it needs. Ask about ondansetron it is a strong medication and they are reluctant to use before 12 weeks because of the slight risk of cleft lip and pallet. But in my opinion there are more medications and combinations they can try. A lot of GPs are lazy when it comes to HG and don't understand how debilitating it is.

Hugs and good luck x

Thank you so much everyone! I wish I could reply to you all individually!! It really helps just reading all your experiences and help take some of the guilt and worry away

Hi OP,
I was signed off work for two lots of two weeks but it was awful. I had HG and tried so many different medications, my sickness finally settled down a bit with ondanestron but I was still being sick two days after I gave birth.
I was also in hospital a few times so they could rehydrate next and help me to eat little bits.
I hadn’t long since started my new job when I found out I was pregnant so I was extremely mindful to not take a lot of time off.
HG is awful and I hated every second of my pregnancy because of it.
More awareness needs to be raised around HG.
Good luck OP

Hi OP, I am 11 weeks, struggling with HG since 6 weeks and have been signed off work for 4 weeks and counting :(

I have felt so guilty about not being at work - this is the longest I have ever been off work but in all honesty the fact is I cannot do my job in my current state! I'm am also having to rely on MIL to look after my toddler when my DP is working.

I need to extend the same kindness ro myself but please give yourself a break! You don't have "morning sickness", you have severe nausea and vomiting! In any other context you would not be expected to put up with it and continue as normal.

There is a "Hyperemesis Support" thread on Mumsnet which I have found helpful (there are some good tips shared) and I am following the Pregnancy Sickness Support page on Facebook - they also share some really helpful articles/podcasts etc

Hope it eases for you soon x

None but mine wasn’t that bad in the grand scheme. It sounds like you are struggling badly and prescribed medication isn’t touching it, you really should feel zero guilt about taking time off. You are too unwell to work.

I never never go sick at work but limped on to 7.5 weeks and then sat in a meeting and felt so sick and tired I burst into tears (which is ridiculously I like me). Took rest of the week off and then got signed off for another 3 weeks or so - was off pretty much off from 7.5 weeks to 12 weeks. Still felt ropey when I went back but so much better and by 14 weeks was ok (thankfully)

Don't feel bad

Really hope your morning sickness passes soon! I pushed through HG last and current pregnancy (WFH p/t). Thankfully started feeling better sooner this time then found out from MN that if I'd gone off sick it would have been counted separately to other illness so not a trigger point for disciplinary etc (ACAS I can't copy the link). Wish I'd known this before because I would have been less worried about going off sick. My advice to you OP is to look after yourself and your little one and do what you need to do to feel as ok as you can.

Hospitalised from 5 weeks till 12, IV steroids. It’s the worst.