Reassurance 8 weeks feeling terrible 😑

[croft85]

Hello
I’m 8 weeks pregnant finally with my first after a long and upsetting ivf journey and I just feeling completely dreadful. I had NO idea it would make me feel like this.
We saw a strong heartbeat at a 7 week scan and I have another scan soon with my ivf clinic so praying everything ok.
I feel extremely exhausted - currently lying in bed at 8:30am unable to get up as so tired. I feel sick (not being sick) - I only feel like eating fruit and crisps. I feel weak, achy, headachy, hungover, sometimes dizzy, always thirsty, I have insomnia. It’s been like this for 2 weeks. Does anyone else feel like this?
Two weeks ago when it started my office decided to suddenly announce people needed to go back in the office after Covid, I mean wow the timing. I sit there like a zombie it’s really not pleasant.
I feel so grateful I’m not actually vomiting, I really feel for you ladies that do :( but it’s the intense hungover grogginess and aches I’m struggling with.
Would love to hear if others feel/felt the same and when it eased.
It’s making me down in the dumps and I feel like I want to be happy...
Thank you ❤️
Xxxxxxxxxxx

I feel extremely exhausted - currently lying in bed at 8:30am unable to get up as so tired. I feel sick (not being sick) - I only feel like eating fruit and crisps. I feel weak, achy, headachy, hungover, sometimes dizzy, always thirsty, I have insomnia. It’s been like this for 2 weeks. Does anyone else feel like this?

You sound very pregnant . Around 9 weeks was the worst for me, after that it got very slowly easier till about 14 weeks. After that I felt so much better. The first trimester can be very difficult to get through. Keep on going to bed early, I found that my nausea was worse if I slept less than I wanted.

Don't forget it's temporary. It sounds like a long time but you'll start feeling better in a few weeks.

Another IVF woman here. I'm 10+4 and felt permanently hungover until about 9 weeks. Reducing the cyclogest really helped. I'll be off it completely by 12 weeks.

I still feel sick and tired, but it is improving.

Oh I’d completely forgotten about the constant horrible taste in my mouth. I I used to eat really vinegary things or those tangfastic haribo with a really sharpe flavour just to get rid of the taste

Congratulations to everyone 🥰

Another day another ‘hangover’ over here. Was awake from 2-4am even though exhausted. Anyone else have insomnia? (usually after waking to go to loo)

@Robson13 I definitely think on top of natural progesterone now the cyclogest might be making our symptoms turbo level 🥴
@rorosemary so pleased to hear it got better!
@Sunshine1235 It’s like you’ve been sucking on a coin! *sends husbands to get some Tangtastics 😂

@ValidUser glad it’s improving for you. When did you reduce cyclogest? Did a nurse suggest you could? Think I might hang on til 12 weeks but famous last words... xx

@croft85 do you take progynova tablets too? It's oestrogen. I've got a scan on Tues where they'll check whether I need to continue with the hormones. I dread the thought of this nausea going on for weeks and weeks

@Robson13 no I’m not on oestrogen - not sure why some ivf ladies are and others not, they haven’t checked my levels I don’t think. Xx

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I had an ivf pregnancy too and felt exactly like you - a permanent hangover. It really cleared up between 10/11 weeks which was also when I stopped meds so I think it’s linked. Hang in there!

@croft85 I was told to stop at 8 weeks, but I'm a control freak (and I'm a doctor, who tries to be a good patient but often isn't), so I said I'd taper the dose.

I took it once daily instead of twice at first. Now I'm on it every second day and I'll run out at just about 12 weeks.

Famous last words, though, as I was up all night with a migraine.

And I'm having awful sleep trouble overall. I'm generally not a great sleeper, but I just can't get comfy at the moment.

I think it depends what type of ivf transfer you have what hormones and for how long you take them. I had a frozen transfer so have to take Estrogen and progesterone for 12 weeks.
But if I had a fresh transfer I would have only had to take progesterone until week 7!
Damn covid got in the way!

@ValidUser did you have a fresh transfer?

@bunhead34 exactly. Mine was fresh. I'm in Ireland, though, and most of our clinics use progesterone in oil injections for frozen transfers rather than (or in addition to) cyclogest/crinone/utrogestran.

I was the same - no vomiting but just that hungover/sea sickness feeling.

Lots of fluid - flavoured cordials and fizzy water helped, ice lollies, apples (Braeburn only!), grapes, mango, rich tea biscuits and any form of potato was what I survived on. And lots of naps.

I told DH I was physically unable to do anything more than shower, work, eat and sleep, so he did everything household related.

I definitely felt better from 11 weeks onwards, and now at 26 weeks it is a distant memory!

@Babino I felt just like you did at 5 weeks. I never thought being pregnant that I would feel like this, no one tells you about the bads times and I felt like my friends or people who I saw on fb who were pregnant had a great pregnancy.
From week 5 I've felt nauseous, dizzy, hungry but not wanting to eat, and feel sick at the smell of anything.
I'm now 10+2 and still feel the same. Its really hard going! I'm praying I feel better after the 14th week like I've read.
Its so draining to feel like this every day without a break.
I nearly told my employers as I would often find myself going to the toilet for a break to just put my head in my hands and have 5 mins to myself. However, I'm just a superstitious person I couldn't bring myself to tell them and my scan is in 2 weeks so I haven't got long to go.
But if I knew at 5 weeks that I would still be feeling the same at 10 weeks, I would say tell your employers. Its a long time for no one at work to know how your feeling and if you have a HR dept then they have to keep your secret and you may feel better in doing so.
Let's hope your symptoms wear off.
The foods i can stomach atm is apples, celery, crisps and orange juice.
It will all be worth it in the end, that's what I keep telling myself

I was like it with all 3 of mine.
It is awful isn't it!
They say it's a sign of healthy pregnancy!
Nothing works really to make it feel better. I was that sick with my first I learnt what to eat so it wasn't so bad when throwing back up.
It's that hangover feeling constantly that gets you down....
it is only temporary though! I felt much better when I got into the 2nd trimester & started to enjoy it more.

I felt like this with both my pregnancies. Got signed off sick for two months each time. The only relief from the constant nausea and vomiting was to force myself to sleep. It was like a permanent worst hangover ever.
With DC 1 it subsided slowly by four months.
I was still heaving at 9 months with DC2 and never felt right.

Oh bless you darling.

Only a little way to go till it probably vanishes. As PP say, approx 12-14 weeks.

I called the doc at about 5 weeks because my sickness was so bloody awful. I took Phenergan tablets just to help me get through the day.

There is a pregnancy sickness support thread on here so you can go check that out.

Its awful because you're super overjoyed to have baby but feel utterly miserable at the same time. It is totally worth it, I promise!

The sickness for no.2 was awful and I swore I wouldn't have another one. But DD has just been such a joy, I started feeling broody from about 2 weeks after birth 🙈😂😂😂 worth every ache and pain and worth waking up feeling like I was going to vomit everywhere 😂

Is anyone out the other side yet? I'm 8 weeks and barely feel human. I just feel so sick. I'm really struggling to do any work even though I'm lucky enough to work from home this week but next week I'll be working with kids and I just don't know how I'll cope.

@Robson13 afraid not sickness/hangover feeling wise - I’m 9 weeks now. My dizziness and weakness is better I have to say. I’m now concerned I’m eating too much as it’s the only thing that dulls down the nausea. I was thinking it would be the opposite and I wouldn’t want to eat.
Can feel my waistline growing 🙃
Next week, take lots of snacks, not sure what works for you but I’m on fizzy water, strong mints, fruit, toast and salt and vinegar crisps!

I wouldn't worry about eating too much, if it's snacks it's probably still not as much as what.you're used to eating. Good idea about taking snacks to work. I'm still struggling to work out what is helping, I'm absolutely sick of toast. The dizziness is awful isn't it?

I'd say pretty normal for 8 weeks except I WAS sick after pretty much every meal. I couldn't keep any food down and being around food made me so nauseous. I'd say mine started week 8 and then started to get better week 12 (so much so I then worried even more!!). I was exhausted constantly and I am so jealous of all these 1st trimester women doing pregnancy under the cover of WFH due to COVID!

I remember saying to my husband that there had better be a baby in there because there is no way I'm doing this EVER AGAIN. It really is a distant memory of it stays in 1st trimester (I know some poor women have it throughout). So much so we are talking about #2 and your post has just reminded how awful those weeks are.

@Wowthisisreal I've had this from week 5 and have read about women who feel like this all of the way through which is terrifying. The first few weeks I could just nibble on bread but I think I might be past that now. I'm really lucky that I've had the summer holiday off so I've been able to mope and feel very sorry for myself but absolutely dreading next week if I feel like this. The thought of getting in the car and the motion sickness from that is on my mind. I'm really really hoping it goes away after 1st trimester. I have no idea how women keep this hidden and don't talk about how awful it is

@Robson13 the commute to work was torture for me. I used to call hubby and do the commute with him on the phone to keep my mind focused on something else and invariably threw up once I got to the office loos.

I still see various spots on my commute and think "threw up there... and there"

The worst through was going out for dinner and spending money on a meal KNOWING it wasn't going to stay down. It was ironic that there were about 6 family birthdays while I was in first trimester. All dinners out! That's not on top of work and friend social! So much money wasted

Hi everyone, just checking in. How are you all?

Can’t quite believe it but I’m 10 weeks tomorrow and my all day nausea has got WORSE! I don’t feel so weak, dizzy and achy but the sickness has ramped up this week and it’s really horrid.

Currently sat at my desk in work feeling like I’m going to throw up any second.

Also my already big boobs have gone up a size (hallelujah to M&S non wired bras...although let’s just say I wouldn’t go for a run in one...) and I’m struggling to also cover my definite bump/bloat - will be so surprised if people In office haven’t guessed.

Also making constant trips to the water machine 😅

How is everyone doing?
Xx

Unfortunately this is 100% normal. I had this from week 5 to week 16 on both pregnancies. Some women just get hit harder than others.

For me, eating little and often helped. I sucked on hard boiled sweets a lot. I drank water to keep hydrated. I also used to eat half my dinner, puke it up, and then eat the other half and it would stay down. I actually found work helped take my mind off it, but getting up and to work was so hard. After that, it's just finding things in the day to eat that dont make you want to vomit and going to bed early because you dont feel sick when you sleep.

Honestly, its utter shit. I would take 10 labours over morning sickness, and my labour was hard! You will get through it, it will make you miserable, it doesn't mean you are a bad mom or person. You are allowed be miserable. My heart goes out to you, honestly.