Nausea and sickness unbearable week 7, considering termination, please help

[Confusedmum20223]

I’m 7 weeks pregnant and feel so nauseous constantly, my self care has basically disappeared and I feel awful constantly. I feel too sick to bath or shower and I’m forcing myself to every couple days but it’s affecting my mental health.

I keep putting off brushing my teeth because every time I do I’m sick - does anyone have any advice please? I’m getting so fed up of mustering up the strength to brush my teeth only to spew up everywhere.

I feel like an absolute shell of myself at the moment and I’m struggling with the idea of continuing the pregnancy. It’s not my first I already have a 5 year old, but feeling this terrible all the time is making me seriously consider a termination along with some other things. Like for some reason with this pregnancy I am so scared of giving birth - I’m just terrified for the pain and the risk of complications - this didn’t even cross my mind with the first. My anxiety is just insane with this pregnancy (I’m personally against using pharmaceuticals so I can’t just go to the doctor and get anxiety meds in case anyone is going to suggest that) and I just don’t really know how to get myself under control.

Everything about this pregnancy is so scary and overwhelming and I’m really struggling to cope. I’ve already spoken to the nurse and am due to receive abortion pills in the post tomorrow but I’m not 100% on the idea - I wanted another baby so bad so whilst this was unplanned and sooner than expected, I didn’t expect to feel like this. I don’t want to get a termination and regret it but I just don’t know what to do anymore

any advice welcome :(

Your body, your choice. I understand how you might feel regarding medication as I was exactly the same with my first pregnancy and wouldn’t even take paracetamol. Currently 27 weeks with my second and I’ve been on antiemetics since 7 weeks due to debilitating hyperemesis. If I didn’t take them then I simply wouldn’t of coped or may have even gone into cardiac arrest due to severe dehydration.

I tried everything and the only thing that worked was the tablets. But I am sure you know the usual spiel of what homeopathy can be tried for sickness. Ginger, eat small meals often, avoid caffeine, dehydration sachets if you can’t keep water down (these aren’t medicated). For teeth brushing I would use an electric tooth brush, or if you can’t handle that then just use mouthwash for now as it’s better than nothing!

Dont do too much and try to rest as much as possible. Don’t lie down flat after meals as that will make you feel worse, sit up against the bed rest. Gaviscon may also help, that too isn’t medicated as it is such calcium and sodium so you may be open to trying that.

As mentioned by PP, try the pregnancy sickness support helpline. There is also a fantastic hypermesis support group on mumsnet that has really helped me and there is a lot of advice on there on what to do without the use of meds.

@billygoatsgruff1 certain sickness medication are known to cause deformities. Some are okay. Some don't work.

I don't think anyone should be judging the op because you can't have an opinion on this if you've never been through it. Some hypermesis experiences are different to other. Some meds help. Others don't. You don't really want to be in and out of hospital all the time. You don't want to be taking medication. Heck for me I couldn't even take the folic acid in my 3rd. The sickness was debilitating. I hope you're okay OP. Ignore ignore ignore. I felt suicidal when I was sick and was praying to God to end my pregnancy or take my life. It was horrible on my mental health. I just needed support from people I just needed to help physically and mentally but sometimes it was impossible. This too shall pass.

@k80pie I'm like you I didn't take for the first 2 but took them for the 3rd and felt like a drug addict when I ran out. I was dependent on them and never felt so bad in my life.

If your personal feelings against medication will apply to this baby as well (i.e. you won't give them medication for illness) then a termination might be the right choice for you. If you just don't fancy taking nausea meds and instead want to terminate, you should maybe look into other nausea remedies

Although there are many safe medications you could take if you are definitely anti medication in pregnancy then you just need to ask yourself the following :
-Can I carry on feeling this unwell ?
-Is there a natural non medication remedy I could try (have you thought about vitamin b6 for example?)
-how long would you be able to persevere before you personally would feel it was too late to terminate ?

i think it’s important to respect OP if she doesn’t want medication

OP only you know if you can somehow get through this or not. If you can then stick to your beliefs and just know it might be a struggle but it will get better at some point if not then you have the option obviously to continue with the medical abortion that you have looked into x

I had awful morning sickness, but after week 12 it was better. It was HELL waiting for it to get better, but it does get better.
It sounds to me like you need some support - have you considered speaking to a doula/hypnobirthing coach? They can really help with anxiety around pregnancy and childbirth without going down the medical route

Hi OP. How are you doing today?
I'm almost 17 weeks now and have spent since week 9 in bed with the nausea, vomiting a few times a day and the rest fighting it.
Like you, I didn't want to take what the Dr suggested for it. Just in case.
Its been horrendous. No life all this time just stuck in bed feeling like I'm 5 seconds away from vomiting.
Over the last two weeks I have started to have some more occasions with less nausea. I managed (with difficulty, and with DP) to go food shopping today (was sick in the car into my little bucket) and although I'm never hungry, I know if I eat little things it can mean a bit less nausea.
Hang in there. Our scan yesterday made it all worth it.
Feeling for you really I am.
I will never do this again, this is my last child, but as I kept saying to myself these past weeks, I can lay and feel sick in bed if I need to. it WILL pass. It drags unbelievingly but with each week you'll get closer to it easing off.
Brushing teeth and showering SUCKS right now but I ALWAYS feel a teeny bit better once showered in fresh pants and PJs.
Sending hugs.

If you want this baby then go to the doctor and get medication, there are many to try. I was sick all the way through and considers abortion.

Termination requires pharmaceuticals.... So...... If you want the baby, go to the doctor. If you don't then go ahead with termination.

It's awful and feels like it won't ever stop, but it will. I promise

Reading your other comments OP I can see you’re weary of medicine. I understand that I would go for natural remedies inc homeopathy (I used to think that was complete woo) before anything but there seems to be a misconception that people who take medication do so willy nilly but for things like anxiety and hyperemesis (if that’s what it actually is) then medication is the only thing that is working and is often taken as a last resort. Like I mentioned it took me until month 5 to take something and by that time my mental health deteriorated and my tooth enamel had eroded due to the vomiting. I needed a root canal. It really wasn’t worth it as Now I have a root canal causing me all sorts of issues, I also developed an autoimmune condition which makes me wonder if it was due to my body being so stressed out so I’m on meds for life now due to that.

For my second pregnancy I got pregnant knowing I could only carry on if I took meds from the outset as I did not want to experience what I did first time. I was happier and healthier and so was baby because I was getting the right vitamins and wasn’t nutritionally deprived during my first trimester as I had been with my first. i was able to be more active which made for a better birth. I’m trying to explain that many pregnant women will not risk their pregnancies and won’t just take drugs as an easy option often it’s a last resort because everything else does not seem to be working. Ofcourse thalidomide happened but antihistamines have been used for a long time unlike when thalidomide went onto the market. I haven’t taken a single paracetamol and don’t have vaccines in pregnancy but I’m happy to take the antihistamine based on my research and there are certain drugs I refused to take and asked for alternatives. Pregnancy sickness support is a good website as pp have mentioned to weigh up pros and cons. I’m just explaining my perspective as I genuinely don’t want you to suffer like I did but on the flip you may not even have the type of HG that I did, you may be able to manage with more natural remedies so please look into those first, there is nothing left to lose if they don’t work because you express you don’t want an abortion so try your best to improve quality of life so you’re in a fit state by the end of it. If you were determined to want an abortion I would be giving you different advice and I too almost ordered abortion pills for my current pregnancy (not due to sickness reasons) so it’s not like I wouldn’t consider for myself but from the pregnancy choices board a termination is something you have to feel 100% on,

I think you need to be kind to yourself. It doesn't matter if your self care has gone out the window. Try brushing your teeth with just water and mouthwash afterwards or using a very small amount of toothpaste.

You worrying about the birth is caused by your hormones and how rubbish you're feeling. Hopefully you're hg gets better and you feel a lot better.

Op, I hope your feeling a little better today.

Seriously I wonder about MN sometimes...
The lady is clearly in an incredibly difficult place, people clearly didn't read her responses properly and then started giving her a hard time.

I’m baffled too.
It seems completely counterintuitive to me.

OP doesn’t want to take medication in pregnancy if she continues that’s her choice.

we need to be supportive and suggest other /natural remedies OP could try.

If nothing works and OP decides she can’t continue that’s a totally separate issue

Without knowing the "other" reasons then all we've got to go off is you wanting to end the pregnancy primarily due to feeling unwell otherwise you would have started a thread about one of the other reasons - the fact this is about sickness suggests to readers that this is the main problem rather than just one of many?

I'd have a look into natural remedies for anxiety - maybe even the toothpaste you can buy they doesn't need brushing so as not to trigger you that way?

Anti sickness medication isn't a danger to your baby, or they wouldn't be able to give it to you.

Abortion drugs are definitely a danger to your baby.

Refusing the former because of the 'risk of harm', so choosing the second is counter intuitive.

Pregnancy nausea sucks. There are three positives though:

• you can get medication to ease this is you choose
• it's likely to tail off in a few weeks
• every week done is another week you won't have to do - if you abort, you'll restart the clock for feeling crap in another pregnancy. If you want the baby, then tick off the days/weeks. Your 7 weeks already, so I imagine you've been feeling like this for about a month. In a months time, you may well be over the worst, so are through about half of it)

I really hope you have spoken to your GP or pregnancy sickness support.

There are non medical treatments for anxiety. Would you consider a referral to the perinatal mental health service?

Someone on the hyperemersis support thread got a special spray from her dentist this could help you.

If you needed to would you accept IV fluids ( one of the biggest risks with hyperemersis is dehydration) ? This just replaces the fluid you have lost.

Have you managed to keep anything down? There is lots of advice on the hyperemersis support thread about food and drink people have found more manageable.

There isn’t really non medical treatment for hyperemersis. It is a very serious condition and the treatment options are limited if you do not want to take medication. Some people might manage without but some people will die without treatment or become very seriously unwell. This could affect the health of the baby. You might be able to cope without treatment but you need to see someone so they can assess how you are.

without trying to speak for OP the impression I’m getting is she’d rather not risk having a baby with ‘deformity’ of some sort caused by the drug, so would rather have an abortion than risk any Ill effects. That’s the only thing I can think of.