Fear of vomiting and 6 weeks pregnant struggling mentally

[kellyloo]

Hi, so im 6 weeks pregnant with my 2nd baby and im really struggling mentally. Im in a constant state of high anxiety and getting ot the point now where i don't want to leave the house.

I don't even feel that nauseous i just have waves. I think its because I did throw up in my first pregnancy and also had a bit of a mental breakdown and im just waiting around for it to happen again.

I feel terrible because i just want to be happy and enjoy my pregnancy and also because i want to be the best mama to my 1 year old before the new arrival.

Any tips or words of wisdom/reassurance please?

You could try a strong smelling item rubbed on a hankie and smell throughout the day. Citrus peel helped me, I suppose it's a distraction but it helped change the anxiety. I have a vomit phobia too but wasn't actually sick in pregnancy, just nauseated and spent alot of time engaging with the anxiety of that. So orange peel smelling or essential oils on cloth helped redirect anxiety away. Good luck. Also consider hypnosis.

Hi @kellyloo
I'm pregnant with second baby and also have a 1 year old x
I totally understand your anxiety hun, i've got to 21 weeks, my advice would be take each day as it comes, today was an ok day, or a good day or a crappy day. Before you know it, you'll be in your second trimester. Congratulations on your pregnancy! xx

Are you emetophobic? Or just worried about vomiting in public?

Just take water and sick bags out with you. You’ll be fine.

@tiredandstressed123 yes emetophobic, definitely feel worse about being sick in public though

This is what I was wondering as the title sounded like it but then I wasn't sure by your post.

Fellow emetophobic here! Fellow emetophobic who eventually made it through my second pregnancy with constant nausea.

With my first I was fine, hardly any nausea, nice pregnancy really. My second I felt sick all the time, it was around 2021 so still in and out of lockdowns and restrictions and it affected my mental health badly.

All I wanted to do was not feel sick anymore, to not live in constant fear that I might be sick, I couldn't eat, I was scared if I did I would be sick, I ended up on a drip in hospital at 18 weeks.

I genuinely wanted an abortion several times. I booked them and then cancelled. All because of how sick I felt.

I found mid way through I learnt what helped it - avoid stress, stay hydrated, certain foods etc. but I was still very gaunt when she was born, and I did suffer PND as a result of the pregnancy.

BUT I'm here to say - I got through it. And you will too. It was a dark time, but now I have a beautiful, amazing, 2 year old little girl sat on my knee who brings so much joy to my life. I don't like to think about my pregnancy and the dark thoughts I had. If I could go back would I try to relax and enjoy pregnancy more, yes of course I would. But that's maybe easier said than done.

Im only a message away x

@PTSDBarbiegirl thank you i will try this! Smells are very overwhelming for me so sounds like a good idea

@tiredandstressed123 oh my sounds like you had a really hard time, I'm glad you made it through and now have your daughter!

This is exactly how im starting to feel, the constant fear of being sick, im struggling to eat and leave the house. My heart rate is through the roof from the minute i open my eyes until i go to bed.

How did you cope caring for your first child in the midst of all this?

Lots of people do not vomit..You may well be one of these. Relax. Take Vitamin b6 100mg daily and ginger -lots of it. Motion sickness bands can help too. Good luck x

Get some cyclizine. I have emetophobia and basically had a complete breakdown in the first trimester of pregnancy with both DDs.

@kellyloo I must admit I did not cope very well at all. He was only just turned 4 when I found out I was pregnant. For the first few months there were still restrictions so DH was home, but it was hard. My parents looked after him a lot. His school at the time was only about a 200 yard walk away and I couldn't even do that without having a panic attack.

I wasn't sick once at all. I want to reassure you that. I never even wretched, it was just constant nausea and likely anxiety and not eating properly making it worse. But I couldn't tell myself that at the time. Neither was I during labour.. which was 48 minutes long!

This sounds absolutely awful for you. I feel that you need to focus on what you can control.

I was petrified of being sick as I'm a teacher, so couldn't just leave my classes at work and i was 4 flights of stairs and two long corridors away from the safety of a toilet. I purchased travel sickness bands, constantly sucked mint imperials and carried a small bin bag every where I went just in case. For me I was more afraid of being caught short rather than actually being sick. The less anxious I was the less nauseous I was and the more in control I felt.

Turns out I haven't been sick once and I'm currently 34 weeks.

@TTCJJB im kind of the same i work in lab and have to walk through a separate lab then down a corridor to get to the toilet!

You're 100% right though it's jist difficult to not panic about things you can't control!