I'm currently 14w3d and I've been struggling with sickness from about week 6. I was off for 3 weeks at week 6 because I had no energy at all. I couldn't eat without wanting to throw up, I was sleeping constantly and I could barely move myself out of bed.
I work a physically demanding job in a warehouse. They have given me lighter duties, but I'm still on my feet 8 hours a day and do a minimum of 15,000 steps at work. I'm also loading things into boxes and moving them out. While I try to avoid the heavier items, some of the boxes can be between 8-10kgs, but I do avoid these where I can.
Since coming back to work about a month ago, I took a single day off 2 weeks ago due to vomiting late at night which woke me and feeling constantly like I was going to vomit throughout the night and hardly getting any sleep. The nausea was terrible this day, and I was just throwing up even after just having a drink of water, so just pure liquid. I couldn't keep anything down. My manager was lovely, telling me she doesn't care if I'm off again for this because it happens and every woman is different, but I just feel guilty like I'm taking advantage or like I'm weak or lazy.
Yesterday, I was pushing through work with a headache and, again, nausea. My nausea seems to be quite bad a few minutes after I eat, but if I don't eat I feel really light headed so I'm trying to find the balance. I'm eating little at a time, and trying to eat a mixture of foods and eat slowly, but I'll still feel hungry and then of course very sick. Anyways, I've had a headache for a while, I'm prone to migraines and a course of ibuprofen through the day and good rest in a dark quiet room is the only thing that helps and makes my symptoms last just a day or two. However, I can't take ibuprofen at the moment at the drs and pharmacists advice, and paracetamol is hardly touching the sides. I'm also already taking aspirin for a pre eclampsia risk but it isn't doing much either. And because of my guilt at staying off work so much, I just went in and powered through. Until the last hour, when suddenly I felt like I was on a waltzer. I just turned to get something and my head and the room went spinning, I thought I was gonna fall down over nothing, and the pain in the top of my head was unbearable. I spent the last hour at work just with my head in my hands trying not to vomit.
My husband made me a lovely lemon and ginger tea when I came home, lay me down in bed and put a damp cloth on my head and tried to massage my head, but I kept waking up throughout the night so my head's still hurting now. It doesn't necessarily feel like a migraine, but it's there and noticeable and I'm scared it'll get worse like it did yesterday. Not just that, I almost always vomit with headaches and the toilets at work are ages away, at the very bottom of the warehouse at the other side of the building. If I'm dizzy, with a bad headache and about to vomit, I won't make it in time.
I'm not dehydrated, I'm drinking plenty of water, and although I didn't eat a lot yesterday at work I did eat each time on my breaks. I really don't want to call in sick yet again, I feel so bad because I know so many pregnant woman who just seem to work through the entire pregnancy, even if they are sick, and I'm here thinking I don't want to go in because of a headache. But at the same time I know I don't feel well enough.
I don't know how to handle the guilt and also try to power through work and deal with the nausea and sickness. I'm having more of a rant here and thank you for reading but if anyone has any advice? Thank you