Morning sickness - how bad before you take time off work?

[mrsbabookaloo]

This is my second pregnancy and I had qutie bad morning sickness in my first. I say "quite bad" - to me it was the worst thing I had ever experienced and yet I know so many women have it so much worse. It wasn't hyperemesis: I was sick 2 or 3 times most days, struggled to eat and felt very low until about 17 weeks

This time it's not quite as bad yet: I'm nearly 8 weeks and the vomiting has just started properly, but it's so hard to go to work. To get up and get dressed and get there and keep it together, to worry about where I might be sick and what I can face eating and then to get home and pick up dd and look after her.

I struggled through at work the first time, running out to the loo. They knew from early on and were quite understanding about me arriving late. I threw up at every bus stop from home to work and I threw up in every toilet at work. I just don't think I can do it again.

Obviously if you have hyperemesis, you stop working, but what about if you just feel like crying and giving up every morning...does everybody just soldier on and throw up at work?

Sorry, that was a great big moan, but if you can't do it on mn, where can you?

I did have bad hyperemesis and didn't work throughout my pgs (apart from a few odd days where I just vomited in the toilets and struggled actually to get to work).

I had 2 days off sick in 6 years before that, so I am no slacker. I would say to you get a sicknote for a fortnight, then see how you feel. Throwing up at work is humiliating IME. People do not seem to cut you much slack if you "look" relatively OK so you are better off being kind to yourself at home.

Sorry to hear you are feeling so ill. Agree with crokky, get a sicknote, then see how you feel in a week or two. You are going to feel worse if you keep struggling. It is very stressful. I had hyperemesis first time round and terrible sickness second time round.

Thanks. I think I might do that: try to struggle on for a week or so, then tell them and take a couple of weeks off.

If you rest you may find the sickness eases.
When I had hg I used to describe how bad I felt on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being only the tiniest bit nauseous and 10 being how you feel when you are a couple of moments away from vomiting. I used to describe level 5 as the point where you can still distract yourself a bit by working or watching tv or something. Level 6 the sickness actually stopped you concentrating so you couldn't work anyway. That's where I would draw the line between going in and taking time off.

Take the time off and don't feel bad about it.

Re assess how you feel each day. Personally I struggled on for too long and ended up very weak and low.

Wishing you some better mornings soon.

Exactly lollipop: i feel that I struggled on too much last time and want to be kinder to myself this time.

Kathy, thanks for making me stop and think. After eating lunch I am only about a 2 at the moment, whereas I was definitely 5/6 all morning and 11 first thing!

I would try anti-nausea medication first and see if that helps. It did for me. If it doesn't help I wouldn't feel guilty about taking time off work.

So it is definitely morning sickness rather than all day?
You probably should just take time off, but if you don't want to do that, is there any chance you can arrange to come in later for a while so you don't have to struggle on throwing up at bus stops?

Think it depends on your work and your relationship with your colleagues. I was very sick with both mine - all day - but nothing that required hospitilsation.

I could eat/drink so kept fluid levels up, but then i'd feel extremely nauseous and have to run off and be sick.

I could do that at work - altho obv had to inform those i worked with what the situation was. I could carry on working because in between being sick i felt fine.

I have had periods outside of pregnancy where i have felt extremely nauseous but not sick. Personally i found it much harder to work in that situation!

No, it's not just the morning: that's just today's situation! Yesterday I threw up on the way to the doctor's at 4pm, holding on to dd's hand because we were near a busy road, with her going "What are you doing?"

I feel sick all day and all evening, sometimes feeling better if I manage to eat a meal.

Medication: I'm so wary of medication, I hadn't really thought of it. But maybe I should ask the doctor. If it works and doesn't harm the baby, I should try it.

I really think you should get signed off work for a bit.
If you rest more you will find it easier to eat and will feel better overall.

I had medication with my second pg as I was really sick with my first. It's worth giving it a go.

I'm only part-time. Does that make me a great big wuss?

Stupidly, we're going to Belgium tomorrow for 4 days - booked before pg. Journey might be hard, but will try to relax while there.

Sorry this thread is just me moaning! Thanks everyone for your support, especially those of you who have had hyperemesis: I know it was much worse for you.

LOL, no, not a wuss! You are allowed to moan. It's hard the second time round when you have a dc to look after as well.

I had HG with my first child and was off from 6 weeks until 12 weeks.
I would throw up about 6-10 times a day, couldn't eat anything, was extremely weak and dehydrated.

I would have to drive 45 minutes to work and stop the car 2-3 times to vomit. I got car sickness from driving .

I lay on the sofa almost all day with a bucket by my side and a couple of peeps dropping by everyday to see I was okay.
I watched the Twin Towers hit live, I'll never ever forget it!