Nausea at five weeks - churning tummy anyone?

[VanillaIce]

Hello,

This is my first post since becoming pregnant, everything has been fine so far, just a few twinges around week 3 but generally I've felt so normal I wondered if I was really pregnant at all.

Then I hit the five week mark yesterday and suddenly I feel so rotten I almost wish I could turn the clock back on this whole thing. My tummy is churning constantly in a way I've only felt when I've had a bout of diarrhea. It's so uncomfortable and distressing I want to cry. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I had it on and off all day yesterday and then woke up with it really early this morning and was hanging over the loo (wasn't sure which end of me to use... apologies if TMI!). It settled eventually - like a wave gradually moving away but the a couple of hours later I felt it surge up again and this time I retched a couple of times but I guess as it was first thing in the morning there wasn't much in there. Sorry of this is a bit grim!

I managed to go back to sleep for a couple of hours (luckily I'm off work at the moment) then it happened again but this time no retching.

My main problem seems to be a churning tummy that makes me feel like I've got diarrhea (I haven't) and waves of nausea but no actual sickness. Does this sound common to anyone? And do you think it will pass? Ok, I know nobody knows that but I am just dreading feeling like this for the next two months. It's so distressing I was actually crying in the bathroom earlier and wishing it would all go away.

Sniff, sniff, feel so sorry for myself - yet I know I brought this on myself. It's not like I'd never heard of MS. Please tell me it's a 24 hour thing and will pass...

[jardins]

Dear VanillaIce snap! My stomach is deffinitely worse morning and evening. Even as I type this message I can feel the churning building up. Oh woe is me. Snap again VanillaIce I'm not to good at feeling bad. I get colds, etc. but generally I have a pretty good constitution and anything that stops me from feeling happy and bubbly makes me feel indignant. Does that make sense? I'm so glad to see you giggling. Do I detect the real VanillaIce coming through?

Labour is overwhelming but I kinda prefer it because it's more dramatic and, as I wrote earlier, more openly productive than this horrible dreary seemingly never-ending state of affairs.

When you ask me how long this will last I cannot say as my crystal ball is a little bleary at the moment. Let's take each day as it comes, ok? In my little personnal experience the ms wore off progressively around 14 weeks. I would get the odd day of nausea, however, until the very end. It's true that being out and about can help you take your mind off things BUT I've noticed as soon as I get stressed about something I feel the nausea gets worse. How nice we can stay at home for a while each day, ey?

Look after yourself VanillaIce and everybody else on this thread.

[VanillaIce]

Hi Jardins I am feeling the same. I haven't actually been sick again but every couple of hours or so I get a horrible churning, stomach-turning-upside-down feeling that makes me think I want to go to the loo/be sick but I don't do either. I think I am lucky that I am able to eat - in fact, it seems to help - I have noticed the feelings are worse in the night and morning, perhaps when I have an empty stomach.

Do you think it will carry on like this for months? I can't think beyond the end of each day! Maybe I am too sensitive? I've not had a lot of illness or pain in my life - never had food poisoning, never had a tummy bug, only the odd cold. I wonder if I'm just shocked at feeling lousy because it's new to me?

You ladies with other DCs are inspirations, I have no-one to look after but myself during the day. Jardins you are so right about the giving birth thing. Although I have never actually done it, when I'm writhing around on the bathroom floor clutching my poorly tummy I think surely labour can't be more distressing . At least it would feel productive. Boy, I'm probably in for a big shock!

I did have a little giggle at your aversion to washing-up sponges. Might I suggest you stop eating them

[jardins]

Good morning vanillaIce how are you feeling this morning?

We are all in the same boat and jaype I dread the school run every morning from breakfast until I kiss them good-bye. I feel like a mini hero. Sad but true. I end up deep breathing my way through the whole thing! At this rate labour will be relatively easy!!! I find chilled orange juice helps get me through it all.

It's funny how we all know we're feeling terrible because our bodies are fighting to create a human being from scratch. We are actually being enormously constructive here. But from where I'm sitting I'd almost prefer the scarey intense giving birth thing to this rather more passive, wretched feeling of the fist trimester.... Your thoughts would be appreciated on this.

One good thing about feeling so crap is that because I go off so many things (soap, the washing-up sponge, my kitchen, my house, my daughter blowing her nose.......) is that I don't want to buy anything, no books, no clothes, ANYTHING. At least I'm gonna save a bit of money. I decided yesterday to buy ready cooked meals. I love cooking normally and insist a little on preparing fresh produce, bla, bla (what a paragon of virtue, NOT!!!) but cooking for my loved ones has become one hell of an ordeal. So I figured just heating up would involve less chundering. The problem is that as soon as I've had something to eat I go off it. The list of possible edibles is diminishing rapidly.....

Thinking of you all.

[jaype]

There's another thread about where to go for dinner when pregnant. On behalf of all of us, may I suggest somewhere with a bucket under the table?!

[DV1]

This is normal, I was sick almost 11 times a day not able to drink a sip of watre without puking up a gallon for nearly 4 months! Keep in there, I found white bread with no crust helped - all the traditional ailments were rubbish - I would not wish what I went through on anyone, but I am 36 weeks now and feeling ok -ish! Good luck

[jaype]

Maybe it is old age this time? Was moaning to a friend who is a doctor yesterday who termed it 'progesterone poisoning'. It certainly feels like someone is trying to kill me! I have to do the school run and am always afraid I am going to embarrass myself / traumatise an entire primary school by throwing up in front of everyone, so I can't let myself eat till i come home, which may or may not be making it worse?

[MuppetsMuggle]

My pregnancy hasn't been confirmed yet, waiting for blood results, but i've got the nauseating feeling and extreme tiredness
didn't have anything when pg with DD, however had the same with my last PG which sadly ended in miscarriage

[Weegle]

I am 7 weeks with number 2 and the last few days my MS has ranked up to about 20 hours out of 24 - so you have my complete sympathy. If it's any consolation you do sort of learn what's likely to set you off and what's not. So for me I know when I brush my teeth I will be sick - so I stay near the loo. You start to learn at which point the nausea is likely to result in a chunder and when just some deep breathing or lying down can help. The only thing that really helps me is never getting hungry. I don't feel like eating, and every mouthful is unpleasant but I definitely feel worse if I don't. If I've pushed it too far I'm drinking a glass of very cold nesquik (there are worse things, it stays down!) very slowly and that can get me 'stabilised' again. It's horrible though because I have a 3 year old who needs my attention, and I'm starting to feel fear of leaving the house. And it's so hard because very few people know I'm pregnant so you're also having to hide it! Yet no one would manage to hide these feelings if they weren't pregnant!

[Reginamygina]

Jaype, I could have written your post.

I am pg with number 3, and feel soooo much worse than with the previous 2. I keep telling myself: "31 weeks to go".

I feel dreadful, and never ever want to go through this again. Dp said last night: "So, is it a definite no for number 4 then", I swear had I been able to reach, I would have kicked him hard in the bollocks.

[VanillaIce]

You could have a point there Jaype. Maybe if I was busier in the day I would be less aware of it. Having said that, it's nice to know you can curl up in bed when you need to, without worrying about work. My heart goes out to those trying to hold down a demanding job at the moment. Or those who already have children to care for. You're right about the heaving thing... I'm almost dreading going to bed tonight for fear of it all starting again tomorrow.

But I have just discovered having a ready stash of ice lollies in the freezer is a nice distraction for my churning tummy x

[jaype]

Am 7 weeks and feel like I could give birth to a giant wind-baby... My stomach is so bloated I am like I swallowed a beach ball. Loads of heaving every morning, then knawing indigestion all day. This is number 3 and I swear I have never been this uncomfortable and will never, ever do it again. The irony is that the last two times I was commuting every day on very busy trains into London, but now I am freelance. i am beginning to think the extra time on my hands is giving me the op to feel worse!

[VanillaIce]

Jardins thank you for your support. You're so right - I can't imagine how others cope with MS and commuting on public transport, that would be dreadful. When my sister was pg a few years ago, she was forever having to get off the tube to be sick then get back on - it took her forever to get to work!

I guess I'm lucky - I work freelance and just happen to have a block of time free at the moment so at least I can just get on with it at home and not have to try to hold down a job and look nice.

I actually think maybe my symptoms are fairly mild when I read about other poor ladies who are throwing up all the time. It's mainly my tummy, I keep trying to describe it to DH - diarrhea tummy but no actual diarrhea - does that make sense? And the waves of nausea are just freaking me out at the moment, maybe I'll get used to it

Anyway, who knows what tomorrow will bring - a dramatic recovery maybe? Bought some ginger ale and cream crackers today anyway - I heard they might work.

This had better be one hell of a baby when it arrives !

[jardins]

Dear VanillaIce I am so sorry for you. I completely sympathise with you but I know that doesn't change the course of things.

I am pregnant again (7 weeks) with two DC - 13 years and 5 years). I had a miscarriage in March so still going through the fingers crossed feeling one gets in early pregnancy after a mc. ANYWAY with both my viable pregnancies I felt absolutley terribe and this time round it is exactly the same. I know my mother also suffered from nausea and I read somewhere it was genetic. Many people say it's a good sign that the pregnancy is doing well.

Although I feel extreme nausea I have never actually been sick. I also have a very upset stomach with diarrohea (spelt wrong?)and this horrible sluggish digestion where everything seems to take for ever to pass through! The result is that I feel so rotten all the time. You're right VanillaIce it does come in waves and I guess you are so destabalised by these sensations that you are panicking as to how you will survive the next few weeks? To be honest I feel just the same trepidation even though I've been through this before.

If you like we can hold each other's hand through these unpleasant moments. You will have reprieves and I guess one just appreciates them all the more. This too will pass and as the previous post explained as the pregnancy progresses you will get less and less bouts of m s and everything will feel better because the baby will become more and more tangible. And then one day it will be a thing of the past. Trust me.

Don't hesitate to post as much as you like to let me know how you are feeling. Try to sleep as much as possible. Thank goodness you are off work at present. Think about those commuting in busy trains with waves of nausea. They deserve a trophy!

Good luck my deary! I'm sure there will be other ladies posting on your thread. Who knows, maybe we'll have a massive support unit in process before long.

Sleep well.

[arolf]

um, I had constant nausea from about 5 -16 weeks, then it started to be more like 1 day of no nausea, 2 days with, and so on - I'm now at 25 weeks, and have maybe 1 day a week where I'm chucking, the rest of the time I'm fine, so long as I'm not subjected to any strong smells, or exciting flavours...
However, now baby is kicking all the time, and it feels totally worth it - so, whilst the first few weeks/months can be shit, there's not a huge amount to be done about it - just rest as much as possible, and hope it passes ASAP!

Oh, and everyone says ginger and/or lemon works for them - it didn't for me - the only thing that stopped my sickness was a baked potato at lunchtime every day - on the couple of occasions I couldn't get one, I was inconsolable!