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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Going to work in early pregnancy

21 replies

laydeebyrd · 28/07/2009 11:06

I'm 8 weeks now and am not sure how to cope with work while having early pregnancy symptoms. I'm not as bad as lots of people, but I feel nauseous all the time, completely exhausted, and faint if I move about too much.

I've taken today off as sick leave, but don't want to tell my employer that I'm pregnant yet. I can't just take the next month off sick. But, I can't see how I can go to work as usual for the next, however long I feel like this.

What have the rest of you done?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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rubyslippers · 28/07/2009 11:09

i felt ghastly in my early PG and didn't tell anyone which in retrospect was a bit silly

can you not tell your boss now? How sympathetic do you think they will be

i do understand abuot not wanting to tell people but if you are faint then i think your employer needs to be aware to do a risk assessment

mogend77 · 28/07/2009 11:11

I think fainting counts, I as pretty bad! Erm, I can see why you don't want to, bad I think with fainting being an issue I'd be talking to GP about a sick note.

laurz75 · 28/07/2009 11:16

I had dreadful sickness (all day and night) until I hit 12 weeks with my ds. I was teaching full time and that period passed in a blur to be honest. I did tell my headteacher and then battled on. I went home once as I was just so unwell.
The school office staff thought they'd offended me somehow, as I just used to grunt as I came into school each morning!
I was so relieved to tell everyone and they were all very understanding.
However, fainting is different - go to your GP asap for their advice.
Good luck with the pregnancy.

Original poster

laydeebyrd · 28/07/2009 11:22

I could tell my boss who is lovely and I'm sure he'd be understanding. But, I'm not sure what I expect him to do about it. Working from home could be an option, but my team would wonder why I was suddenly at home all the time.

I imagine I have a month of feeling like this left, and that's if I'm lucky enough for it to ease towards 12 weeks.

I just don't understand how people carry on as normal. I don't think I can.

You're right, I think I should tell my boss and ask to work from home and for some help explaining to my team why I'm not there.

OP posts:

Original poster

laydeebyrd · 28/07/2009 11:25

Thanks all. I just posted the above to find all the other messages.

Fainting is a bit worrying. I haven't actually fainted, but have felt incredibly close. I've got my booking appointment next Monday and I'll ask the midwife about it then.

Laurz75, I really take my hat off to you. I think I'd just cry and hide if I was that sick all the time.

OP posts:

rubyslippers · 28/07/2009 11:34

i wouldn't take a chance TBH with the fainting

don't worry about your colleagues and what they may or may not be thinking - you can always say it is swine flu

the things which helped my sickness were ginger ale, ginger biscuits, eating little and often (rice cakes) etc

Meglet · 28/07/2009 11:42

The sooner you tell your boss the sooner he / she can do a (boring but important) risk assessment for you and give you the option of working from home.

I've told my boss at 7 weeks in both pregnancies as I felt so bad and was off sick. I figured that if something bad happened even at that early stage I'd rather people around me know than have to keep it to myself. My collegues knew about my pregnancies before most of my relatives who I don't see often.

kathyis6incheshigh · 28/07/2009 11:45

Your boss doesn't have to tell your colleagues if you don't want him/her to. S/he can always just say to them 'Laydeebyrd is at home due to a health condition, it's nothing to worry about and we hope to see her back in a few weeks.'

mumbot · 28/07/2009 11:46

I'm also struggling but I'm lucky enough to be able to do some work from home. Told my boss at 7 weeks and she was lovely about it. Feels like a weight has been lifted.

I find constant snacking keeps the tiredness and sickness at bay. Lucozade is helping too.

Good luck xx

Ewe · 28/07/2009 11:48

I have very low blood pressure and low blood sugar in pregnancy so tend to faint a fair bit, also anaemia made it worse for me so make sure you're taking in lots of iron rich food.

I would just ensure I ate little and often, before getting on the tube I would have a full fat coke, some chocolate or a strong glass of ribena. Making sure I was well hydrated made a big difference too.

I told my employer very early on and whilst they were sympathetic, being off for a month or two or even working from home wasn't really an option. For me it lasted most of my pregnancy so I just had to get on with it. Do you feel ok when just sitting at your desk? Or is it the journey that is making you feel bad?

cat64 · 28/07/2009 11:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Tigresswoods · 30/07/2009 08:21

I can sympathise with this situation. I am feeling really tired at the moment and while I am based from home it is my job to go out and see people. I have to admit (to MN) that I have had a few afternoon naps... ok maybe not a few but every day. I am just so zapped and good for nothing.

I turn my phone off and set an alarm for about 40 minutes and when it goes off I am in a deeeeep sleep and could have stayed there for hours. I am not being very productive at the moment but as it is the summer no one really seems to notice.

Long may THAT continue.

newpup · 30/07/2009 09:20

My DD1 is 10 now but I sympathise SO much! I had dreadful sickness for the first 16 weeks of the pregnancy. I could not go in a car without being sick even watching tv made me violently sick. I would wake at 3am to be sick.

It was awful. I remember sobbing on the bathroom floor at 14 weeks and thinking I no longer wanted to be pregnant if it was going to be like this for the whole term. I was lucky in that just as my GP told me I might have to deal with this for the whole pregnancy it stopped virtually overnight at 16 weeks!

It controlled my life though for those 4 months. I had to stop working as a teacher I could not keep running out the classroom every 5 minutes and for 3 weeks around the 10 week mark I was bed bound! I was a bridesmaid at 9 weeks and had to run out the church! No one knew I was pregnant and I am sure they thought I objected to the wedding

My only advice is that you just have to try and take it easy and take each day as it comes. I think it is hard to understand unless you have been there and even now 10 years on I get a twinge of jelousy at glowing mums to be! Hopefully it will pass but take it easy.

Good Luck

Original poster

laydeebyrd · 30/07/2009 11:09

Thanks for understanding. I got through yesterday at work more or less and have just got to get through today before going on leave until next Tuesday. My boss is away at the moment so I haven't had a chance to tell him anyway.

I've stocked up my desk drawers with snacks and will try adding a few fizzy drinks. I never normally drink full sugar coke, but had one at the weekend and it was wonderful. I imagine Lucozade would do the same.

"Tigresswoods" I'll probably tell my boss next week when he's back so I can have powernaps working at home like you did.

"newpup" I have no idea how you coped with working and being a bridesmaid!! while feeling like that. Hats off.

OP posts:

heavenstobetsy · 30/07/2009 11:33

hey LB, hope you feel better soon.... snacking helped me a lot, but also I used to sleep almost constantly at home! I would get home at 7pm, eat dinner and then got to bed about 8pm! No social life for a few weeks but it did help me get through the day at work

newpup · 30/07/2009 12:42

Well I did not cope really laydeebyrd. I was signed off work for 5 weeks but at the time I was supply teaching so although that made it easier it meant I was not paid for the whole duration of he sickness and in fact I never went back for the rest of the pregnancy. Would have gone back if I had my own classroom though!

The bridesmaid duty was awful!! My dress no longer fitted my bust was bursting out and was so tight I could not breath. I ran out the church twice, not easy to sneak out when you are sat at the front in full bridesmaid get up! I had to get the bridesmaid car to pull over twice so I could vomit. I later learned the bridal party thought I was hung over!

The reception was awful, as soon as I could smell the food I had to run out and ended up spending the whole of the speeches in the loos. DH took me home about 15 mins after the evening do started and I continued to throw up all night!

All I can say is thank goodness I was not pregnant when I got married!

Have huge sympathy for you and have never understood why it is called 'morning' sickness!

westlondongirl · 31/07/2009 04:24

You really have my sympathy. I am now 9 weeks and have been suffering with Hyperemisis since week 6. I had to tell work before anyone else & as I am self employed & couldn't get better I lost my contract with no sick pay. For the first time in my life I have had to claim state sick benefit. I am so exhausted & fed up with being sick ALL the time - there is simply no possibility of working yet. I am increasingly fed up with feeling terrible and as yet haven't been able to enjoy what should be a happy time. I have tried every method under the sun to control it but nothing works. Trying to be patient but it's hard especially when people think you are being dramatic. In truth this is the worst I have ever felt for such a long time. Really hoping it will go by week 12

EyeballsintheSky · 31/07/2009 08:03

God I remember it well. I told my boss at 7 weeks and she was fab. For three months I pretty much came in when I could and left when I had to. Worked about 11-3 and she didn't say a word. It was fat lemonade and chocolate milk that helped me. Ginger made it much worse and still can't eat it now.

Southwestwhippet · 31/07/2009 18:53

I didn't want to tell my boss I was pregnant as I was about to sign my contract... I wanted to get that signed first.

I work as a riding instructor in a big riding school - the equine industry is notriously badly regulated, working ridiculous overtime for no pay, not taking holiday and being generally poorly treated is taken as standard so I was petrified they would find a reason not to give me my contract. The industry seems to think it is immune to the laws that govern everyone else.

But I was absolutely exhausted doing a very physical job that meant I was on my feet all day, working 11hours days with around 15mins for lunch if I was lucky. I was also feeling horribly sick and getting very bad stomach cramps. as I get no sick leave, taking time off just wasn't an option for me.

Eventually circumstances conspired that I had to bite the bullet and tell my boss. Thank god I did. She was absolutely fantastic about it, did a risk assessment on me within 48hours (until then refused to even let me touch a horse or lift a broom!), put me onto a different work pattern with shorter days and insisted I sit down for 45mins for lunch every day. In loads of other ways it made life easier - all staff became more 'aware' of me and if I needed any help at all I got it as a priority. Plus I got to wear my comfy draw string trousers instead of my jodhpurs which were getting horribly tight!.

My advice would be to go for it and tell your boss, you will be amazed at how much they HAVE to do by law to protect and support you and many bosses will go above and beyond that as well.

Good luck

RoniC · 31/07/2009 20:38

Just wanted to add my bit to this, I would say tell your boss as soon as he's back. I'm 12 weeks tomorrow and had really bad dizziness for 2-3 weeks, though it's now starting to go. My work were fantastic and had the risk assessment ready to do (though my boss knew I'd been ttc and had been supporting me through 2 years of that first). I had to go home a couple of times, but boss is very much 'you need to do what is right for you and your baby'.

Oh yeah, and I've found that sugar (in whatever form - chocolate, fizzy sweets, ot full fat fizzy drinks) works wonders!

MaElsie · 01/08/2009 11:51

I'd tell just your line manager / whoever you work closest with, for heath & safety reasons. Then I'd stuff my bag with little snacks and drinks, and make sure I have a rest somewhere quiet at lunchtime somewhere. Also, do everything much more slowly and who cares if you get less done... there are more important things.

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