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

Original poster

how would you describe morning sickness?

35 replies

CurlyCasper · 19/11/2009 10:31

I'm trying to work out how/if ms will affect me at work. Would anyone be willing to share experiences of frequency, speed of the urge to be sick, if you feel better immediately afterwards etc. Do you feel nauseas all the time or just for a few minutes etc?

This could affect what I do or don't tell my bosses in early PG, so all info most welcome. Thanks in advance.

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StealthPolarBear · 19/11/2009 10:38

I don't think you'll get an answer as everyone's experiencs will be different, sorry.
I had sickness with DC1, felt nauseous all day but was only ever sick in the morning before work (although did carry nappy sacks round in the car). Went off loads of food and any drinks except water.
With DC2 I occasionally felt a bit off colour, but suffered more with indigestion. Wasn't actually sick (apart from 2 sickness bugs ). Wanted to eat and drink everything I could lay my hands on.

CMOTdibbler · 19/11/2009 10:40

I only vommed first thing (usually when brushing my teeth), and then felt like I had an all day hangover

StealthPolarBear · 19/11/2009 10:41

oh yes the gagging on toothbrush, amazing how bad that was

Bramshott · 19/11/2009 10:42

Like a bubbling slick of oil that's constantly in the back of your throat.

I think it's impossible to tell when / if / how badly you'll be affected tbh. I was mostly sick in the evenings.

GuernseyFrench · 19/11/2009 10:42

For me it was like having a hangover for the first 8 weeks of my pregnancy.
I wasn't sick just nauseous. But everybody react differently to MS.
Good luck

StealthPolarBear · 19/11/2009 10:43

Bramshott - you're in the telegraph!

westlondongirl · 19/11/2009 10:44

It really depends on your experience. Some people get no sickness (luck b**tards). Some people get nausea. Some are sick at a particular time of day or with a particular smell. Some of us unlucky ones end up with Hyperemisis where you are sick constantly. My experience was this. I was sick round the clock and constantly nauseous from week 6 till week 13. I didn't feel better for being sick and had to take drugs in order not to dehydrate. It lost me my contract on a job. It's a difficult decision to tell your boss early in pregnancy. Personally I waited till I was so sick I had to tell them and as I said it made no difference anyway (self-employed contract). The other thing is do you want to tell anyone early on? I had to but I wished I hadn't as I wanted to wait till 12 weeks. Personally I would wait and see if it becomes a problem and then judge whether you need to make them aware. You may be lucky and be have none or be able to cope discretely. There are lots of tips for coping on this site and some may work for you. What kind of work do you do? Really hope you don't get it but if you do you will find a way of coping good luck!!

CatIsSleepy · 19/11/2009 10:46

but it can be so different for different people!

for me I never actually vomited, but I did feel varying degrees of nausea for most of the day. Worse if I was hungry, so eating little and often helped (drawerful of snacks at work, and an immediate trip to the canteen when I arrived to get toast and marmite). Plus it put me off eating certain things...and I didn't really enjoy eating anything til it had passed at about 15 weeks...but in the main it didn't really affect my ability to do my job.

But some people have it alot lot worse-it's very hard to predict how it will affect you.

Bramshott · 19/11/2009 10:49

Yes I saw that SPB - fame at last ! Shame it's in such a shit article! And the fact that I didn't say half of that myself, I was quoting OrmIrian!

BloodRedTulips · 19/11/2009 10:50

with dd - i had days where i lived hanging over the toilet bowl and threw up so much i thought i was going to hurt the baby, but other days where i was fine... the ration was about 1 crap day for every 4 good days.

ds1 - barely got sick at all... threw up three or four times spontaneously... sudden need to vomit, rushed to nearest toilet sink and did so and then was back to normal

ds2 - completely incapacitated. was sick every day from 5 week til well ast 12/13 weeks.... couldn't keep foood down, couldn't drink anything, coule barely move around. had to lock the doors and let the kids wreck the house while i lay on the couch heaving most days.

in other words you have no way of knowing til it happens... some pregnancies you don't get sick at all, some you lose weight from vomiting for months on end. my neighbour has lost 3 stone since she got pregnant and is just starting to feel well again at 5 months.

StealthPolarBear · 19/11/2009 10:50

I didn;t realise that

YanknCock · 19/11/2009 10:51

Agree with StealthPolarBear, everyone's experiences will be different. I was mildy nauseous all the time, and the urge to vomit would hit frequently and suddenly any time of day (but especially in the morning, couldn't eat anything before noon). I tried to make it to the upstairs toilet, but very often had my head stuck in the kitchen bin downstairs. Everything smelled too strong and made me feel sick. Throwing up didn't make it better, in fact it was so violent that I peed myself a bunch of times and even burst some blood vessels in my face! Usually felt like I'd been hit by a truck when it was over and just wanted to lie down.

I was off sick from work for the entire pregnancy due to hyperemesis, SPD and depression (the last one due mainly to the first two). My sickness didn't get bad enough to be hospitalised, but I did lose some weight and had to be medicated. Hyperemesis is really the worst case scenario, it meant I had to tell work a lot sooner than I wanted to.

NorkyButNice · 19/11/2009 10:51

First pregnancy - hyperemesis from 6 weeks PG which meant I was off work for a couple of months as I couldn't sit up without throwing up. Once I got the right meds I managed to get to work but was still sick 4 or 5 times throughout the day. My big boss knew from the start of my illness because they were talking about sending me overseas for a project later in the year.

This pregnancy - am just 6 weeks and have a constant feeling of seasickness. Worst first thing in the morning and last thing at night, I've been sick a few times but nothing like the first pregnancy.

So in short, it's different for everyone with each pregnancy!

Original poster
CurlyCasper · 19/11/2009 10:52

won't talk about exact nature of work - but biggest fear at moment in being in a very small, enclosed space, which could contain pungent smells, with a VVVVVIP, when I'm eight weeks gone. If i puked on/near person involved, it would be a work disaster. If i flee the area, it would make a scene.

so if the urge to be sick is likely to be, well, urgent, my bosses will have to be told in advance.

Been gathering some very good coping tips. Thanks for sharing your experiences so far.

OP posts:
Bramshott · 19/11/2009 10:53

Yes, look, here - he has taken the speechmarks out. Not that I should be surprised .

Josie22 · 19/11/2009 10:54

Was always sick in the morning, sometimes at lunchtime, always when I got home from work and sometimes during dinner too! It does affect everyone differently though. The best thing I found to do was eat - I used to sit at my desk eating crackerbreads etc. If I got hungry at all then I got sick. Forget eating healthily and go for foods that you can stomach - make sure you take a multivit to make up for it!

Would see how you go and if it gets really bad then tell your boss - mine never realised but he is a self obsessed idiot!

StealthPolarBear · 19/11/2009 10:55

I don't think mine as ever so urgent I couldn't have excused myself as long as there was somewhere handy to be sick.
In fact the only times I was sick were when I walked into our kitchen - I couold smell a smell (no-one else could). Work took my mind off it.
I cooked a curry about 5 days before I discovered I was pregnant and I could smell it for months in the house- not exaggerating! Couldn't eat curry for a few monbths after giving birth!

CatIsSleepy · 19/11/2009 10:57

blimey am intrigued as to what job you do curly!

sounds like you're going to be locked in a cupboard with the queen and a ripe camembert

still, your sickness (if you have any) might not even have begun at 8 weeks if you're lucky...

good luck!

nomorebooze · 19/11/2009 10:57

hi curlycasper!

i dont think you will know how it will effect you, till it happens!! i had to tell my work at 11weeks due to running to the loo every 5 mins, and smells starting me off, really sensitive to garlic, could tell if someone had eaten it from the other end of the building!!!!! people started to guess anyways. i then had 1 week off due to feeling completly wiped out. then a few days due to being constipated, this was awful!!!!!!!!!! soooooo painful, tmi i know thankfully at about 20weeks started to feel a little better.

hope you escape the dreaded ms. xx

Shiregirl · 19/11/2009 10:57

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Bramshott · 19/11/2009 11:10

Hmm, that is tricky then Curly - you might need to tell them early on.

iggypiggy · 19/11/2009 11:23

can't help - but highly amused idea of being locked in cupboard with queen and ripe camembert

IdrisTheDragon · 19/11/2009 11:33

I personally felt nauseaous all the time and would be sick about three or four times a day at work. Got good at checking whether anyone else was in toilets and flushing at critical moments! Was worse in the evenings though.

Not everyone has it or badly though

westlondongirl · 19/11/2009 11:35

surely even a vvvvip has some kindness?! I nearly puked on a very well know actor when I had MS but i'd like to think he would have been kind about it as he has children too. I used to carry a plastic bag in my pocket in case of emergencies. .....I'm sure the Queen would understand, maybe she suffered too!

Original poster
CurlyCasper · 19/11/2009 12:04

iggy/cat - reality is not too far off!

no worries about hijack bram, was intrigued myself.

Westlond Her Majesty might understand (not her though) but my boss might not!

Think will just fess up if things are bad in few days before.

Just walked past people with red wine - not pleasant on my newly sensitive nostrils. but not sick (yet)

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