Can’t get back to work! Help!!

[ladymoonlight]

I'm 22 weeks pregnant and have been off sickall through my pregnancy so far as I haven't been able to cope with the constant n* (I haven't v* yet thank God!) . I have got to go back to workfor about 6 or 7 weeks before I can start my maternity leave at 29 weeks, because we are desperate for money (finding it impossible to live on just my partner's wage). I can't take my maternity leave earlier than 29 weeks pregnant and its another 7 weeks away!!!


ButI can't manage it! I went in for a just a few hours on Thursday just to retrain and try to get used to everything again and the only way I could do it was for my partner to come with me and wait outside in the car so I knew that if I felt ill he would be there to take me home. Yesterday I went in on my own and was only there for an hour and a half, I just felt s* all the time and had a couple of scary moments when I thoughtI was going to be s* or faint. I must have looked so pale and shaky that my boss sent me home.


The awful thing is, when I got home I felt fine. So it must have been nerves. I'm due in again tommorrow and I really don't think I can do it. No-one understands. Everyone keeps saying that pregnancy is not an illness and I shouldn't have been off all this time and there's no reason I shouldn't go in and work for the next 7 weeks or so. But it seems impossible., I know I'm going to feel s* and panicky again tommorrow. I'm too scared to eat before I go in in case it makes me feel more s*. No one understands and everyone is making me feel really guilty and like I'm responsible for the financial problems we are now having because I have not been working. I just don't know what to do. I'm really really scared. I always geuessed I would find pregnancy hard because of my phobia but I had no idea it would mess our life up so badly!!!

[momof2]

Sorry you are going through all of that. I am so thankful that I went through my pregnancies during a time when my emet was very very mild.


I can sympathize though. I am a teacher and have been off all summer. I go back in 2 weeks and am SCARED to DEATH. My emet has worsened over the summer to the point that I have not left my house. Right now, my children and husband are at a parade and I am here.


I anticipate the same thing...feeling sick and panicking at work. The thing is, even though my brain is really trying to imagine and predict situations that will likely occur once I am back to work, I am trying equally as hard not to get too specific. It seems with me as soon as I imagine a situation where I feel sick and have a panic attack, it happens once I am there or in that situation. My best advice is to try not to predict episodes..deal with them when they occur.


Looks like I will have to take my own advice too which will be hard. Good luck. Try and enjoy your pregnancy...it flies by!

[ladymoonlight]

I just worry that being pregnant I am more likely to actually v* - I have heard of women about my stage of pregnancy v* without warning and I'm really scared of that. I've coped at work when feeling s* before but I've never been pregnant at work before.


Its also really hot in the UK at the moment and the air conditioning is absolute cr*p where I work so its stuffy and hot in there which makes me feel worse!Edited by: ladymoonlight

[Galadriel]

Hey ladymoonlight,
I am sorry things are going so rough for you. I know people can act like "oh its just pregnancy so you are fine!" But I'm sure sometimes you don't feel so fine. I have never been pregnant, but I know for some women it can honestly be really hard, and it literally is like being sick and whether its "just pregnancy" or not, you feel misreable enough to not want to go in and legitimately so. Is there anything you can take to make things easier? I've heard of pregnant women trying sea-sickness bands, and I think maybe the doc could give you something that wouldn't harm the baby.
I really feel for you, they shouldn't make you feel bad and guilty for feeling awful, I mean if you had a stomach virus for weeks that made you feel the same they probably wouldn't be laying on the guilt, which is wrong of them to do this to you. Especially for an emet it is real hard, because we have the extra added fear of v* of course, so any situacion where you may feel sick can be real tough.

[Hale]

I am able to relate. I was off work (in a school) for over a week before they broke up for the summer as i felt so sick and now I am terrified of going back in September. I am 19 weeks pregnant and could not start maternity leave until the end of October but can also not afford for me not to be off to go back. I am realy hoping by then the weather will have cooled down a lot.Are you on anti-emetics?

[crimgoddess]

If you say that you're going to feel sick and nauseous tomorrow, it becomes a self-fullfilling prophesy, and you WILL feel sick again. Sounds to me like a lot of why you are feeling ill is due to anxiety- that because you are pregnant you will inevitably be ill, and if you are ill at work, you will be stuck there.


Is there anything you can do at work to make you feel more comfortable? I know they have these suckers called "preggo pops" or something, that are supposed to ease nausea (they are made in flavours like lemon and ginger, which are natural antiemetics). Can you have gingerale, so when you start to feel a bit nauseous you can take a sip?


Also, you want to make sure you have something in your stomach. Not eating is going to make it more likely that you feel sick....most pregnant women I have known have to eat at least once an hour, even if it's something small, or else they feel extremely nauseous. Even a handful of saltines or some apple slices will do the trick.


And remember- everyone reacts to pregnancy different. Because you have heard that some women can vomit without warning, it doesn't mean that you will. For every woman that gets horrible sickness, there is one that doesn't get it at all. If you aren't one of those people who are prone to vomitting in the first place, it is unlikely that pregnancy will turn you into a vomitting machine that can strike withoutwarning.


Goodluck,


*amber*Edited by: crimgoddess

[Galadriel]

Yeah Amber has some good ideas. It sounds like one of those things you just have to figure out ways to get through it.

I too have heard that pregnnt women feel best when constantly eating small amounts. Saltines are good, and just easy things on your stomach. Bring like sprite to sip on and such. Do you have access to a computer while at work? If so you can always come on here real quick and get support to help make it through.

I know when you are feeling ill the last thing you want to do is put anything in your mouth, but it can help, especially with pregnancy nausea. The thing that helps me (when I just feel regular sick) is to think "ok I would rather get sick with something in my stomach because its way worse to get sick without something in it, so I'll eat/drink something". I had to do that this morning when I felt real real sick, and it did help.

That way, you figure "well, even IF I did, it won't be as bad (the absolute worst is v*ing on an empty stomach with absolutely nothing in it) with something in there" and also by eating something you'll make yourself feel better anyways.

Try buying seasickness bands, I've heard they have really helped some women with that morning sickness feeling.

I really hope this helps, and this WILL pass, you won't be pregnant forever, and it will go by and soon enough you'll have a darling little baby.

[SimplyMe]

I've gone to work before, felt sick completely panicked, got sent home and felt fine. Liek yous aid that's when you know that its your mind doing it to you. I agree w/ everything amber said. I'm sure its very hard for you, all the emet moms are so brave, but you can do this. Isn't the typical time for morning sickness a bit earlier? you've come this far w/o v* so you can certainly make it the rest of the way. Try and see work as a good thing, it's a distraction, you aren't sitting home thinking ho sick youf eel, you amke money and you can do it for just 7 weeks. Take it hour by hour if you have to.