worried about going back to work

[ZiggyandBC]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been off work pretty much for 6 weeks straight now because of the sickness and nausea (lasting all day!) But it’s settled quite a lot now so I’m planning on going back to work next week.

The last few weeks I’ve just been relaxing at home not really doing much so I’ve felt relatively okay but today I went out for a few hours and came home feeling really rubbish (a little bit queasy and a horrible headache) and now I’m worried I won’t be okay for work next week.

I’m a support worker so I don’t have the option to work from home unfortunately! I’m just worried I’ll go to work and feel rubbish and have to come home. It’s also not ideal to only be getting SSP as I could really do with going back to work to get more money coming in!

So stressful! Anyone else been in this position?

[Hidden]

I am quite a few weeks behind you in terms of weeks pregnant but I am having to commute 2 hours (4 hour round trip) into London three days a week at the moment for work, getting up at 5:30 and getting home after 7. I feel absolutely awful like I am walking through quick sand, dizzy, nausea. I have a headache most of the time and just feel exhausted. I have also started brown spotting and cramping today for the second time in two weeks

I have a really stressful job and have the new added pressure this week of the threat of HR action as my face doesn’t fit the ‘boys club’ I work in. But the reality is I need my salary, I need the maternity when it comes, and I can’t afford sick days on my record. I find I feel better when I am busy as less time to notice how I feel but I do really collapse by the time I get home… so lots of early nights and feeling sorry for myself

The reality is we are tough women who have been through a lot. If you feel you can survive on SSP and spend more time relaxing at home then go for it but there probably comes a point when you need to go back and actually when you get there as I say you might not notice it as much x

[ZiggyandBC in reply to Hidden]

Wow I don’t know how you do it!! Definitely super woman in my eyes! The thought of even leaving the house a few weeks ago was a definite no never mind a commute and then a day of stress at work!

My work are really understanding and because the time off is pregnancy related it doesn’t show on my record so that’s a positive. My manager is actually going through IVF too so she’s been great.

I’m hoping that when I do go back it’ll be a nice distraction if I am feeling a bit rubbish and hopefully if I’m busy it’ll be less time to think about it as you say.

I hope you start to feel better soon! I found the nausea and actually being sick has improved over the last week or 2 although I do still feel queasy and struggling to find food I can stomach but it’s an improvement.

Sending you lots of love ❤️

[SR90]

oh ladies!! I’m with you here! I’ve been in and out of work all week because I physically can’t put in a full day at the minute! They are being supportive of me and I am lucky that I can work from home but it still isn’t ideal. My ‘failure’ and feel like I’m letting people down sets in every morning that I wake up and feel like I can’t go in.

I’m nauseous constantly all day and night, throwing up maybe 4 times a day. I can’t stomach eating anything or even hardly drinking. I’m finding it so hard to actually get on with daily life now. I can’t remember the last time i ate a meal.

How about a phased return? Doing a few hours a day to get use to being out of the house again and building yourself back up. This would also help with pay, but I guess it would only be part time initially so depends on the flexibility of the company etc.

[Rollercoastersmiles]

Hey. I agree with Daisy 1245. I definitely feel that the days that I am busier at work I feel better! Less time to think about feeling rubbish and seeing patients means I need to put a face on which I think also helps. I’m also in a client facing healthcare job, so can’t work from home either and the days I start at 8 (leave home 7ish) are much harder than those when I start later.

Could you speak to occupational health or a manager and discuss options of a graded return or possibly changing your hours a bit to give you a chance to have breakfast before you go in? What are you doing to manage your nausea? Have you discussed it with your GP or midwife? They may be able to give you some support?

I think anything to get you back at this stage is useful. I had pretty continuous nausea and vomiting until 16 weeks and had nausea until this week (when I’m on holiday - which I’m aware is not a coincidence) so staying off work until the nausea has gone would make it a very long 40 weeks. Not to mention…very damaging to you bank account…which you want to be as healthy as possible by the time the baby arrives?

[DianeArnold Partner]

Hi ZiggyandBC. Good to hear you are feeling a bit better. The sickness thing is just rotten at any time. You may find it will continue for a few more weeks, but keeps decreasing in severity. being at work will help take your mind off things. try and have little snacks throughout the day to keep you going. Good luck! Diane