9 weeks and awful morning sickness - any tips please?? :)

[ClaireEliza]

Hi all,

I have been having the most terrible "morning" sickness for the past three weeks - it kicked in dead on when I turned 6 weeks pregnant and has been unrelenting since. Basically, I feel sick morning, noon and night with some small patches where I feel a bit better and I can never work out what it was I did that made the nausea go away!

I tend to be actually sick about 3-5 times a day, though it's got less frequent in the past few days. In fact, the late afternoon is starting, slowly, to feel a bit better for me, but I am so afraid to speak too soon as I know some women have this for weeks in end into late pregnancy (please God no!).

I am so lucky that my GP has been amazingly understanding and has signed me off for the past 3 weeks. I am definitely not fit to work - I work face to face with individuals all day long and cannot just go off to vomit or get a cold drink/splash my face etc. The GP also prescribed me Metclopramide, which I have found a little bit of a help but to be honest, it often make me so, so drowsy that I fall asleep drooling on an easy chair in the lounge each afternoon (my routine at the moment pretty much consists of just sitting in my lounge all day every day now because the nausea just consumes me so i can't be bothered to do anything and am afraid to move for fear it will trigger my sickness!).

So, so far I have tried:

Metclopramide tablets

Taking separate folic acid - NOT supplement with iron in (swear this has helped the most so far as I was often sick straight after taking my sevenseas multi vit, which has iron in it! - Not now though!)

Time off work

Not pushing self to do too much

Trying to go for a walk to get some cool, fresh air

Eating little and often (big change for me as before I would have no breakfast, large lunch/dinner and then couple of snacks in evening). Eating in smaller more frequent meals definitely helps me though

"Seabands" - personally, they did not work for me as I have been sick several times when wearing them!!

Avoiding cooking as much as possible/cooked food smells

Avoiding strong odours like husband's aftershave (he is being so good and not wearing it for me recently!), also washing myself plenty as even my own y=underarm smell made me sick recently - embarrassing!

Ginger and mint teas - used to love these before MS but less so now : /

Just wondering if there are any other tips/advice people have that I didn't already try?

Thanks for any and all tips!! : D

[Hidden]

I have total sympathy I had it all the way through with my 3rd child and ended up dehydrated and in hospital on a drip. It was constant even water. Lost loads of weight and he was also quite a low birth weight. Hopefully it will pass for you. People play it down but it's absolutely awful. If it gets too much go to your doctors and they can prescribe anti sickness pills now which are not dangerous during pregnancy. They are basically similar to motion/travel sickness pills. I didn't find out about these until after! I was slightly peeved to say the least. One thing that were a must for me were iced lollies as they keep your fluid intake up. Obviously only juice based ones. Make sure you don't get dehydrated but nothing worked for me food wise at all. Yes eat little and often which you are already doing and try to avoid quick release carbs such as white breads ect go for more wholegrain, little bags of nuts anything you can keep down though really I know x

[ClaireEliza in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Katie. Your experience sounds awful with baby # 3! It's strange no one told you about the anti sickness medications until after all that : /

I do like your ideas about ice lollies and packets of nuts. I have actually been craving lemon/lime ice lollies the past few days! Also, I have been craving nuts - peanut butter mainly but also dry roasted/salted peanuts. Maybe I will buy some and give it a go.

[Hidden in reply to ClaireEliza]

No problem. It's worth a try anything is really when you feel that poorly. It was bad but it is all worth it once they are born. I craved lemon a lot with my pregnancies also strange that! It seems like you are doing everything right though. Hope it gets better for you x

[embiemomma]

I had nausea but was never actually sick, I found lemonade to drink and practically any fruit to eat made me feel better. And definitely don't get hungry! I was put on stemitil (motion sickness dissolvable tablets) which helped to an extent but I tried to only take them to get me through work. If the metoclopramide aren't working, go back to your gp as there are other options that are safe in pregnancy. Apparently once the placenta takes over and your oestrogen production isn't as strong, its supposed to get better. Mine wore off around 12 weeks so fingers crossed for you!

[ClaireEliza in reply to embiemomma]

Thanks embiemomma. I am gonna try and get a gp appt today to discuss more medication options and / or further time off!

Your tips on the lemonade and fruit are good. Lemon squash is the only thing I'm drinking at the moment and I have bowls of fresh fruit salad in the fridge too! I'll see how I get on with the bubbles in lemonade.. 😊

[claire16c]

I was vomiting until 20 weeks and felt sick til 30 it was awful.

I was on cyclizine tablets and they would send me right to sleep. I didn't leave my house for an entire month. I had to be signed off work for weeks.

Next time I would go to the hospital and ask to be put on a drop to get rehydrated.

Pls I would ask to try other tablets.

Nothing really worked except being tired made me feel worse. So resting. I also found certain tv shows with bright lights etc or my phone screen made me feel ill so try to watch relaxing things on the tv.

It was very hot as it was the summer so I used to sometimes have an ice pop. Or a drink with lots of ice in. It's just awful! .

[Hidden]

It is awful and people just think oh it's a bit of morning sickness, it isn't it debilitates you. I had it terrible with both of my boys but not as bad with my girls at all. I have had literally 2 sickness episodes during this pregnancy and it's a girl but sometimes it can be the other way around people get bad sickness with girls and not boys. I have gestational diabetes in this pregnancy and can cope better with this than the excessive sickness its just awful. Def speak to your doctor and see if they can help x

[sunshinegigi]

I completely understand how you feel, I had it with my pregnancies too. I found that nothing helped much but also, that feeling hungry made it a whole lot worse. It was difficult finding something which I could eat, as my sense of smell heightened and everything smelt horrible. I didnt like the smell of my odour too, even after washing I disliked the smell of deodorant. I bought different shampoos and soaps. I remember having a scented candle which had a gorgeous scent and I always kept that close to me. I even put air fresheners in the kitchen as I couldnt stand the smell of food. I would sip on lemonade after eating to get tid of the food taste in my mouth. Try to keep hydrated, I know its difficult. Do go back to your GP for help aswell. I wish you a happy, healthy pregnancy. Hopefully the sickness will ease and you can get your enenrgy back x

[Danielle86]

Hey - my heart and tummy go out to you!!

I was exactly the same, and then I found aniseed balls and clove drops (basically anything that comes in the "Winter Mix" sweets) settled me.

And Ice Lollies! Oh the heavens, any flavour as long as they are just icelollies... Rocket lollies, calypsos, ice pops lol.

Hope that helps, and good luck... I am 10 +5 days and I am told it may end soon...fingers crossed xxx