My Morning Sickness Experience

Anyone who has or may suffer from morning sickness during pregnancy, there IS a light at the end of the tunnel! Honest.

My sickness started at only 6 weeks pregnant and lasted until the moment my little bundle of joy was in my arms.

I wanted to write this as I suffered extensively from morning sickness and I’m hoping this will help someone who is going through the same thing. I really don’t think the awareness around Hyperemesis Gravidarum is good enough, especially where employers are concerned.

The first few weeks of being pregnant were amazing (I didn’t know I was pregnant) it seems as soon as the pregnancy test said pregnant it hit, and I definitely wasn’t ready for it. I’d been putting a lot of hard work and commitment into my work in order to rise in the ranks and better myself. I never had a day off work and I was always happy to do extra time. I was not ready for how I was about to feel.

I went into work like any other day and spent the morning on the toilet, I had to go home but I couldn’t explain why so I told a little white lie. Food poisoning. On returning to work i realised that the sickness wasn’t going to disappear any time soon so I decided to tell my manager, he reluctantly congratulated me. Obviously this was still very early stages to be telling the company but I felt I couldn’t get away with having food poisoning every day. As the weeks went on I struggled along working full time. I was around 8 weeks when I asked my manager if I could cut my hours down.

The sickness and pregnancy as a whole were completely draining me and I felt I was harming myself and my baby. Before, I would have always put work first, but as I had someone way more important growing inside me I decided it was definitely the right thing to do and he reluctantly agreed to this. The same day I was taken to hospital and put on a drip! I was in overnight as my ketones where +++ not good!

My body was telling me I needed a break but I didn’t listen as I was more bothered about what people thought in my workplace than my own well being. The next day I rang in sick and my manger sounded very displeased which made me feel as if I was letting my team down. I was signed of work for two weeks but I returned to work after 3 days. I felt better. I knew I was better… how wrong could I be?! I was sick from the moment I entered the building to the moment I left, I was in a very bad place, I wanted to do things, I wanted to work, but my body just wouldn’t let me. Of course my boss didn’t understand, he thought I was playing the pregnancy card, even though I was pushing myself to the absolute limit trying to keep him happy, he didn’t realise and still doesn’t! As the weeks went on I was admitted to hospital 10 times! I had some days where I was only being sick 4 times but other days I literally couldn’t move from the bathroom. Not fun!

My partner started to get frustrated as he thought I was making it worse, he didn’t realise I had no control over how I was. He didn’t understand that if I had a way to stop it I would. We went for a trip to a holiday park with friends and I was sick in the car on the way, I had to get changed in a lay-by (not my proudest moment) I spent most of the holiday in bed and I all I felt was guilt. When we came home I decided to go to the doctors to change my perception of anti sickness tablets. The doctor agreed but my body didn’t! I never thought it could get worse but before I knew it I was back in hospital with the nurses joking saying we should have a room for you. It got to the point I was in hospital once a week on a drip, I never want to see a hospital bed again!

Morning sickness is such a taboo subject, no one really understands how much strain it puts on your body and mind until you go through it yourself. That’s the problem I had, months of people getting upset and frustrated with me for something I had no control over! It put a huge strain on my working life AND home life.

Looking back now I wish I didn’t care what others thought I wish I would of taken more time off work I wish I would of listened to my body.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum is just shit. I’m sorry but it really is. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone but so many pregnant women suffer with it on a day to day basis. I couldn’t enjoy my pregnancy due to it. I’m happy to say that I no longer suffer from sickness I weighed less when I gave birth to my lg than before I was pregnant but luckily I have a happy and healthy baby.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum doesn’t normally effect the development of the baby but takes EVERYTHING from the mother! So ladies who are suffering, I feel your pain but try and keep your eyes on the prize It’ll all be worth it in the end.

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