Dealing with work while secretly feeling sick - and emotional

LizzaBuffy · November 2015

All I can think to myself lately is how do other girls do it? I feel like I am being a baby about this, but even though I don't have full blown morning sickness/throwing up....(yet), I am very often nausious while at work and sometimes I wonder if people can sense it around me?! :-/ Does anyone else struggle with this? I know i'm still very early on, but sometimes I wonder how to cope while working and still trying to keep it all a secret....

dolewhipper · November 2015

And this is why my coworkers guessed it 2 days after my bfp.

Don't worry, you're not alone! Stock a lot of snacks, ginger candies, gingerale, ect. at your desk and take breaks when you need to.

MrsRo731 · November 2015

Right there with you - right now I'm sitting at work and I feel absolutely terrible. I have no idea how I'm going to get any work done and I know I look like death. I have no suggestions - I'm just trying to power through.

DH got DD ready this morning and I wonder how the SAHMs handle being home with the kiddos all day while feeling horrible, too. Being pregnant is really hard, but so rewarding in the end. That's what I keep telling myself.

ijstarr28 · November 2015

MrsRo731 said:

Right there with you - right now I'm sitting at work and I feel absolutely terrible. I have no idea how I'm going to get any work done and I know I look like death. I have no suggestions - I'm just trying to power through.

DH got DD ready this morning and I wonder how the SAHMs handle being home with the kiddos all day while feeling horrible, too. Being pregnant is really hard, but so rewarding in the end. That's what I keep telling myself.

OMG!! i dont have kids (yet) and i feel the same way!! how do these super women do it?!?!

To OP, I have a fairly isolated job. I sit in my cube all day. My boss knows about the pregnancy but no one else does. Honestly, the only thing i can think to do in a meeting is to lean on my fist and breathe deeply. My boss knows so in case word gets back to him that I rudely got up in a meeting and walked out he knows why.

sboston06 · November 2015

I am terrified of the morning sickness starting because I'm a nurse and I want to look like a competent professional, not like I'm working with an illness. Also, sometimes my job is not pleasant at all and with cleaning patients or doing wound care, there are some nasty smells, and I am terrified of throwing up in a patient's room, or of them seeing the expression on my face. I'll probably tell my patients that I'm pregnant before I even tell my coworkers!

knitmama · November 2015

I was a teacher with DD and luckily, it was near the end of the school year. I ran a very student-centered class, so at that point I was able to facilitate groups and activities with minimal time for me to teach whole group. I still told coworkers though, because I had to keep leaving class because of the nausea.

Now I'm a SAHM, and it's a little easier. I can control my environment so smells don't bother me. If I feel really bad, I snuggle with DD and watch Sesame Street instead of getting housework done. She gets pissed if I lay down, so that's not gonna happen.

erin7264 · November 2015

I feel your pain... I just started a new position this week and I'm wondering how I'm going to be able to do this job when I get to 6+ months. I'm on my feet all day, get very little opportunity to hit the bathroom or snack except on my scheduled breaks and my back is already killing me. I was whining to DH last night that I don't think I can do it for another 7 months!

CosmoAnne1 · November 2015

Super mom that's what you are! Wih my first I worked in a Vietnamese sandwhich shop. I told my boss because I almost passed out at work. I ended up Quiting that job. I remember standing at the register taking an ordering trying not to throw up. I asked the manager to please take over ( she knew why and said no) I asked the customer to please wait walked around the corner threw up in the trash can. Walked back and took the customers order. After that shift I never went back. I'm am normally sick and have to take nausea medication to function for the majority of pregnancy so I can't not work. You are amazing that you are at work!!!!! I hope it gets easier for you. I am a SHAM I have a almost 9 , almost 7 & 19m old. So I just don't go any where right now except to take/pick up kids from school & grocery store. today has been the worst of feeling sick and exhausted and it's only 9am. I haven't thrown up yet so that's a plus. 1 thing that helps me is the little mini peppermint altoids. They are like $.99-$1.50

hwal98 · November 2015

I felt just like you yesterday at work. I looked and felt like death. I contemplated all day "how do so many women get through this, this is horrible." I went last night and got a bunch of morning sickness remedies. Sprite, crackers, ginger, sea bands, and an iron supplement. I feel a lot better today. I'm sure it'll come back, but right now I'm feeling a lot better then I did this same time yesterday. What I notice is I feel better after I eat. Food doesn't sound good right now. The thought of most foods makes me nauseous.But once I ate a food I could tolerate yesterday, I felt a lot better. And I think this morning eating crackers periodically is helping. But I'm with ya girl, this isn't a fun part of pregnancy!

noelietrex · November 2015

I have a cube farm style job and have to sit at a desk 5 days a week too. The struggle is real! I said to hell with secrecy and nap under my desk for an hour at lunch every day- it helps with the nausea to get enough rest for me. Also I have a huge box of saltines that fill in the gaps between actual meals and snacks when the empty churning feeling starts. And between 1 and 3 times per day I usually throw up in the ladies room. It feels terrible and obviously the women at work basically know, but screw it you do what you gotta do. Sipping mint tea and water all day also helps somewhat, but there just aren't any miracle cures. I told my direct manager and that's helped a lot. He's an asian dude with no kids so I didn't think he'd understand, but he really does seem to get it and he's been cutting me some slack which is really nice. If seamonkey doesn't make it I'll need time off anyway, so may as well tell the supervisors so they can cut you slack either way.

ETA: The women seem to know I'm KU, but they understand about the 12 weeks rule so they don't mention it. The men around me seem genuinely confused. One guy asked if I was "still sick" thinking I have a bug, one guy said "you must be having some crazy nights out!". LOL clueless.

jennyleigh16 · November 2015

I don't know how women do it either. Even if the MS clears up after the 1st trimester I don't know how I'm going to get through the next 5 weeks. I've already used a couple sick days when I couldn't turn my head without feeling nauseated and my bosses know so they're somewhat understanding but they're both men and haven't had a pregnant staff member in the buildings before so they don't really know what they're doing. I have a really physical job (maintenance) and all the bending and lifting and twisting really aggravates the MS. I told a handful of coworkers out of necessity and they're slowly coming to me to tell me other coworkers are speculating. I'm really trying to keep it quiet until Christmas because my family works in the industry and people talk, but I give it a week until my whole building knows. I have my first u/s tomorrow and if we see a healthy heartbeat I'm going to stop lying to people at work. At that point I'll know it wasn't just a chemical pregnancy and I figure my rates of miscarriage go down once the heartbeat is going.

Lasscher · November 2015

Co-sign I'm struggling. I think I'm going to tell my boss next week. Some women at work have picked up on it and one even asked to my dismay. I said no, but I'm not a good liar and she gave me a look. I keep thinking how am I going to make it through this with work.

winnie1122 · November 2015

I have my desk stocked with snacks and hard candy to suck on when I'm feeling really nauseous. My students don't necessarily suspect anything because I usually like to have snacks handy, but I haven't been drinking any coffee and have only been bringing water, sooo they may think something's up. Oh well. Water helps, little sips throughout the day. Eating pretty constantly helps too, even though food doesn't sound good. The nausea is worst when I'm hungry. Those little clementines have been my best friends. I've been bringing at least four to work when I really need something. I'll probably up the number, I've already eaten 3 and it's not even lunch yet! Anyways, it's not fun but there are little tricks for bearing it! Hope you start feeling better!

leela20999 · November 2015

I am 5 weeks or so pregnant and emotionally. ...a mess. I have felt sick here and there but no throwing up yet. Thinking about taking your advice and getting some ginger cookies etc to keep by my desk. I do not want to tell my work until the new year which will be im thinking close to 11 weeks. I pray that all goes well! Fingers crossed for everyone for a healthy pregnancy!

jlgriff11 · November 2015

This is why I basically have told everyone who hadn't already guessed at work. No reason for them to think I'm losing my mind. Everyone has just been super great- very supportive. I work in an area where I can't get up and walk away from the desk whenever I want, and have to call someone to watch the desk if I have to use the bathroom or anything. It's annoying, but everyone's much more understanding if they know I have a legitimate reason.

I know that isn't for everyone though, so I wish you luck.

DominiqueU · November 2015

I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling horrible. I'm an elementary school teacher so I'm the only adult in my classroom all day. I told one teacher friend (her classroom is right next door), so I can call her when I need to throw up. I have a lot of meetings and I'm amazed I haven't run out of any yet to get sick. The other day my principal pulled out a giant tuna fish sandwich in the middle of a meeting and I almost lost it.

I feel awful. I've described it as feeling like I'm on day 2 of a 24 hour stomach bug, except it's all the time. I always feel like I'm on the verge of throwing up, I'm exhausted but can't really sleep, and I just feel like total crud.

I feel like a terrible person because I'm not enjoying this at all. I hate feeling like this and it feels like there's no end in sight, which makes it worse. Ugh.

jessdes15 · November 2015

I'm the same. Nausea is pretty much a constant with sporadic vomiting (not restricted to mornings). It's so horrible I feel like absolute death! Really struggling to get motivated to go to work each day. I don't understand why we need to toughen up and just work through the pain. In any other instance if i was throwing up all day there isn't a chance in hell I'd be at work, nor would anyone else feeling that horrible so why now is it just something I have to do?!?! I'm 7w3d and am planning on telling work next week. My desk drawer is full of snacks and I just keep eating/ running to the bathroom all day so I'm sure it's pretty obvious anyway. I think if I let gem know they'll at least understand the frequent sick days and might even help out with letting me work from home where possible.

WilsonWeddingKC · November 2015

My boss is totally on to me!! Feeling sick all day, no coffee, constantly eating Saltines and driving halfway across town over lunch for the chicken fingers I'm craving.....Was hoping to hold out until I return from holiday vacation to tell work (January 11th) but its getting harder and harder to keep it a secret! It's also SO MISERABLE sitting here trying to get productive work done when all I want to do is lay in bed all day. Really looking forward to 2nd tri when this (hopefully) subsides!

Murrington · November 2015

I feel you! I'm a SAHM and I wonder all the time how all you working moms do it! I'm so tired today that I had to get creative and invent a game for my 17 month old that involved me laying on the couch. Hang in there mama!

juliagulia38 · November 2015

I'm a SAHM with a kindergartener and 2 year old. I got some anti nausea meds from my doc and they are miracle pills. I actually feel human again. I can eat and I feel okay most of the time. I'm still tired and grumpy, but I can rest when I want. I think all of y'all should go get meds from your doctor! You'll feel SO much better

trucksntutus · November 2015

I feel ya ladies! Working while sick can be rough! I haven't experienced full blown MS yet, but I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop. The queasiness has been picking up...

I did call out of work last week due to not feeling good, and just being extremely tired. I think my boss is on to me...she asked my coworker (who knows) in a joking fashion if I was pregnant because I've been so tired lately.
She's a psychic!!

kami2277 · November 2015

I had to tell my boss. I went in to work and my coworkers were asking if I was sick. My job is very physically demanding. I climb telephone poles, drive a company vehicle, lift 80 pounds on a regular basis, go under houses and in attics. I'm the only female. They don't quite know what to do. I'm high risk due to ama and other issues. I'm pretty sure my doc will be putting restrictions on me very soon. At that point it's either light duty or go out on disability.

mckcak23 · November 2015

I am a FTM and I am at the point of feeling guilty. I have wanted this for so long, yet I am so miserable. I have no clue how people have more than one child if they feel like this. I am trying to hide it at work, though I am sure I am being super obvious. I am off work next week for Thanksgiving and cannot contain how happy I am to be home and in bed all day. Besides going to the bathroom I dont know that I will move.

SMLEU · November 2015

I'm not alone! Lol, I thought I was sort of being a baby about things too, even though I'm only 6w1d. The nausea has definitely kicked in, but no full on MS. I know it's only going to get worse. I only called in once for nausea but that was a few days before I even found out I was pregnant...hope I won't need to take more. As for people noticing...I work in a small department with 3 other ladies and one just flat out asked me and I'm sure the others will suspect soon enough.

I haven't told my boss yet because he actually works in Admin with my mother of all people lol and I haven't even told her yet. So, I guess I'll play it by ear. I have had stomach issues my entire life so I'm hoping MS skips me to make up for that...wishful thinking.

Just hang in there! We're all right there with you!

@CosmoAnne1 You've got the right idea with the mints. If I've at least got those it's not so bad.

ButterMyBiscuit · November 2015

My boss just got back from maternity leave today and I told her instantly. She was so happy and hugged me. Thank God! Now at least she'll know why I may not be fully functional at times.

owens0410 · November 2015

My biggest hurtle with having to work while pregnant is that my heart just isn't in the work! All I can think about is the baby and the future and making plans and getting organized, etc! When I'm not preoccupied with all of that I am just so tired I can barely keep my eyes open!! The fatigue has hit me hard and dropping my caffiene intake down is definitely hurting me! LOL

ProfessorEcks · November 2015

I'm a high school teacher, and when I pulled into a parking spot at 6:30 am yesterday, I stepped out of my car and into a pile of THREE-DAY-OLD VOMIT. I had seen it from a distance the day before, but foolishly forgot about it and parked right on top of it. I immediately started dry-heaving in front of other teachers pulling in, but was able to recover by pretending I was joking before scraping my shoe all the way to the bathroom. Teenagers are so gross.

european90 · November 2015

I'm 5w2d pregnant and my "all day sickness" kicked in with a vengeance 3 days ago. Reading about everyone's challenges has made me feel a little better. I was actually out sick yesterday because I was feeling so sick. I am not armed with a seaband, ginger ale and pretzel sticks - it's seems to do help me get through the day but the symptoms don't subside all together. I'm keeping my eyes on the price and hoping for the best

autumnj91 · November 2015

kami2277 said:
I had to tell my boss. I went in to work and my coworkers were asking if I was sick. My job is very physically demanding. I climb telephone poles, drive a company vehicle, lift 80 pounds on a regular basis, go under houses and in attics. I'm the only female. They don't quite know what to do. I'm high risk due to ama and other issues. I'm pretty sure my doc will be putting restrictions on me very soon. At that point it's either light duty or go out on disability.

I'm in the same boat! I'm a commercial electrician, first pregnancy & don't have my first Dr appt untill Nov. 24th!! Tomorrow I will be 7 wks pregnant and am super nervous about all the strenous work & wearing my toolbags all day. Also not quite sure how to explain everything I do to my Dr so she will fully grasp the situation. Thinking about telling my coworkers after I hear the heartbeat so they will take into consideration the severity of it all & at least not ask me to do anything totally unsafe (standing on top of ladders, climbing over scissor lift rails etc.). Never heard of anyone else in my situation so any help, guidance or just your experiences is/are greatly appreciated!!!!

FTM53 · November 2015

I am at 6 weeks. While MS has (thankfully) not hit, the absolute utter exhaustion is killing me. Not to mention the emotional roller coaster. Today, I seriously want to just go home, cry, sleep, then get mcdonalds---salty cravings. I am amazed at other women who do this. At least i have my own office and can close the door to nap.

KarenBeth714 · November 2015

O.M.G. I got my bfp just today and it's been like a whirlwind of symptoms. My stomach was in knots all day.. not nausea but just bloated and tight feeling. Then I started getting really hot and uncomfortably sweaty. It felt hot flashes! I feel like everyone is gonna know soon. Plus I'm a teacher so I can't just get up and leave I need to call someone every time I gotta go to the bathroom. ugggghhhh how will I deal with this.. plus I just really can't concentrate like this and the kids are stressing me out!!!

cuciaramist1 · November 2015

I completely feel you! I do some pretty physical work in vaccine production, and it has been tough for the past two weeks! The absolute fatigue and nausea is killing me! And, I haven't told anyone at work yet because (here's the kicker) I just started this job 10/26! I just found out I was pregnant a week and a half ago. Oh man, hang in there momma; hopefully, we'll all get through this phase soon!

LizzaBuffy · November 2015

@aprilbieber I feel for you! I feel the same way today. I just want to go home and get in bed. I too have been having the weirdest emotions! I keep just randomly bursting out crying. I just want my food aversions to stop. It changes constantly!

LizzaBuffy · November 2015

@european90 , I have been having the same thing. All day sickness. Just a lingering nauseousness that is keeping me from wanting to eat anything. I normally LOVE food and lately it's all sounded disgusting.

Yesterday I bought myself some ginger ale and candies to suck on to hopefully help while i'm at work....

LizzaBuffy · November 2015

cuciaramist1 I think I found out the same time as you that I was pregnant.

I feel for you with having a physical job! Hang in there! I am hoping this phase will be very short lived. I'm wishing the same for you! Good luck with your job. Hopefully they will be understanding.

Letitiafw · November 2015

I am really feeling it today and struggling to focus on my Work...

I just want to sneak off to our chill-room and take a nap... honest to goodness, If I didn't catch a ride with a colleague today I would have

asked for the rest of the day off.

I am feeling absolutely miserable today and it's been getting worse over the past couple of days.

Mood swings galore.... Constant Nausea and yet Hungry at the same time.

I am planning on breaking the news to my colleagues and Boss at the End of the Month when I've had my first scan and I should be around 9 weeks by then....

STBBaby · November 2015

I'm right there with you ladies... I love my job and it truly is a blessing but these days I just feel so insanely nauseous, dizzy at times, and fatigued. I'm constantly hungry but I can't help but also feel like I could throw up any moment. Yes my body feels a way that I have never experienced before... but I'm so incredibly thankful to be feeling this way! (Because of the reason I am, of course!)

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