Sick in 1st trimester = losing confidence in my body

[MegBoz]

I’m nearly 12W along with #2 & starting at 7W, it’s been hell. I’ve been so ill, I’m totally incapacitated. Basically, doing anything but sitting or lying down makes me feel worse.

Understandably, it’s taking a toll emotionally too – not being able to care for my 2YO DS, not exercise, not wanting to socialize, I even have trouble doing the laundry. (Thankfully, we’ve had lots of help & support from family.)

It was nothing like this with DS. Aside from a little nausea & fatigue in the 1st tri, I felt fantastic the whole PG & I had a great, fast, natural birth (barely made it to the hospital!)

I’m starting to feel so frustrated & almost betrayed by my body, not to mention defeated & exhausted. Although I’m planning an HB this time, if I had to give birth tomorrow, I’d probably head right for the hospital & ask for the epidural immediately because I’m so exhausted & so tired of FEELING BAD. I just have no fight left.

Thankfully I know birth is a long way off & thankfully I know most women do feel better by the 14/16W mark. While I realize these things intellectually, it’s hard to not feel so defeated emotionally.

Anyone else experience this?

[pickleeater]

Meg, I feel your pain. I am 10 weeks tomorrow and started feeling really sick around 5 weeks. From week 5-7, I was throwing up about 5 times a day (sometimes more, rarely less), and from weeks 8-10 I have had 3 days with no vomiting at all, otherwise I am still getting sick about twice a day.

The vomiting was something I somewhat expected - I have a weak gag reflex so I just assumed that would happen to me.

The exhaustion was something I was not prepared for. I also have been sitting and/or laying down 95% of the day, barely able to take the dog out let alone do much else.

I thankfully work from home, and thankfully can do my work from bed if need be, but with being so tired it has still been a challenge.

For me, the toughest part of the exhaustion is the utter grogginess that comes with it. I feel like I just woke up from an unsatisfying nap all the time, and am nauseous to boot.

That being said, I have been feeling a lot better than I initially was, and I think/hope that the worst of it is over for me.

I hope you start feeling better soon. Have you spoken to the doctor about it at all?

[MegBoz]

I actually haven't vomited even once. When I say that, I think people tend to think, "Oh, well then I guess you're not all that sick." No, I'm horrifically ill. I describe the nausea, queasiness, dizziness & fatigue as having a really bad wine hangover 24/7. most people then get REAL sympathetic REAL quick. It's kinda funny actually to see the reaction when I say that. I reply, "Yeah, exactly! It's hell!"

I'm still considered healthy, so no doctor for me. I'm planning an HB with a CPM, but also doing some initial shadow-care with CNMs at the hospital where I had DS. I've mentioned it all to them repeatedly & they keep saying it's normal, healthy & fine. What I read online & in books confirms this as well - even the headaches. Just normal.

I considered taking a prescription for the nausea, but I figured the fatigue was so bad as well that having the nausea minimized wouldn't help that much. I was going to finally try 1/2 a tab of Unisom + 50 mgs vitamin B6 for nausea, but lately it's been the headaches that are the issue (going to try Sudafed now, per CNMs advice, to alleviate the sinus congestion that's causing the headaches.)

I have little patches where I feel OK & can somewhat function, ironically often first thing in the morning. I think I've let them lull me into a false sense of security a few times, so maybe that's contributed to me avoiding meds. (& my paranoia about meds in the 1st tri.)

[lillymonster]

I have had hypermesis both pregnancies. The first I was throwing up until 26 weeks, this time at 20 weeks, I am not throwing up, but still sick feeling, with food aversions and heartburn/constant stomach upset that is painful more than annoying. I am not going to get started on the horrible side effects from zofran, but I had to go to the ER for both pregnancies because of it. Acupuncture, chiro, acupressure, b/6 nothing else works but zofran.

The tiredness went away at around 16 weeks. But we made the decision we are not having any more kids, because I can't go through this again.

By 30 weeks or birth I will fell better and look forward to the birth. I just take it one day at a time, don't worry about yesterday or tomorrow. I feel bad because my temper was short with DD, but it's better now

[pickleeater]

This may sound disgusting, but the thing that has helped me the most with my nausea has been apple cider vinegar. I drink about a capful when my stomach goes crazy and a lot of times it really helps a lot and I feel a lot better. I know it doesnt help with the headaches, but maybe it will help with some of the symptoms...

[lyterae]

Originally Posted by MegBoz

I actually haven't vomited even once. When I say that, I think people tend to think, "Oh, well then I guess you're not all that sick." No, I'm horrifically ill. I describe the nausea, queasiness, dizziness & fatigue as having a really bad wine hangover 24/7. most people then get REAL sympathetic REAL quick. It's kinda funny actually to see the reaction when I say that. I reply, "Yeah, exactly! It's hell!"

I'm still considered healthy, so no doctor for me. I'm planning an HB with a CPM, but also doing some initial shadow-care with CNMs at the hospital where I had DS. I've mentioned it all to them repeatedly & they keep saying it's normal, healthy & fine. What I read online & in books confirms this as well - even the headaches. Just normal.

I considered taking a prescription for the nausea, but I figured the fatigue was so bad as well that having the nausea minimized wouldn't help that much. I was going to finally try 1/2 a tab of Unisom + 50 mgs vitamin B6 for nausea, but lately it's been the headaches that are the issue (going to try Sudafed now, per CNMs advice, to alleviate the sinus congestion that's causing the headaches.)

I have little patches where I feel OK & can somewhat function, ironically often first thing in the morning. I think I've let them lull me into a false sense of security a few times, so maybe that's contributed to me avoiding meds. (& my paranoia about meds in the 1st tri.)

I did end up taking the unison and the b6, I started vomiting 4-5 times a day at about 6 weeks. By 7 weeks I had thrown my back out from all of it.. I still was throwing up once every couple of days and still nauseated alot of the time, but I could function.

I'm 14 weeks now and still nauseated, it's getting better but it's still an issue. I go home from work and go right to bed, to either relax or sleep. If the nausea is bad I just go to sleep. Last time it lasted till about 16/17 weeks before I felt better.

Hang in there! It sucks, but you should feel better soon

[Mosaic]

I hear you. My first pregnancy was a breeze; I ate well, worked out until the birth day, etc. I had a fabulous natural birth and was oh-so-proud of myself.

My second pregnancy had me still throwing up at 32 weeks, SPD, migraines... basically I felt lousy. I couldn't work out and I felt weak and unhealthy. I barely ate, almost never cooked, certainly didn't clean, basically became a giant, ever-expanding lump of self-pitying laziness. But then I had another natural birth, faster and easier than the first!

Fortunately, you can feel lousy and emotionally beaten during pregnancy and still have a body whole and healthy enough to birth a baby.

[momasana]

Pregnancy is rough for me. With DS, and with this little one (due 10/7) I've been down and out for almost the entire time! There were a few patches here and there of great energy, etc. but for the most part I am very, very, very aware of pregnancy the entire time. I'd rather give birth once a month for nine months than endure another pregnancy.

BUT the good news is, my first baby was born at home, very lovely birth, and I snapped back to my old self in no time. Hoping for the same with this one.

[kalamos23]

Oh honey - I had that with DD and worse with my middle m/c - a horrible wine hangover is totally the best way to describe it! I never threw up either, though at times I wished I could if I thought it would make me feel better. If it helps, it got better for me between weeks 12-14 somewhere with DD (I caught influenza type A in there as well, and somewhere when I was recovering from that, I noticed my m/s was gone). If you can stomach them, try some unisom, also protein seemed to help slightly. I realize though how hard that might be (I survived on mashed potatoes with DD).

To give you some hope, the second tri was much better. I agree with momasana that I would rather give birth for 9 months than go through morning sickness like that... but here I am again, so you have my deepest sympathies and I really really hope it clears up fast for you.

[greenmulberry]

Originally Posted by MegBoz

I actually haven't vomited even once. When I say that, I think people tend to think, "Oh, well then I guess you're not all that sick." No, I'm horrifically ill. I describe the nausea, queasiness, dizziness & fatigue as having a really bad wine hangover 24/7.

I had this, and people thought it must not be that bad since I wasn't vomiting, but I always felt like it was monday morning after a long weekend of partying and zero sleeping. I just felt TERRIBLE!!!!!!! I was getting depressed, it was all I could manage to go to work, and then all my time at home was spent sleeping.

I couldn't eat anything remotely healthy, it all just sounded nasty and made me feel ill.

And I was an emotional wreck. A total B word. I finally just had to tell my DH I was losing my mind and I just needed him to help me get through it. Which he did.

It did get better and I feel normal now!!! (17 weeks). But it was really bad there for a while.

[rparker]

I had an awful first trimester with both of my pregnancies. Can't say for sure with #2 yet, but my first labor was totally natural and easy despite the first trimester totally sucking. The first trimester for my first pregnancy was actually worse than this one, but that may be because I had better drugs this time.

This second pregnancy has been "harder" overall, but I really do think caring for a two year old helps to exaggerate normal ailments. I'm pretty sure that I spent MORE time sleeping during my first pregnancy, but it seems like I'm more tired this time because I WANT to sleep more than I am able if that makes any sense. Plus life is just harder with a two year old. Hang in there!

[Aliy]

this is being really rough on me.
I'm tired i have no drive I just want to lie in bed all day. I'm alos feeling a bit of depression with this too becasue i'm so down. I'm not vomiting but i'm super sick.... dizzy exhausted neasuated and all that.. and too top it off last week i started having pelvic seperation pains and my hips are locking up.
( we moved recently and i haven't found a new chiro)
at least my hubby is being wonderful and helping but it's taking a toll on him too. I just want to be better.. I'm hoping it is going to turn around at 13 1/2 weeks i'm feeling very done and wondering why in the world am I doing this again.....????