Traumatised by morning sickness?

[surprised]

Not sure if this is the right place, but it seems like the best one.

Does anyone else feel as though they were traumatised by morning sickness? I had it badly both times, for about 15 weeks. I don't know I would technically qualify as HG, but whatever it was, it was awful. No matter what I did, I felt horribly sick. I tried all the drugs, but they are mostly anti-emetics, not anti-nausaics, so they didn't really help. The best thing I found was a sleeping tablet that at least allowed me to eat a bit.

I feel like no-one really understood how sick I was. I just wanted the earth to swallow me up. Now whenever I feel a bit queasy all the feelings start coming back and it's really upsetting. I would love, love, love to have a third, but I just can't do that again.

I know - it's a first world problem. Heaps of people have far more legitimate traumas in their lives. But I still feel yuck about it.

Does anyone else feel the same?

[briggsy's girl]

when i had gastro before Christmas, i fell apart - DH asked why - we'd been talking about the fact i'd fallen pg earlier in the year and it hadn't stuck, so i'd taken clomid again and was waiting to see if it worked. i told him he couldn't come near me, i didn't want to have sex because i couldn't deal with being pregnant ever again. the morning sickness had distressed me so badly i just couldn't do it.

i had 24/7 nausea from 3.5 weeks through until after she was born

i am now having issues with my ears - vertigo and nausea are pretty bad with it some days - so much so that i took a pg test yesterday cos it was just as bad as being pregnant.

i love my dd, i'm not trying to prevent pregnancy - but i'm scared stiff of it happening. not being pg, not giving birth (i had a long induction and then c/s) - i'm scared ****less of the MS!

[Lily Dust]

I know exactly how you feel I live with that terror every single day- as stupid as that sounds.

[AngelPants]

I too can relate I was sick with DS until birth and when I got sick this time around I was a wreck. Saying to DH I had changed my mind I didn't want another baby! Thankfully this time it only last til week 18. I didn't realise it had affected me that much until I was sick second time around.

sent from my watzamajig so may not make sense....

[jazzyj]

Not sure if this is the right place, but it seems like the best one.

Does anyone else feel as though they were traumatised by morning sickness? I had it badly both times, for about 15 weeks. I don't know I would technically qualify as HG, but whatever it was, it was awful. No matter what I did, I felt horribly sick. I tried all the drugs, but they are mostly anti-emetics, not anti-nausaics, so they didn't really help. The best thing I found was a sleeping tablet that at least allowed me to eat a bit.

I feel like no-one really understood how sick I was. I just wanted the earth to swallow me up. Now whenever I feel a bit queasy all the feelings start coming back and it's really upsetting. I would love, love, love to have a third, but I just can't do that again.

I know - it's a first world problem. Heaps of people have far more legitimate traumas in their lives. But I still feel yuck about it.

Does anyone else feel the same?

I am interested to see how this developed, i feel the same, i have 2 wonderful children and would like a third, however i feel crippled by the fear of morning sickness.
People say it may be different this time, but i had 6 months in bed with my second.
I am wanting to know how you got thru it? Any words of encouragement?

[Joeve]

Yes I am. Sick from 6 weeks until she was born. I ended up having drips for hydration and vomited in some random places including all over myself while driving one morning.
I have said no more, apart from my silly fertility issues which would limit my chances of number 2 but the thought of feeling that sick again terrifies me.

[Sagres]

I'm not sure I would call it traumatised but I had to do A LOT of mental preparation before getting pregnant again. And even with that preparation I would burst into tears when ever I was in my GPs office in relation to my HG, so well maybe that sounds like trauma
Personally I kind of just try to keep up the momentum of pre-pregnancy and just keep swimming and both times that momentum runs out around 22-23 weeks and I have that crisis point where it all seems to hard and another almost 20 weeks of throwing up just seems impossible to bear. I think everyone who has HG hits that crisis point at some stage, before they get pregnant, when it first hits, when it is not going away. Perhaps just knowing that what you are feeling is normal and and others have felt the same AND come out the other side will help a bit?

[AnyDream]

I'm pretty sure that aversion is a common learned response to situations of nausea/vomiting. People who've had food poisoning often develop long term aversions to foods they ate closest to the symptoms starting, even if that was not the food that made them sick. I can't imagine how awful it would be to be so ill week after week - that has got to have some long term effects somewhere.

Recognising that this is something you are dealing with means you can take steps to move through it. Chat to your GP about whether this is something you might be able to access a mental health plan for (there's a category of funding in there re pregnancy/birth trauma) and get along to a good psychologist. Then, you can take steps in future pregnancies to head your morning sickness off at the pass - start complementary therapies like ginger & B6 in standardised doses 3 times a day, acupuncture/acupressure, and even a low GI diet that keeps your blood sugar more stable, start these before the nausea gets a chance to take hold. Knowing that you have tools like these to minimise your symptoms might help you feel more positive/in control and reduce the fear factor.

[Marley&Me]

Yes, I felt so bad up until about 14 weeks that I don't even think I'm scared of labour because of it! (my first)
I wasn't vomiting, but the constant round the clock nausea was debilitating. I remember crying and sleeping between working and that's all. It kinda took the happiness away as we had tried for 3 years before I fell PG.

[surprised]

Still traumatized. Def not going back for a third. Went on the pill a couple of weeks ago and it made me sick. Was a horrible reminder and made me realise I really can't do it again!

[Jellyfish]

Yes, I never wanted to do it again after my first (or do it at all during my first). I was so sick the whole time, even threw up twice in labour. I couldn't look at a computer screen (you'll notice my join date to BellyBelly coincides with my daughters birth month lol) or TV without throwing up, I couldn't go in a car without throwing up. Even with avoiding triggers, I threw up 4ish times everyday. I was miserable, it was also a surprise pregnancy and I was not in a great place emotionally, relationship wise, financially. I couldn't work, I couldn't really do anything of value, it is actually a bit of a blur what I did. I think I spent 9 months solid in bed listening to pod casts and trying to keep at least water down while feeling really sorry for myself.

I didn't have sex after my daughter for 2 whole years. I was that paranoid about getting pregnant and going through it all again.

The first month I was sexually active since my daughter, I fell pregnant. Thankfully new circumstances, new partner but I couldn't believe it, I was so careful. I was angry, confused, scared. And I woke up every morning crippled by fear despite only throwing up a handful of times that pregnancy.

It really does stay with you. Even having an entirely different (trouble-free) pregnancy isn't enough to reset those feelings completely.