Morning sickness

Nurses General Nursing

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Just was wondering is anyone could give me any advice about going to work when you have morning sickness or as my case is "all day sickness". Now that I am going thru this myself I give all the pregnant nurses I have worked with in the past a pat on the back and a whole lot of credit because right now I don't know how I can make it thru these next 4 weeks at least!

I called in sick this past weekend and don't have thatmany sick days left to use so I am trying to use them sparingly. I am sick all the time though, worse as the day goes on, dizzy, nausesous, hardly get sleep at night due to getting up a lot.

Any advice from you guys on how to handle this? I work a busy med surg floor and rarely get a chance to go to the bathroom much less sit and take a break to eat something...it all makes me worried.

Any suggestions would help!

Thanks

I work in OB and one of my recent labor patients was one who had all day morning sickness throughout her pregnancy. Her OB's office just started selling a new product. Best we could figure its a mini tens unit, looks like a watch with small buttons on it so you can choose your level of power needed. It ran about $50.00 and lasted for i believe around 150 hours (then you buy a new one). She said she had tried everything under the sun, but within 5 minutes of putting it on her nausea was gone. I would ask you ob and/or do some research and find one of these units.

Good Luck!!!!

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Thanks for everyone's input, I appreciate the hints. I feel like I have tried so many things already (potato chips, keeping stomach full, new vitamins, b6 etc.) I had a horrible day yesterday and don't know how anyone can really put in more than maybe 50% while feeling like this. I feel like I did a half-ass job and that my patient's needed more that I couldn't give. I was more concerned with running out of their room to try to hurl!

Came home and just threw up, had diarrhea (sorry for the details) etc. Couldn't get up for hours after. My ms seems to get worse as the day goes on!

I worry about work right now because I have only worked there for 4 months. We have 5 sick days to use per year and I have already used 3 of them! You get written up and talked to when you go over and then get disciplinary action against you....

Is there a way (legally) that I could ask for a few weeks off? I don't have that much vacation time to use but I didn't know if I could get some sort of medical leave until I start to feel a little better at least. Right now I can barely get out of bed for more than maybe 15-20 minutes at a time.

I give all of you credit for working during your pregnancies. It is a terrible thing!

Goota go and throw up!

Thanks all, tms

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

It was harder than hell working thru my pregnancies. So many say "I worked til I went into labor". Yea, well so did I. At 31 weeks I went into fullblown preterm labor which netted me bedrest and forced time off. It is not anything to toy with! I tell you, I was hot, miserable, back ached and so beyond tired. I would get yourself to your doctor ASAP about getting time off. You are courting DEHYDRATION BIG-TIME with n/v and diarrhea like this, especially as a nurse in summertime. Try to get a few days off to rest. A doctor's note is all you should need to get the time off you require. it covers you. You need this for your and your baby's health sakes. Pregnancy is a short time, but one you must take the best care of yourself to ensure a healthy outcome, as you WELL know!

I wish you the best, hon. Hang in there!;)

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I always had jobs that exacerbated my nausea. with baby number one it was blood banking. I never balked at the sight of blood until I was pg and then it was nasty. Not after collection but spillages were definitely nauseating.

Baby number 2 I was working in recovery. If people are going to vomit it's there. There were a couple of occasions when I wanted to join them and I was so sick that I ended up having to take leave without pay and get temp work in a clinic.

I never found a satisfactory answer to dealing with morning sickness except the thought of punching the nose of the nexe helpful cheerful git who said "have you tried saltine crackers?"

I found ginger tea to be helpful. Grate fresh ginger - about a one inch cube or more and boil with a mugful of water for a couple of minutes then add some honey. It is very kind to your system if you sip it when you're sick.

The other thing is beg favors - Offer to do someone elese crap work if they'll trade with you to do some duty that turns your stomach. it's not forever - only a few weeks and it's better than losing a staff member completely.

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Boy do I know what you are going thru. Got my job in February, got pregnant in May and was I sick. I just kept crackers in my unifrom pocket (Unsalted) and munched on those suckers whenever I got the queasies. Helped a lot.

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

Hot unsweetened tea first thing in the morning...go ahead and throw up and then treat self gently through the day with crackers, ginger etc. Have to keep hydrated though.

As an aside. NO morning sickness with my girl (gained 56 lbs) but lots of post partum problems. SEVERE ms with my boy ( weighed 106 lbs.... the same when I delivered as when I got PG!!) Anybody else have a "gender" difference for ms?

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It felt like eating constantly, but as long as there was soem dry cracker (saltines), pretzels, and basically eating them constantly...In the end, Diclectin.

Congrats and I hope all goes well.

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