Pains + sickness + headaches + fainting - please help

EmilyB · Feb 26, 2018 12:44AM

I keep getting shooting pains low down in my (very small) bump. My sickness has come back to the point that I'm eating very, very little again. I just fainted on may way out of the bathroom, luckily nothing was in the way so I haven't hurt myself. My headaches are becoming unbearable - I'm ok now but earlier in Boots I was reading a label and everything behind the bottle that was out of focus seemed to be moving. Hubby caught me that time. I've had a pain in the left side of my throat/neck for about 5 days, it feels as though the gland on that side is swollen and the other isn't.

I'm a teacher, the term starts on Monday. I am now panicking because I can't stay on my feet for more than about 10 mins without sitting down (town today took 2 hours to go to Boots and John Lewis, not buy anything, then home) I'm also very very worried that I'll faint in class and freak out the children/bang myself on something. I don't know whether this is normal and I'm just being a baby about it all. Does anyone else feel like this? I don't know what to do.

Em 14+5 x x x

dipndazzle · May 30, 2009 4:37PM

hi hunny ,no this isnt normal u need to doctor asap i would say as it could be a number of things ,as im not a doctor im not sure what but ,low iron count?? blood sugar low?? ..hope u get it sorted hunny xxxx

MummyDubeXxX · May 30, 2009 4:40PM

hi there im 17+5 and get quite faint and dizzy when out in the sun, not sure about the gland but i think with your headaches you should definately see your gp or midwife cuz its usually something they say to watch out for

sorry if not much help but didnt want to r+r

Mummy_Chooch738 · May 30, 2009 4:43PM

Hi Em,
Aww are you ok hon? Worried about you now! Can you not see a doc or ring nhs direct to be on the safe side? Sorry I don't know what else to say.. but fainting can be a bit of a worry.
I get light headed a lot now but if I'd fainted at any point I would of been ringing nhs. Sorry I can't be any more help?!
If you need anything else we're all here!

14+3

Coco-25 · May 30, 2009 4:45PM

I'm a teacher too so I understand how you feel about work but you MUST go to a doctor first thing on Monday. You and your baby's health are the most important thing and you can't teach if you have a headache and are fainting.

Hope you feel better soon xx

sarah_jane77 · May 30, 2009 4:47PM

Hi Emily

I get the headaches but mine are just due to the congestion i've had since the beginning which am told is normal. Have had the odd dizzy spell but no fainting (touch wood), personally I would ring my midwife asap and get some tests done as it could be lack of iron etc. But best to get it checked anyway.

Sarah
15+0

EmilyB · May 30, 2009 4:56PM

Thanks girls, I'm going to have the warm bath hubby just ran for me, then ring NHS Direct.

MummyDube - I didn't know we were supposed to watch out for headaches, thank you! Sometimes it's insane, like the left side of my head has a spike stuck through the front.

coco25 - this will sound very weird, but I'm scared to take time off even though I know you're right. (god, I sound pathetic) Straight after the Easter Hols I went back for half a day then ended up in A&E with serious stomach pains that thankfully turned out to be nothing but was officially titled a threatened miscarriage. I had the rest of the week off, then a back to work interview when I got back. I guess I'm just worried because it impacts so much on everyone else and I'm kind of being noted as not performing brilliantly at the moment as far as my job goes...

Coco-25 · May 30, 2009 5:04PM

Oh hon, I know exactly how you feel. I'm the sort of person who NEVER has a day off, yet since I've been pregnant I've had weeks off! But I had no choice - once I was in hospital with hyperemesis and the other time I was signed off with suspected pre-eclampsia. I spent the whole time (even in hospital!) feeling guilty and wondering what was going on at school. BUT, had something happened to my baby, and I hadn't had the time off to rest, I would never have forgiven myself.

You and your little one are so much more important than any school, but I do understand how you feel. Bloody teacher's guilt

waiting4baby · May 30, 2009 5:18PM

Oh that doesn't sound right at all, I hope bus are helpful and also why wait til Monday? Do you have an out of hours medical centre to go to? If it's that painful that's what I'd do or even a&e - they wouldn't turn you away, just make you wait longer if they thought it wasn't important. Really hope the phone call sorts everything out though and I agree far more important to worry about your child than fear of making a bad impression at work. Take it easy and take care

EmilyB · May 30, 2009 5:21PM

Coco, I hope you're doing better now. I thought I'd done pretty well with the sickness, most of it seemed to be in the Easter hols. I've only had four and a half days off since I fell pregnant. There's just a lot of stuff that only I'm responsible for sorting/teaching and if I don't I'm going to cause myself a great deal of grief at the beginning of July.

MrsS61 · May 30, 2009 5:50PM

Hey ladies, am afraid I cannot offer any advice on the medical nature of this post, but just wanted to say something about the guilt your are feeling about having time off school. I too am a teacher, and my Head was pretty much the first person that I told I was pregnant - in case I had to have time off with morning sickness or anything, I didn't want to have to lie about why I wasn't there. I too was very conscious that being off from a teaching job is very different from being off from, for example, an offic e job and impacts on so many more people. I was very lucky in that I sailed through my pregnancy and only had to take the time off that I was entitled to for midwife appts, etc. However, once baby's here your attitude - I pretty much guarantee - will change completely. Suddenly, school isn't so important and you will solely focus on getting the job done is as little time as as possible and getting home to your LO. I have become so much more efficient and have far less time for time-wasters (in fact, sompe people say I have become quite ruthless!!) - I have only gone back part-time, and although teaching part-time is pretty much a full time job, I'm doing reasonbly well at keeping a work-life balance. And my time at home is so much more precious with George, who was born with Down's syndrome and so, we feel, is entitled to so much more of our attention. Please don't worry about school - it will all carry on without you - your health and that of your LO is far more important.

S x

loumadcow · May 30, 2009 6:43PM

Hi Emily,

I am a teacher too, and had a "back to work" interview the Monday before half term after being off for 3 weeks with constant sickness. The long and short of it is, the you and baby are more important. I have been referred to Occ Health by my head but at the end of the day their jobn is to make teaching do-able for me until I go on maternity leave. They could easily say put your feet up and rest for the rest of your pregnancy. I read somewhere that a certain amount of time off sick in pregnancy doesn't even count on your sickness record. Please go to the doctors ... and the worst that cvan happen with school is they refer you to Occ health and their job is to support you all the way.

Rest up and don't worry about school. I know we grow fond of the youngsters and they fond of us ,,, but the truth is there will be other youngsters in the future and they will love other teachers too and remember you with affection.

Lou
15+5
xxx

EnglebertW_nkface · May 30, 2009 7:04PM

Just to let you know as well that no matter how much time you have off, as long as it is due to pregnancy related illness, it is absolutely illegal for them to discipline you for it in any way. Like loumadcow says, it just doesn't count on your reccord at all. You have to make sure that you put yourself and the baby first, let your head worry about covering for you, that's part of her job.
xx

EmilyB · May 30, 2009 7:11PM

I know I should go, I really do. I'm so so so scared of getting into trouble. If they look at my marking while I'm not there I'm screwed - I haven't had time to do it properly for over a week, which is totally appauling I know, please don't judge me. I'm normally really good but I just got to the stage where I was falling asleep at my desk by 5pm and something had to give. Then we had end of year assessments, so I've been hauling ass trying to mark those instead of catching up. Hubby says he's really worried about me, and that in my current tired, tearful self I could get signed off for a long time, but if that happens I definitely won't get my tip of a classroom sorted in time for the start of July so the teacher that'll get it in September can move into it. I dream of working in an office instead sometimes!

We've called NHS Direct, they've said to go to the out of hours doc if it gets any worse in the night. Paracetamol's taken the edge off the headache, hubby's helping me walk because as soon as I stand up everything goes tingly behind my eyes!

I feel pathetic, women have been doing this for millenia and I bet they just got on with things...

LLou · May 31, 2009 3:14AM

Emily-they don't just get on with things. I was completely shocked when I fell pregnant with my first at how hard it is. I had Hyperemesis for the duration of the pregnancy, and have recurrent kidney problems too, which basically meant I suffered for the whole pregnancy. I had days where, hand on heart, I felt like I couldn't carry on. It was only when I started talking to other people about it that I realised there are far more women who suffer in pregnancy than we realise-maybe in our non-pregnant states we are blinkered to it, or just put it down to pregnancy dramatics. Please don't feel pathetic, I knwo it's easier said than done. I had four or five hospital stays in my first pregnancy, and have only had one so far in this pregnancy, which is great for me! It's loads easier said than done, but worrying about things makes it so much worse. If your colleagues do look down on the way you've been performing lately, the fact that you're so ill must give them a clue as to why.
As MrsS says, the minute baby's born your whole outlook will change. No matter how much you love your job, you realise it's only a tiny part of your life and it really doesn't matter what they think, your baby and your family life become your top priority. You'll still do your job to the best of your ability, but it becomes so much easier to switch off the minute you go home. I'm not a teacher, but my job is still very involved and emotional at times, but I've found too I no longer have time to waste when I'm there.
Sorry, I've gone on and on, but the long and short of it is, pregnant women have such a hard job to do making this little person, you need to make sure you do whatever it takes to keep yourself well, no matter what anyone else thinks-and chances are they won't judge you at all!
Carly 35+4 xxx

EmilyB · May 31, 2009 7:49AM

Thanks Carly.

I'm sat up in bed doing my planning for next week (it's not just for me, it's for the rest of my team too, so it really needs doing) Hubby has sast with me and through a shed load of tears I've told him all the things I've got to do before next Friday and he's listed them for me. He's prioritised them and said there are some things that will just have to wait. Much easier said than done! But i know he's right.

Unfortunately I do think they've been judging me at work. They all know I'm pregnant now, as people were starting to guess and I didn't want the whispering to continue... but when I had a performance review it was noted that I'd missed three deadlines. The work still got done, I just missed the day it had to be done by. Well, I say three it was really two because the other thing got done I just didn't correct SMT - I didn't think arguing was that worth it! What was worst - that was my entire performance review. Just that I'd been missing deadlines. Now I get reminded of EVERYTHING I have to do just before the deadline by email, as though I can't remember for myself. As far as I'm aware, no one else has had a performance review since last year, when everyone had one.

Feel like I'm treading on eggshells and I don't have time to be poorly. Sorry, now I'm just whinging.

CurledupCat · May 31, 2009 8:36AM

Hi Emily... so sorry to hear that you are feeling so poorly. I agree with everyone else, you must see the doctor tomorrow morning!! It is very important that you and baby are well.I totally understand about teachers guilt but if you look at this way, if you ill then you are going to be even less effective at your job( not that I am saying you are ineffective!) and will only get moaned at more.
Seriously, I am glad hubby has helped you prioritse your jobs for this week. Is there anything anyone else can help with? If there is anything I could do to help just let me know!
I would also be inclined to get in touch with your union and get their support. I know lots of people don't like to involve the union but it may be worthwhile for a bit of advice and school don't need to know you have done this.
Take care of yourself and little one
Dx

EmilyB · May 31, 2009 4:44PM

Thanks CurledupCat. I've been over to my mum and dad's tonight for dinner with hubby, it was lovely and reminded me that family is more important. As it stands, I'm going to go in, but probably have a phone consultation with the doc tomorrow at some point (that's how they do it at my docs, phone first then face-to-face appointments. Daft system in some respects) so my TAs can relieve me while I have that. I'm going to book in to see the doc this week, I need the headaches and dizzy fainting thing to stop and so I need to get help with it!

I've got all my planning done for next week, now it's on to 6 reports and a shed load of other stuff for Friday morning's deadline. Yay!

Em 14+6 x x x

waiting4baby · May 31, 2009 4:56PM

Glad your going to have it seen to, good luck and hope they find a way of easing it off a bit. Take care

gemmiebaby · May 31, 2009 5:02PM

EmilyM - Can I just say that it was Coco's words that made me realise that work wasnt as important. I dont know if you have read about my pretty difficult pregnancy but, after a mc in Jan I got pg straight away with twins. At 13 + 1 and 13 + 3 I had 2 MASSIVE bleeds, bigger than periods. It was awful and we were convinced we had lost our babies. Needless to say, my head told me to get to a + e and he didnt want to see me.

I have now had 5 weeks off with a threatened miscarriage. My boys are fine thank god but head wouldnt let me go back until I had the all clear from the consultant, which I got on the Thursday before half term. I went in on the Friday but it was INSET. I did negotiate going in for a few meetings but I had to beg for that as I knew that I needed to do them. (Im the SENCO and much of what I do is in my head). Anyway, I felt AWFUL. I felt like I had let everyone down. Coco told me not to be silly (in a nice way) and I was so grateful as she is right, as are the other ladies on here.

I also went to talk to my head. My head has been brilliant and I understand that not all heads are like him but talking to him made me feel so much better. He told me that he would never forgive himself if I lost my babies through stress of feeling like I needed to be at work and that me and my babies were more important. School would run without me (this actually really upset me at the time - bloody hormones!). He also told me that he wuld prefer I took the time off while I was not so ill, relatively, and then I would recover better and be able to get back sooner.

Please try not to worry about school. Im panicking after 5 weeks off and going back tomorrow, but im sure it will be fine.

you and you baby are more important, and any head should see that. Also, like others have said, they cant penalise you for pregnancy related illness anyway!!

Hope you feel better soon

Gemma and Double Blue Bump 18 + 2

Coco-25 · May 31, 2009 5:18PM

Gemma, that's so sweet but you know, I was only saying that because other wonderful ladies on here that told me the same thing a week beforehand when I was on here worrying about taking time off work! Hope all's ok with you and your boys hon xx

Look back at my previous posts EmilyM and you will tons of great advice from fellow teachers on here.

xxx

Pains + sickness + headaches + fainting - please help

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