NOTE: This is a reflection of my experiences and what my obstetrics team recommended for me. Please consult your medical provider to see if the medications discussed here are right for you.
Finding out that I'm pregnant. And feeling awful.
February 15, 2021
I’ve been feeling horrible since yesterday. Nauseous, fatigued, disoriented… this is not just some cold. I know these symptoms since I’ve experienced them before.
I took a home pregnancy test, which came back positive. Yup, I was right. This explains a lot.
I message my primary care provider (PCP) to let her know, and she messages me back that she has ordered a blood test for me. I’ll go do that tomorrow.
February 18, 2021
In a pregnancy blood test, the phlebotomist (blood drawing specialist) collects your blood and sends it to a lab to assess levels of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). hCG is released after an egg and sperm join in fertilization, and the resulting zygote implants in the uterine wall, thus signaling pregnancy.
My results came back at 29,668 mIU of hCG per mL (usually anything above 25 mIU/mL is considered positive, 5-24 mIU/mL is inconclusive, and below 5 mIU/mL is negative). So voila! As expected, I am pregnant. Since my last menstruation started on January 4th, this means I am probably 6 weeks pregnant or so (sometimes your obstetrics team will adjust this based on later ultrasounds to more accurately reflect the timing of implantation - when the fertilized egg, or zygote, attaches to the uterine wall, thus resulting in pregnancy).
I am still suffering from pretty severe nausea. Very similar to my last pregnancy in the fall of 2019 that ended in miscarriage. I haven’t vomited yet, but every move, every turn in bed, every lifting of the head sends me in a spiral of vertigo, urge to throw up, and overall malaise. Every smell, good or bad, also triggers this, and eating has been difficult and very minimal.
I really need some solutions if I will be pregnant for 40 weeks. Although I will have a prenatal intake phone appointment with an obstetrics (OB) nurse in a couple weeks (where they confirm your due date and give you advice/instructions) I won't be going in to see an obstetrician till mid-March. Whyyyyy… I need relief now! This is not a “just suck it up,” kind of thing. Everything is on hold and I am at mercy of my symptoms and fully dependent on my partner, Jon, until I can figure out how to make this pregnancy functional.
March 10, 2021
I had a phone call with the OB nurse two days ago. She suggested all the usual… eat ginger and mint candies, consume food in small amounts, suck on ice, try saltines or crackers, walk a bit, avoid strong smells, etc. etc. I started to get annoyed with her as she was telling me these things. Does she really think I haven’t been frantically scouring the internet for the past month and trying all these things?
Sure, I can try these things, and I have been, but it hasn’t made the nausea and most other symptoms go away. These tips seem to work for so many of my friends who have experienced pregnancy, but not for me. I am no more functional than I was a month ago. This is not a good sign.
I’ve lost almost 10 pounds in the last month. I haven’t yet found any food that doesn’t make me nauseous. I can’t stomach most foods, but I tolerate small amounts of jelly, apple sauce, ochazuke (Japanese rice with hot water or tea), somen (Japanese cold noodles), and plain breads. I rely heavily on Jon and my colleagues to support me through work (which I do on my bed or on the couch; silver lining of the pandemic). I only take showers once or twice a week, and I do it on a bath stool Jon bought me during my last pregnancy. Jon even helped me cut my hair shorter so I wouldn’t have to spend as much time in the shower, but after every shower, I have to lay in bed for at least an hour to recover from the exhaustion.
I’m starting to feel down and disheartened about my ability to get through this pregnancy. I feel like such a burden and dysfunctional human being. When will this end? Will it ever get better? How long can I go without being an active participant at work or at home? How do others do this?
My friends tell me their symptoms got better in the second trimester. That feels so far away. And what if it doesn’t get better? What then? My mom and aunt definitely suffered from similar symptoms throughout all 9 months of their multiple pregnancies. What if I am the same?
The nurse referred me to a social worker for mental and emotional health consultation. I must have sounded upset. Well, I am. Who wouldn’t be if they were in this state for 4 weeks?
Discovering my miracle drugs.
March 16, 2021
I was finally able to see an OB for an appointment. I am now 10 weeks pregnant.
Good news - the embryo seems to be growing steadily and has a strong heartbeat. Okay, one step further than where we got last time. Suffering through all those pregnancy symptoms and finding out that the embryo had no heartbeat was not a fun experience.
I earnestly explained my symptoms and struggles with the OB. She was very sympathetic, although she started giving me all the same suggestions again. Been there, done that. Next.
She casually mentions some over-the-counter medication options, but keeps talking about other suggestions. I have to stop her and ask her to explain those medications again.
Apparently, there is an over-the-counter sleep-aid with doxylamine succinate as the active ingredient (brand name: Unisom) that seems to work in curbing morning sickness symptoms in many pregnant individuals when paired with a vitamin B6 supplement. It is marketed as a sleep-aid, but is actually an antihistamine, which means it blocks the adverse effects caused by histamines, which are generally released by the immune cells to trigger an immune response (they are often associated with allergic reactions), which can include nausea, increased levels of stomach acid (read: acid reflux and heartburn), and dilation of blood vessels that can lead to headaches. I had all these symptoms.
According to my OB and some Google research, some pregnant individuals are genetically predisposed to have more severe reactions to pregnancy, and therefore, doxylamine succinate will help curb the symptoms caused by the reaction. It seems that the exact mechanism of action is not very clearly known, but at this point, I was willing to try anything that was safe to try.
March 20, 2021
I have discovered my miracle drug! I picked up some Unisom and vitamin B6 supplements at the pharmacy after my OB appointment a few days ago, and have been taking half a pill of each (as recommended by my OB, but apparently you can take more depending on symptoms) religiously every night. And it really works. Really.
Overnight, my nausea was reduced to a manageable level. It isn’t zero, but this I can handle. I have been able to teach virtually pretty normally these past couple days, and I am starting to better tolerate more and more foods. The acid reflux and fatigue are still there (honestly, I didn’t even realize fatigue was one of my symptoms until today since the nausea was so much worse), but that I can live with.
I am amazed. Why didn’t I start on this medication earlier? Was that month of suffering (and the two months of suffering from my previous pregnancy) avoidable?
My pregnant life has changed. I see light. I see hope that I can do this. I can now focus on my daily responsibilities and start actually thinking about the new addition to our family that will hopefully join us in October.
Thank you, pharmaceutical people and whoever discovered that this works for morning sickness!
I get cocky. And regret it.
May 15, 2021
I'm in my 19th week of pregnancy. I've been taking Unisom and a vitamin B6 supplement since week 10 as recommended by my obstetrician to curb the nausea, and it's really been working. And things have gotten better and better, even in the areas that weren’t immediately improved, like acid reflux and extreme fatigue. In fact, the past week, I was able to go about my normal work day and even hang out with friends in the evening. I'm still tired all the time, but not too bad. Perhaps it’s just becoming a default to feel a bit fatigued at this point in the pregnancy. I get acid reflux and bloated in the evenings after dinner but the nausea is minimal.
Everyone says pregnancy symptoms subside in the second trimester, and they really really enjoyed that period of pregnancy. So maybe I'm the same? Maybe I'm ready to get off my meds? Maybe I should try going without the medication for a day to see how I would do.
I’ll skip it tonight. We will see.
May 16, 2021
Huge mistake. I feel awful. Like how I felt in the early weeks of pregnancy before the medication. And honestly maybe even worse.
The debilitating nausea, lack of appetite, and extreme fatigue are back with a vengeance. I had trouble sleeping and staying asleep, so I took a nap during the day (which I have been doing anyway, but this was a different type of nap, like the 4+ hour kind).
I’ve only eaten a little today, and I felt nauseous during and after. I haven’t felt this way in so long. And what’s worse, I experienced uncontrollable vomit multiple times throughout the day. I stopped eating and only drank Powerade and water. Threw all that up. Tried some bread. Threw that up. Took my meds. Threw that up.
I'm exhausted. I'm bloated, most likely dehydrated, in pain from the muscles used vomiting, and having pretty bad acid reflux on top of it all. I can feel the stomach acid in my esophagus from all the vomiting and reflux. This is awful.
I tried to stay hydrated by sucking on ice. I took my medicine at night (please work) and went to sleep tossing and turning. I didn't sleep well. I woke up multiple times to use the restroom and in fear that I may throw up again.
May 17, 2021
I woke up feeling better. Exhausted, but better. Not nauseous. Just no energy and very little appetite. I guess that makes sense, since I vomited everything that was in my stomach. I can now keep water and Powerade down, and I was able to eat some jelly and apple sauce. Seems like my body is going back to my medicated self.
Thank goodness I am working from home today, but I’ve had to do most of my meetings with my camera off, head on my desk. Resting.
Moral of story. I need to keep taking Unisom and vitamin B6 to have a functioning pregnancy. I consulted with my OB and she said it would be perfectly fine to keep taking them until I give birth. Good.
Let’s not experiment with that again. Symptoms subsiding in the second trimester is not a thing for me, apparently. Sigh...
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