Many women imagine pregnancy as one of the most beautiful periods of their lives. Yet morning sickness can often ruin that pretty picture. In fact, around 70-80% of pregnant women experience nausea or vomiting, and sometimes it doesn't go away until the very end of term.
This woman had an extreme case of morning sickness and would throw up several times a day. Recently, she shared a story of how her colleagues forced her to attend a pointless meeting during that time. Naturally, she became nauseous during the meeting, and the nasty colleagues were treated to a first-row show of Hyperemesis graviradum.
Bored Panda reached out to the netizen who posted this story and she kindly agreed to tell us more about the Karens at work and how her family is doing now. Read our conversation below!
A young teacher got pregnant unexpectedly and had severe nausea throughout the pregnancy
Image credits: Gustavo Fring / Pexels (not the actual photo)
When toxic coworkers demanded she attend a meeting, they witnessed the reason why she had to take so many days off
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Alin Luna / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Probablyjustbi**hin
Image credits: Maksim Goncharenok / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The author says that the Karens were always cold, but amped up their meanness during her pregnancy
Having such a difficult pregnancy isn't easy in and of itself, but the stress at work added to the Redditor's struggles even more. The woman mentioned in her post how the other female teachers were "catty, calcified, and bigoted."
"The department was a bit cold," the Redditor told Bored Panda in a message. "The Karens were very cliquey and tended to ice out any young woman joining the school. They made a lot of snarky comments about my youth and inexperience, but it was nothing compared to the hate I received while pregnant."
There was, however, one colleague who didn't have so much ill will towards the author. "Pete, as stated, was an absolute sweetheart," the woman reiterates. "He had no clue what to do about the Karens, but he kept a bowl of peppermints at his desk and offered me one whenever I was looking pale."
When we asked the author about how she was able to work during such a hard pregnancy, she gave a curt answer: "I didn't have a choice not to. Hyperemesis gravidarum was one of the worst things I have ever lived through," she adds.
Today, the Redditor and her husband are happy with two little kids. "My husband has an awesome job as an electrician, and my daughter is almost five and absolutely thriving," the author says.
"I also have a 2-year-old son," she adds. "My pregnancy with him was just as bad, but as I wasn't working during it, it was a lot more manageable. There is something about vomiting in the privacy of your own toilet rather than running out of class every ten minutes to upchuck in a bin," the author quips.
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Women cannot be discriminated against in the workplace because of pregnancy or pregnancy related illnesses
People like to claim that pregnancy isn't an illness, but that's only true to an extent. Some women, like the OP, experience severe symptoms and may find it extremely challenging to keep working.
Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) isn't a very common condition, and doctors don't have an accurate average as some cases might go unreported. Yet experts estimate that around 1 to 3 women in 100 experience it. According to the NHS, this isn't your regular morning sickness and often requires hospitalization due to the risk of dehydration.
The Australian charity organization Hyperemesis Australia, which supports sufferers of pregnancy sickness, their families, and healthcare professionals, claims that there is "an immense lack of awareness" about the condition.
Many employers and colleagues don't know how severe the symptoms get and how debilitating HG can be. They recommend sufferers try to educate their coworkers about what their life with HG is like and direct them to resources so they can do their own research.
As HG can be considered a chronic illness, pregnant women in Australia can request a medical certificate from their doctor to show they are unfit to work. They are also entitled to Special Maternity Leave until the end of the pregnancy or the illness.
The charity organization also stresses that sufferers of HG cannot be discriminated against even if they are unfit to work for extended periods of time. "You cannot be fired, demoted or otherwise treated unfairly while you are pregnant," they write.
"What great comedic timing," people cheered in the comments
