Morning Sickness

I puked for the first time in several years this morning.






I can, if pressed, count the number of times I've vomited on one hand. (I'm sure this wasn't true as a baby, but I can't remember it, so we're not counting it.) All of those times involved excessive amounts of alcohol (primarily vodka, damn vodka). Once I graduated college, binge drinking lost what little allure it had, and my digestive tract and I have been on good terms ever since.

Tomorrow is my 8-week mark, and I read that morning sickness usually hits between 6 and 8 weeks. I was foolishly starting to think I was in the clear. Sure, I'd been nauseous, and my suddenly bionic sense of smell could pick up the gum a woman was chewing from across the room (seriously, it was gross). But I hadn't put much thought into the whole vomiting thing.

This morning it hit me while I was in the shower. I had to rush out, dripping wet, and barely made it to the toilet.

What if this had happened at work?

My boss and the graduate assistant who work in my office both know. I told them early on because I had a doc appointment already, and I didn't want them thinking I had just suddenly started taking two hour lunches. They were both incredibly supportive and understanding.

But what about everyone else? I don't want to start throwing up in the middle of a staff meeting and have people think I'm drunk or flu-ridden. But I also don't want to tell everyone yet.

I have another doctor's appointment on Wednesday. I had originally planned on going public after this appointment, but I still don't quite feel ready. I've been telling friends and family as it comes up, but I'm not particularly close to many of my co-workers.

I don't want them treating me like I can't handle the workload, but I also (maybe selfishly) don't want to have to answer a ton of questions about how I feel, if I'm excited, and I don't want strangers sticking their hands on my belly. I'm a pretty private person, and there's something about a pregnant woman that just throws privacy out the window. I want to savor my normalcy a bit longer. I hope that the morning sickness doesn't give me away.