Hypermesis Awarness Post!💜

Hello everyone! I just felt compelled to make this post and share info and my personal experience with HG. I had Hypermesis gravidarum my entire pregnancy from start to finish. 3+4 to 34+3 the day I had my planned c section. So what is Hypermesis Gravidarum? HG is a SEVERE form of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. IT IS NOT NORMAL MORNING SICKNESS. It often lasts into the second trimester and for a little less than half of women with HG it will last until birth (yay me)! It can lead to dehydration, malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, metabolic imbalances, gastric ulcers, esophageal bleeding, nose bleeds, and more.

10% of women with HG terminate their wanted pregnancies because of how absolutely debilitating it is.

For me, it meant dropping to my knees 4-15 times per day to vomit. My knees would get burnt because the pavement in 105 degree weather is almost unbearable. I felt embarrassed to vomit in public bathrooms and if I was trying not to vomit my face being near a toilet made it 1000x worse and I was sure to vomit so I would run to the side of the building or restaurant or behind it to get sick/try not to get sick. It was taking multiple anti nausea drugs for some hope of relief that never came. Trying every natural remedy in the book. Crying at night because I realized I’d have to do it all again the next day and the next and the next. Having to take more than 3 pairs of clothes with me places because as I would get bigger everytime I got sick I peed my pants. In public. It was in and out of hospitals to get fluids because most days I couldn’t even keep sips of water down. I had frequent nose bleeds and have scaring in my nose from the stomach acid. It was colors, Sounds, smells, and taste that made me vomit. Even the scent of my freshly showered husband in bed was enough to make me hurl. I passed out multiple times. Almost wrecked my car because I vomited with no warning while going 75mph on the interstate. If we went out to eat I would just stare at my food and cry because I know I need to eat to nourish my baby but if I do I’ll end up in the parking lot 1/4 through it. It was painful. I needed help showering because some days I was too fatigued to wash my hair. Working was so hard but I had an understanding boss who didn’t mind I spent 1/2 the day in the bathroom as long as I got my work done and she let me nap or sit in a dark room when even standing made me weak.

At 26+4 I was hospitalized until the end of my pregnancy at 34+3. I had TRAP syndrome which very rare and unrelated to the HG (check my profile it’s very long to explain it may be related due to the abnormal sky high levels of HCG but who knows). However being hospitalized was the best thing for my HG my whole pregnancy. My OB didn’t fully comprehend how severe it was until I was monitored 24/7. That’s the sad part of HG. Nobody believes us unless they’ve been us. Even our doctors. Were made to feel like were exaggerating or being sensitive.

In the hospital I was given the medical treatment I had needed since the first trimester. A special nutritionist that counted every calorie that went in my mouth and stayed down, zofran out the wazoo, and specially crafted nutritional drinks for the days I couldn’t keep anything down. I had become severely anemic and vitamin deficient. I was now due to TRAP syndrome at high risk for developing polyhydrominos and severe vomiting bouts where I would gag for an hour or more at time could break my water. At this point I hadn’t gained a single pound in my pregnancy. I finally began to put on weight with treatment!!! I had a planned c section at 34+3 and gave birth to two beautiful girls (one passed away and one living again check my account for TRAP syndrome).

Even 8 months post partum I still deal with the affects of HG. I have to take special care of my teeth now. I still have a bad relationship with food. I will be eating and all of a sudden I get this over whelming wave of nausea and have to stop. There a whole list of foods I can’t eat anymore, especially meat.

Sadly a woman that has had HG is 50%+ more likely to have it with her next. It can take 6 months-2years PP for the after affects/nausea/food aversions/etc to go away. This has made me have an irrational fear of getting pregnant even though I’m on mirena. I take a pregnancy test everytime I get the wave of nausea which is often. We will have a second child in a few years but it will be our last. I’m willing to do it one more time to give her a sibling.

If you know someone dealing with HG please be sensitive to it and aware of it. Don’t tell them to buck up and get over it, don’t tell them they just want attention, don’t tell them they are exaggerating, don’t compare your 6 week bout of morning sickness to it, and please please please don’t ask us if we’ve tried ginger 😩 I promise you we have. I wouldn’t wish HG on my worst enemy. I’m terrified to be pregnant again.

If you have questions about HG please comment I would love to answer or talk to those dealing with it because I DO know how you feel!! You are not alone! 💜💜