Pregnancy health

Minor health issues
Stretch marks | Weight gain | Morning sickness | Tiredness | Constipation | Swollen ankles and fingers

Serious health issues
High blood pressure and pre-eclampsia | Cholestasis | Symphysis pubis dysfunction | Vaginal bleeding | Gestational diabetes

Hyperemesis

As if morning sickness wasn't grim enough, there's an extreme form called hyperemesis gravidarum. If you're vomiting repeatedly, have dark yellow urine (ie you're dehydrated) and are losing, rather than gaining, weight during your pregnancy, you need to see your midwife or GP.

Fortunately, it's not very common, but it's potentially harmful to you and your baby, and needs checking out.

"If you tell most doctors/midwives that you are being sick, they’ll just tell you it is a feature of your pregnancy and it will wear off. You need to stress how bad it is." Debsb

How is hyperemesis treated?

You may be able to cope at home, but if you can't keep anything down you may be admitted to hospital to be put on a drip, and given drugs to minimise the vomiting. If there are ketones (a waste product when your body burns fat for energy) in your urine, you may need extra minerals, and these can be added to your drip.

"Shout to get treatment quickly! This time, fab new GP just got the injection sorted within 30 seconds of me saying 'I am being rather sick'. Once injections got on top of it, tablets are working but they have killer side effect on me of total knockout pills. And yes, it is all too possible to be sick on an empty stomach. I found ice worked a bit - couldn't keep water down - but when it comes up still frozen you know things are bad! It is worth it, but for the next person who says to me 'so you won't be having a football team then, love?' I will vomit on their shoes!" Stripeybumpsmum

It's severely incapacitating for some mums and seriously mars their pregnancy:

"It may sound odd but the best times were when I was admitted to hospital as the loneliness of having to stay at home being so physically incapacitated was unbearable. There were days when I didn't think that I would make it through the next hour, let alone to the next day. I think the level of sickness and debilitation plays with your mind and I wouldn't wish some of the blackest days on anyone. I didn't cope very well at all until I got the medication I needed." Harrysmum

Your other children

There are sad threads on Talk from mums who feel their other children were badly affected by seeing mummy so unwell.

"My older son was only 18 months when I was in the throes of sickness with my second pregnancy, and I do feel bad about what he went through. I'm a SAHM, so there were many, many days when the poor mite just sat and watched me while I lay on the sofa puking and crying (and feeling hugely sorry for myself - not very admirable behaviour!). Of course I don't regret having DS2, but in a parallel universe I think I would wait another couple of years to have the second pregnancy, so that the older child would be at school, or at least be old enough to understand that the mother is ill, not just bad-tempered. I'm sure my son thought I'd had a personality transplant, and definitely was very upset by the whole experience." Rowan1971

And it wouldn't be a pregnancy ailment without other people leaping in to comment on your predicament:

"I think what was worse than the condition was the complete lack of empathy from everyone. I had comments such as:

'You can't be sick if you haven't eaten anything' (paramedic)
'You need to be more positive it's all psychological' (ward nurse)
'You may not have again' (I've had it twice and mum and nanna both had it 3 times over)
'It's not hereditary' (see above) (also ward nurse)
'I know you can't keep anything down but try Dioralyte' (GP)
'You look awful - like a skeleton' (sister-in-law)
'You're pregnant, not ill' (colleague)
KaySamuels

If you need empathy from women who actually understand what you're going through, you'll find it on Talk.

Minor health issues
Stretch marks | Weight gain | Morning sickness | Tiredness | Constipation | Swollen ankles and fingers

Serious health issues
High blood pressure and pre-eclampsia | Cholestasis | Symphysis pubis dysfunction | Vaginal bleeding | Gestational diabetes