People's reaction when I tell them morning sickness is still going on

[tempusernamexyz]

31 weeks.

Their response is a variation of "I've never known anyone to have it this long".

I'm taking it as a personal insult and I don't know if I should.

I've been sick that I've only been able to wash my hair once every other week a male though I needed to build my strength...

My mums reaction wasn't "poor you, is there anything I can do". Was just "you've still got it, Christ I've not known anyone to have it as long as you have".

Not sure if I'm being sensitive or pregnancy hormones etc.

I had hg too, both times (weighed less at birth than pre pregnant). I had to have planned c-sections due to positioning & had my head down the loo both times when called through for surgery. Utterly miserable & worse not being believed (tho I puked over a few HCPs, who later 'got it'). It's worth it x

I've put on weight :(

I was sick for the entire nine months with my first. I missed the antenatal class on breast feeding because I sat down, 37 weeks pregnant, and vomited all over myself. I was so gutted to miss it because all the mums were going out to lunch after, but I literally had a puddle of sick down my bra. Luckily it wasn’t as bad with pregnancy two and three. I can empathise with you, op.

I was diagnosed with HG despite not being constantly actually puking. With no1 I was the size of a house but I felt nauseous morning til night. I was medicated for it because I was an absolute zombie.

Kid 2 exactly the same and took meds.

Kid 3 I was on antidepressants, was an unexpected pregnancy- felt awful and guilty enough, refused to consider anti nausea meds. Was exactly the same as the others. Dreaded waking up due to the permanent nausea.

I did throw up but not all day and night like people think with HG

I also experienced dismissive attitudes as I had HG all through my pregnancy, vomiting all through the day, every day and the psychological impact on me was significant. I never got relief from it as the nausea was a constant. I think the grind of it gave me undiagnosed antenatal depression which also contributed to post natal depression. I was hospitalised twice due to it and weighed less at the end of the pregnancy than at the beginning. My MiL and one of the midwives told me I was attention seeking.

Within 2 hours of giving birth, the nausea and vomiting finished and I was back to normal. The obstetrician said I was on the severe end and should seriously consider if it was worth having any more, due to the impact on my body. But that was a couple of decades ago. I couldn't face it again, and so only had the one child.

Good luck, you are on the home strait. But I think others don't appreciate how awful it is unless they've had it too, it's not "just" morning sickness.

I'm with you OP, people keep telling me the home remedies that they spent two minutes googling as if I haven't already tried absolutely everything. I can't tolerate ginger any more it makes me vomit. I've been hospitalised 6 times from dehydration and malnutrition so far, sometimes I can't even tolerate water, I even had an oesophageal rupture, all while Ive tried four different anti-emetics, people still act like it's a bit of a joke. I just want a bit of understanding rather than 'why haven't you tried xyz'. HG has been one of the worst experiences of my life!

There's so much ignorance about it. Plenty of people think it's literally only in the morning, so they think you throw up once when you get up and then you're fine for the rest of the day! And there's a lot of info out there saying it "usually" improves or ends by 3 months. So people don't realise it can go on right to the end.

Just let everyone think what they want to think, @tempusernamexyz - seriously.
They're not in your shoes, so have no idea. If they can't be sympathetic, that's a fault on their part, not yours, and they are maybe missing the empathy gene.
I have a colleague who is experiencing similar to you and is still vomiting in her third trimester. She was horribly embarrassed when I went into the ladies while she was being sick. I felt nothing but sympathy for her, alongside admiration that she was still working even though she felt so awful.
In my pregnancies I was constantly nauseous for more than the first trimester, and driving past fields of oil seed rape (there was a lot of it where I lived), had me continuously retching until the smell had gone.
That was miserable enough for me, so I have every sympathy for you.

There used to be a hyperemesis thread on here, it was very supportive when I was sick all the way through my pregnancy with DC2. I'm sure it will still be going, it was on the pregnancy board.

Another HG mum here! It’s awful, most I puked was 4 times in an hour and longest I went was 24hrs no puking.

I wish people could have been more understanding it’s totally affects your mental health feeling this sick for 9 months. Unless you have been through it people really don’t understand how bad this is, women terminate wanted pregnancies….so I will never stop beating my drum about how badly sickness is treated in pregnancy.

@LemonLight oh my word yes, the "helpful" suggestions!
My dc are at university so it was a long time ago..... but even now the smell of ginger tea makes me retch. Poor dh tried to help by bringing me ginger tea and a biscuit each morning. I gave it a try for a while but it was useless and I'd just be throwing up ginger. Nothing worked, whatever I ate or drank, or if I ate nothing at all.
I really feel for you. I was nowhere near as bad as you but it was a real ordeal.

I feel for you! I had nausea all through my first pregnancy, although it did get better in the third trimester. I didn't throw up very often, but the nausea alone was unpleasant enough! Definitely ask your GP for help - I was fobbed off at 16 weeks, but listened to at 22 weeks and prescribed cyclizine (I think). Particular highlights for me included running out of a lesson I was teaching to throw up in the hallway and concurrently pissing myself at about 6 months, and having my head down the loo at 35 weeks. People just don't know, and the helpful comments are just fucking annoying! If it's any consolation, I had maybe one day of feeling a bit queasy in my second pregnancy and never vomited at all. Good luck!

It's awful, people don't understand and I completely get the not washing hair bit, I couldn't bring myself to do it very often.

I am so sorry. I was sick until delivery, but I felt better the day after a crazy first baby birth than I did my whole pregnancy. The pictures were amazing, and I was actually glowing. It was mostly due to eating an entire pavlova by myself without vomiting. You are so close! Don't listen to anyone who hasn't gone through it, and try not to take it personally (though that is SO hard).

All the way through with both of mine. From 7 weeks with the first and from 3 weeks for the second... anti-nausea meds just took the edge off.

Lots of female friends/ colleagues didn't understand!

Solidarity ✊

Plus mine was worse in the afternoon. "Morning" sickness my arse...

Ah, I remember those comments. Usually said right before they ask you if you've tried ginger biscuits/tell you about a bad sickness bug they had once in 1999

Also 31 weeks, and still vomit most days.

I had this the full 9 months with both of my girls. I was such a moody sod throughout. When I wasn't being sick, I felt sick. I threw up through the labour and as soon as they were born, no more sickness. Glorious!!

I used to get comments as well but people were mostly sympathetic. It gets really bloody hard to crouch down at a toilet and be sick when you're heavily pregnant!

Be kind to yourself, rest when you can

I had HG up to 26 weeks, and was fuming when I realised how I crossed the threshold for diagnosis on all but one marker on the HG Trust's website.

I was very "lucky" that I had an early bleed, because it meant I was seen at EPU and given medicine. This kept it just about manageable.

My midwife was a total clown. I was telling her that I was constantly being sick up to 26 weeks, I was coming in dehydrated with dark orange urine, and I was losing weight. Plus making me depressed, stopping me eat a good diet etc.

"Normal. You should try to come off the meds if possible. It's better that way."

I think it's karma that at least I now have relatively few side effects in late pregnancy.

Cut off for diagnosis - I was getting sick multiple times a week which was horrid and I felt
utterlt awful, but I was still generally functioning. I wasn’t becoming dehydrated, I didn’t have any fainting episodes and I wasn’t drastically losing weight. My doctor said I had severe NVP (nausea and vomiting), but didn’t make the cut for HG. Given I didn’t have HG, I don’t know masses about it, but from what I do know it can end in hospitalisation and really is utterly debilitating.

What difference does it make - well none. I was given medication to help with the nausea, which did help. I believe people with HG are given the same. I, however, did not need to be admitted to hospital which HG can lead to.

ultimately, HG or no HG, if you feel constantly sick, are losing weight and feel something isn’t right, speak to your midwife / GP / doctor at a scan. They should hopefully provide guidance.

I felt nauseous every day of my third pregnancy. I Weighed half a stone less at 9 months than when I started. Then had a whopping ( for me ) 9 lb girl.
It's grim.

Same! Just got worse as the day went on.

I can no longer use the shampoo and conditioner I used when pregnant because the smell reminds me so much of feeling sick.

I vomited every single day for both of mine. It is a major reason why there isn't a 3rd. No helpful advice, just sending a big heartfelt pukey hug.