Hyperemesis Support

[LucindaE]

We need a new thread.

I hope everyone suffering from the Horrors of Hyperemesis will find this thread useful as a source of support and information.

There's no TMI on here - can't be by definition - and nobody should feel ashamed of moaning as much as they feel the need to.

I used to include extracts from MOH's wonderful website
sites.google.com/site/pregnancysicknesssos/
but I think that makes this link less visible so am merely putting the link. The information on this site is invaluable for sufferers, with information about medications, coping strategies, hospital admissions, useful links, advice for family members, and much more.

I would like to thank MOH MOP Ovaltine bluebirdsunshine (I think she's changed her nickname) Fluffy, Horsey Kalidasa, Nannyl and Everyone who has given such invaluable support and advice on previous threads.

Remember when you are at your worst, 'This Too Shall Pass'. It really will.

Hi boy, sorry, didn't see your latest post. Don't panic yet - bleeding in early pregnancy doesn't necessarily mean a mc (I think the odds are about 50/50 although I've seen a range of figures).

Cramps can be due to dehydration - I've had that on a number of occasions.
Bleeding - well like you I think the worse when I see blood, but I've had bleeding on and off or even throughout in 4 pregnancies, only 2 resulted in mc, in 1 with really scary bleeding I ended up with a healthy baby and in my current pregnancy I bled most days from about week 6 to 14, and still pregnant.

I recommend you go to your local Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit tomorrow and get a scan. I will have my fingers crossed that everything is ok. xx

Boy I can only echoPoll and send you hugs. I do feel for you. Keeping fingers crossed for you.
Lucinda
xx

Thank you Poll - those were really helpful posts. I actually work in Pharma but hadn't even considered the fact that the 'not for pregnancy use' warning was just linked to bringing off-label rather than necessarily a definite health risk. Thank you so much, if this baby by some miracle survives I'll get on the meds.

I'm seeing my GP at 9.15 tomorrow but she's usually less than helpful. I'm hoping I can go throw myself upon the EPU straight after and beg for a scan so at least I knew what was coming.

I keep wondering if I've starved my baby to death but this is exactly the same stage I mc last time, even without HG then...

When I'm not terribly dehydrated I'm actually quite sensible and know a fair bit about medicine When I'm dehydrated I become confused and unable to make decent decisions (one of the reasons I'm not working). Thankfully when I get like that Lucinda and co tell me off and send me to hospital.

Try not to blame yourself. From what I've been told repeatedly by obstetricians despite all the pregnancy book guidelines about healthy eating, actually for the first trimester the baby just takes its nutrition from your body (it's a parasite). If you're not eating it's not, initially, a huge problem for the baby as it will eat you instead. The mother will suffer far more than the baby. It's if the dehydration and starvation progress into the 2nd and 3rd trimester, or if the dehydration causes something like hypovolaemic shock so the baby's not getting enough blood/oxygen, that the baby starts to be seriously affected. You're still quite early aren't you, so you haven't had time to seriously starve the baby yet. I'm not an expert on this, but that's what I've heard.

boy mainly just sending you a huge hug and lots of sympathy and I really hope everything is ok and that your doctor is a bit more useful tomorrow.

pollaidh thank you for your explanations, I had a vague understanding that that was the situation re the meds but you have put it far more clearly and crisply and it is really helpful to read

Poll Lol, mother hen can be relied upon to cluck.
Tired How are things? Boy Thinking of you, awful you had to wait overnight to find out how things are. I can't better Poll's words of reassurance that you haven't done anything to bring this on, it's just bad luck.
How is Everyone?
Lucinda
xx

just read what you wrote poll about the dehydration etc being a problem if it progresses into 2nd and 3rd trimester, and now feeling worried I'm 24 + 2 now, so less than 2 weeks til third trimester for me and I'm still battling elevated ketones and no where near getting enough food in. Seeing my consultant for a proper appointment next Friday (as opposed to a quick catch up when our paths cross on my daily trips to the ward) so I will speak to her then....

How are you today boy, I've been thinking about you. I hope your GP is helpful.

boy don't worry about baby not getting nutrients. Doctors are never worried about babies starving when mummies have hg, You could loose a couple of stone and they don't worry! Babies are amazing! Fingers X for you xx

Thank you all,

I'm sat in A&E as was getting pain on the left so dr referred me. Just seen a lovely gynae dr and urine / pulse rate etc all ok but she's fighting to get me a scan today.

Can't believe how incredibly overworked & understaffed the hospital is - getting a scan seems to be almost a miracle :s if they can't get me in I'm debating phoning all the local private clinics and begging for same day scan tomorrow...

Boy, keeping my fingers and toes crossed for you. Hopefully all will be ok.

Feeling pretty rubbish today. Has those awful braxton hicks last night and just made me uncomfortable and worry all night long. On bed rest today. Hope everyone else is having a better day.

Fingers crossed here too BoyMeetsWorld. Hope you get to a scan soon.

Best wishes to everyone suffering XXX

Thanks to everyone who sent thoughts...

I've just come out of A&E and...there was a little person and a heartbeat!!!! 6+6 when I'm meant to be 7+2 but surely that's neither here nor there, the sonography didn't seem concerned?

So the nausea continues, as do the cramps but for now at least im still pregnant :)

Hope everybody else is doing OK

Boymeetsworld I am so delighted for you! Hugs. How awful that these cuts have meant that someone in your posiition has to wait.
Waves Try not to worry about the dehydration and starvation, I am sure that is why they are keeping a close eye on you but with your treatment plan it looks like baby is thriving. I have only known a few women as ill as you on this thread so far but as long as they got proper medical care and frequent rehydration, their babies were fine. Remember babies were designed to grow in their mothers in conditions where starvation was practically the norm, after all...
Lucinda
xx

I am so glad to hear that BoyMeetsWorld.

Hi everyone. I have not been on here for a couple of weeks so am yet to catch up with what has been happening. I have just got back from a much needed break in Mallorca. My doctor actually suggested I get away for a while and it was the best medicine ever. I am 20 weeks on Monday and have been feeling so much better the last week. Apart from the ongoing diarrhoea I have managed to keep everything down and have even gained a little weight. I am still taking my meds as I am too scared to try and reduce them just yet.

So sorry to all of you who are still feeling dreadful. I am terrified it will strike me down again at any given minute and not sure I could cope with it again.

So pleased for you boy

Thanks for the reassurance lucinda, and yes, they are keeping a very close eye on me. Today I have to stay up here for 2 litres of IV fluids (pesky ketones) so the DCs are being dropped up to me on the ward, them I guess I'll have to wrestle the pump and stand down to the hospital canteen to get them their dinner!

Saw my consultant, and she has amended the meds so I'll have IV ondansetron as soon as I arrive and just before I leave in the hope I have a longer spell of being able to eat each day. There's a lady here with me today who's 35 weeks and is still in the throes of HG. She just had a fortnight of being well, and is just in for the day for fluids after a 9 day admission which ended Monday. It's been nice in a way to speak to a HG comrade in real life, I just wish i was as close to the end of this as she is....

Waves - ohmigosh 35 weeks of it! Poor woman! Yes she may be closer to the end but just think you could still be 'lucky' and wake up one day soon to find it gone??? Keep hoping...

Everyone's been telling me we can't possibly starve our babies and I'm trying to believe it. I think dehydration is more risky but sounds like you're getting good care which is great. Are you able to cope with ice cubes (made with bottled water) or maybe ice pops? I'm finding them the best way to keep fluids down...

Glad your scan was positive boy, waves you are so brave heading to canteen, I'm not sure I could. After quite a good afternoon, evening yesterday and good morning I'm back in bed feeling on the cusp of hurling. It's so grim. Why oh why do I feel ok sometimes only to feel like I'm dying a bit later. Very cruel. I have also had diarrhea today. Ugh. What do we think gals, a bug or just sodding HG?

Oh honeymoon, that sounds grim. I know some ladies have suffered with both due to HG, but I just have constipation/nothing to pass most of the time.

I feel utterly crap tonight. Didn't get back home til 6.30, so that was 9 hours up at hospital, and the DCs were really fed up with having to be there again. I am trying to keep hoping, but it feels a wee bit too much just now, especially since my notsoDH left, and I really am fighting this by myself. I am due back on the ward at 8.45am, and planning on going to sleep asap just in the hope of a break from nausea and the pain of the cannula.

DD's godmother dropped the DCs up to me on the ward, and was really shocked by how small I am looking It's just not what I imagined this would be like. Oh, but apparently I am allowed to blame notsoDH entirely for this - apparently a different father of the baby gives completely different reactions through pg and even through to childbirth etc. So it is HIS sperm that has made me so much iller than I was with either of my DCs.

My fortisips are heading for the bin too. I know they are loaded with calories, but even the smell of them makes me want to hurl so I want to give up on them. Might re-try icecubes boy, didn't work a month or so ago, but maybe I could manage now? I best try something as I'm on the verge of floods of tears and will need to replace the tear fluid with something else....

Boy so pleased you got good news. Try not to worry about sizes being out by such a small amount, my recurrent miscarriage nurse warned me at every scan in first 12 weeks that early scans are notoriously inaccurate on the measurements. Mine went from being a few days behind to over 1 week ahead! In my last experience I also discovered that fundal height measurements (size of bump) and late scans can be inaccurate too as my baby was substantially (massively) bigger than predicted. So I try not to worry about measurements.

Waves, oh dear, I was trying to be reassuring. From what I've been told and looked into, the starvation is mainly a possible (possible, not certain) issue if it continues untreated through T2+3 because of thiamine and other vitamin deficiencies. If you're getting anything like the number of blood tests, kidney function tests etc as I am, then they will be monitoring that, and if needed will be adding vitamins in your IV or by mouth. You are being treated and kept reasonably hydrated from the sound of it, even though it's unfortunately by IV, so I am sure they're keeping an eye on it.

Yes I've heard about the new partner hypothesis too, so you can definitely blame this all on your ex.

waves I was told the same thing about different partners by the insensitive ex midwife at my quilting group. As if I might decide to change dh in order to get a baby.... hmph.

Waves Oh dear. I swore by ice cubes and ice lollies myself, or chips of ice, really little ones(probably hazardous!) Jelly? Sips of flat, full sugar coke no good, I take it? or flat Lucozade or Iron Bru or the juice of tinned fruit? What was the squash that everyone was recommending a while back? Hugs. How horrible of ex H to give you extra bad Hyperemesis. I wish HE had the symptoms, too.
Honeymoon Hugs too, I remember diarrhoea, awful, coming out both ends and it is a pest as of course, adds to dehydration.
Sorry to Anyone rudely ignored.
Lucinda
xx

Waves you are doing so well, I really am in awe of you and how you are coping, I know how I feel so I can't begin to imagine how you must be feeling. Will think of you, I know it's not much good but I think everyone on this thread is sending you best wishes and hoping things get better for you soon.

Honeymoon I seem to be getting the diarreah too, I assume it was my Cyclizine but is this something that women regularly get with HG? My sickness is still there every day and I can't eat much but more than I could which is helping just wish the constant feeling of bobbing around on a boat would go! And with a funny tum it seems it's not one thing it's another grrr. I also tried to cut my meds down the other day and paid the price so straight after prescription was in at docs, I think I've come to terms with taking them til the end now!

Interesting though about HG and different dad, I'm pregnant by new partner and def different severity of HG this time round!

How is everyone else bearing up? Hope you all start turning a corner soon and congrats Boy on your scan, nice to hear some good news.

It was Peach squash Lucinda, a few of us found it helpful

waves being a relative new comer I'm not sure what history is with rat of an exDH but my thoughts are with u. It is so hard goofing through this and the stress can't be helping. Stay strong and remember we are all rooting for you. I've just waved DH goodbye on a work trip for 5 days, I was meant to be going but too ill. Thankfully my DM coming to hold the fort. Roll on feeling better for everyone on here. I have found I can sip water through a straw, worth a try? X