Hyperemesis Support

[LucindaE]

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.

MOH's wonderful website is full of useful information on this illness:
sites.google.com/site/pregnancysicknesssos/
Another invaluable website is:
www.pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk/
If you need help in obtaining medication, this phone number is
brilliant:
024 7638 2020

Lastly, the NICE guidelines on treatment are useful:
cks.nice.org.uk/nauseavomiting-in-pregnancy#!prescribinginfosub

I would like to thank Everyone who has given such invaluable support and advice on this and on previous threads.

Remember when you are at your worst, 'This Too Shall Pass'. It really will.
So many women on this thread have thought they couldn't get through this, but they did.

Whoops! Sarah and SomeSunny corrected dates below...
I am so ancient, they still used to play 'All Right Said Fred' someitimes on the radio when I was little, but nobody else will know that song, so if I say I sometimes remind myself of the ridiculous Fred with my mistakes, nobody will know what I mean...

Due Dates

Punkstar 2 June
Livingzuid 6 June
DiddyBeth 12 June
SliceofLime 2 August
IWorry 8 August
Starry 12 August
What 14 August
Lottie 12 September
Booboostoo 14 September
mrsb87 29 September
mrsnec 1 October
George by the Sea 6 October
Pickofthepops 7 October
Oklahoma 28 October
Sassehmonsta 15 December
SomeSunnySunday 24 December
Sarah 29 December

xx

Kali About those sort of half way test results - I had those when ttc the first time - but with me it was later when you'd expect the rresults to be clear, when my period was overdue by a day. I remember you had symptoms really early last time, goodness.
Sarah The smell thing is typical - I used to hold a lavender satchet to my nose in bed at night as OH stank to me .
xx

Lucinda that's a good idea! I feel like I need a nose gay like they had in medieval times because they thought the plague came from smells! DH's breath turns my stomach, as does my dogs breath! DH came in from going out drinking the other night and I had to go throw up as soon as he walked in the bedroom, his alcohol breath was vile! I think he was a bit insulted :s

I do feel sorry for him, between throwing up at the smell of him, my raging hormones and a complete lack of dtd I think he's suffering too!

It's just dawned on me that despite horrendous nausea the fact I've not vomited for a few days is due to the fact my cold prohibits any smells. It is always a smell, any smell when I get that bad that triggers vomiting. Told my consultant this today and he was absolutely fascinated...is great seeing a Dr who wants to learn as much as possible about HG and never dismisses anything. He thought it seemed pretty clear evidence as thought it unlikely that the HG would just dip itself at this stage.

LucindaE the All right said Fred song is triggering a very early memory about an LP my parents used to play....something about 'have another cup of tea?' Think it was on a kiddies LP along with a mouse on the stairs song!

Sara
Heat=nightmare....I'm not a sun worshiper anyway so this just means lots of sunblock if I do venture out.
Both my HG pregnancies have been boys.... I dread to think what it would have been like with twins or if girls really do give you higher levels of HCG, twin girls! Aggghhh!!!
I fully accept I am terrible at this pregnancy thing, does not mean you are a bad Mammy just that pregnancy does suck for some people.

Hahaha, Lucinda my boss put on right said Fred at work only a couple of weeks ago! He is called Fred mind you...! One of our clients is a direct relative of Eric Morecambe so we end up watching a lot of comedy routines from the 50-80s, just cos we can, when she's not around!!

Prescribed Stemetil by doctor, will see how it goes. First dose made me feel sick after 20 mins of taking it but lay down and it seems to have gone away.

Lucinda I remember that song. I think it was on a compilation we had with the one about Ernie who drove the fastest milkfloat in the west!

I agree about the heat. I suffered with this last summer too when I was pg then. We've taken the duvets off the bed now and have a top sheet instead and ceiling fan going. Last summer when it got really bad I used the hot tub as a plunge pool which helped! My dm sent me some strange bump cooling spray. I've not tried it yet but it does smell nice so might be worth trying that just to combat nasty niffs!

It's strange about the boy/girl thing. I don't know yet as they've been hiding or sulking with the back to us! I have strong feelings it's a boy though despite my sickness but not bothered either way I'd be happy not knowing but dh wants to and my dm is taking me to my next scan and he's not even worried she'll find out first!

Dh just got some brownie points. He's just eaten the whole packet of gingernuts I was given as he didn't want to see them go to waste!

Cross post with punk. I think we had a similar record collection!

Sass your work sounds fun!

MrsNec
Hehe have remembered name of album, it was 'All Aboard'

punk can you sneeze in an envelope and send me some of your germs?! Sounds like a cold could be the magic answer. Hope you feel better soon though.

Managed to pick up my prescription but no chemists open grrrr, so meds will have to wait until tomorrow. Managed some pasta but feeling really dizzy and hot so I'm expecting it to make a reappearance soon.

mrsnec a cool plunge pool sounds lovely!

My DH has decided it's a boy, just because I think it's girl, he just wants to argue with me lol. But we're both adamant on having a surprise as we've had our names decided for years so it's nice to leave something as a surprise.

sass your work sounds like a fun place to be! Hope your new meds bring you some relief.

Mrsnec
Last pregnancy my Da came with me to my 20 week scan (OH has to give 6 weeks notice and my Ma had just come out of hospital and felt too poorly to come (she did get to the 34 week growth scan I had though, which was the best of all the scans!!)) so he found out before everyone, then I went back to parental's house and my brother was there....basically everyone found out before OH...he didn't care either :-)

Well I am impatient so did another test this evening and it is definitely positive now. Faint but definite. A relief in an odd way as I've been feeling so unwell for ten days already, frustrating to feel it was for nothing. Do I win some sort of hideous prize for earliest onset? Nausea began at 48 hours after ovulation with the previous pregnancies too but it didn't put me in bed like it did this time. I am trying to take it as gently as possible in the hope that lots and lots of rest now might take the edge of the worst bit. DH is being fantastic and has been coping with DS almost single-handedly in the evenings/mornings/nights/weekends for over a week now. I suppose now we just have to brace ourselves for the really bad bit.

Lucinda it will probably cheer everyone else up to have someone way at the bottom of your due date list so you could add me. I have just worked it out and apparently if this pregnancy continues I'll be due on January 28th. DS will be 2y2m.

kali congratulations, I'm so pleased for you

Just think first couple of weeks of nausea down, and it hasn't been all for nothing.

Congratulations Kali
I feel really happy for you but sad too. My nausea started a week before positive test but so mild that I could ignore it (I was in Istanbul at the time and still enjoyed myself)
I'm glad you are prepared, but be ready to up medication promptly. Being mentally prepared made all the difference to me this time and having my family on board, they knew what was coming too :-(
I still find it tough to look after my little boy, I've had help 99% of the time and will continue until delivery. He'll be 22 months when delivery occurs. So glad you have a nanny organised, great thinking!

Congratulations :-) x

Kalidasa Congratulations. You are brave, but I knew that before. Oh sounds brilliant. I'll add you on.
I cant believe how many people do know something of that song! you'r right ,they smash a house to pieces while trying to remove a grand piano, while Fred suggests tea breaks. I do feel for people with this, because tea usaully tastes disgusting and/or reappears violently...

So, Kali welcome to the list...

Due Dates

Punkstar 2 June
Livingzuid 6 June
DiddyBeth 12 June
SliceofLime 2 August
IWorry 8 August
Starry 12 August
What 14 August
Lottie 12 September
Booboostoo 14 September
mrsb87 29 September
mrsnec 1 October
George by the Sea 6 October
Pickofthepops 7 October
Oklahoma 28 October
Sassehmonsta 15 December
SomeSunnySunday 24 December
Sarah 29 December
Kalidasa 28 January

congratulatoins kali and here's hoping the meds and much rest will help.

punk you said it was smells that trigger the vomitting now. Do you (or did you use to) find that movement of the body of any sort, even speaking, would trigger it too ? or was it always smells? or has it changed?

I used to find that any movement woudl trigger it at its worst, even a slightly deeper than normal breath. also screen movement of any sort at all.

about tea, im still finding it tastes wrong in the evenings which was always the worst time :( still getting the ridiculous flood of saliva too but that's less often as the days go by

khali congratulations! How exciting for you - I am skipping ahead to nine months when the new arrival is here! Hopefully you pre-emptive strike with medication and nanny will help with the hg.

Can't type much right hand has swollen to huge proportions thanks to hyperextension - but I have just slept for 12 HOURS. Admittedly with toilet breaks but I went back to sleep after each one. I can't even begin to tell you how good it feels. Never thought I would say this either but thank you grass pollen and hayfever (I get very bad this time of year).

Getting over cold slowly, hard to tell what is hayfever and what is cold but feeling better than over the weekend. Gorgeous weather here, hot and sunny for the next few days so going to persuade Dh to take me to the beach. Apart from nearly vomiting in the supermarket yesterday! We have a fan on here at the moment but what to do about mosquitoes I am getting eaten alive. They have all become immune to my citronella candles.

Will write properly later :)

Congratulations kali and bon courage! I started what I thought was early this time at 3wks, but unfortunately yes I think you do win the, not so coveted, prize.

Sunny fingers crossed for you for the flight.

I find smells worse than tastes. I haven't been able to kiss DP for five months now other than a pre-arranged peck, holding my breath - romantic right? Also, (TMI alert) 3yo DD has been running around naked, touching her genitals all the time, which doesn't bother me in itself but she smells so strongly of wee it's awful!

kali congratulations! You sound organised with meds and a nanny and hopefully because you know what to do it won't get too bad.

punk weird that you said about feeling sick on holiday! I was in goa up until the day before my bfp had a week of awful diarrhoea and nausea so naturally blamed the anti malarials and food. Realised my period was late when I got home (baby was planned but first month of trying so didn't track it and never expected bfp). Bad stomach then turned into ms and has continued ever since! I reckon I must have had symptoms from about 7dpo but because I was on holiday I was distracted and blamed other things.

living hope your hand gets better soon, 12 hour sleep sounds amazing!

Can't wait to go pick up my meds today, I'm hoping for some kind of miracle relief!

So the stemetil I was given yesterday enabled me to eat dinner! Hurrah! Mind you, twas only a chip butty, but even so I'm pleased. Only 2 bits of bread in total as my stomach has quite obviously shrunk in size, felt so so full afterwards, which wouldn't usually be the case! Hoping it continues to be effective today.

Luckily, the hot weather has this morning turned into a grotty day. Yay! Had windows open all night and a damp cloth for my feet/lower legs. Was getting fed up of the sun tbh, but at least now I don't have to worry about the photosensitive part of these tablets (no direct sunlight).

Good luck to all those traveling, and all those with scans. My best friends announced their pregnancy to the world yesterday after they had their 12 week scan, can't wait until June 2nd to do the same!! Eeeee!!

10+1 today.

Thanks all! DH cried when I told him it was def positive. He is the only child of his parents (though his Dad had other children from subsequent marriages) and he always always wanted siblings. He is so excited about having two although we both know it's going to be a long road.

Meerka
Motion can make me sick too. At the start any stimulation at all was offensive. Light, TV, sounds, people but the smell thing has always been quite insane.
I think the prednisolone helped to suppress this to a degree, I could get out of bed and sit downstairs for a while, I could raise my voice above a whisper and have conversations. The super power of smell has always remained strong though.

I've even checked on my little boy through the night and the fact I can smell that he's breathing in the room can make me vomit (he normally smells quite lovely :-)
A change of room could make me vomit due to the change in smell. Never thought I'd be so happy to have a blocked nose :-)

Living 12 hours sleep sounds wonderful. Think I'll have a nap this morning. Little boy was shouting 'Mammy' at half past four. Think it's the heat that's disturbed him.

Sasseh 2nd June big day for both of us :-)
I can't wait.

Sara yeah I wasn't surprised when the test was positive. I usually have a cast iron stomach and never suffer with any gastro ailments, even two months of travelling around India (and eating street food) did not disturb me...,yet pregnancy....

Kali
So happy for you. You've done this before and can do it again. Keep strong.

mrsnec I just read your other thread..... drink more coffee because you look tired?? And prayer for pain relief! The latter well, whatever works for them I guess but I'd be asking God for a big shot of pethidine, and as for the former, well I am amazed at the differences between countries and care.

punk sorry I'm sure you've said this before, but how did you find the second pregnancy compared overall, especially as you have a similar gap between pregnancies? I am concerned this go might actually be worse (didn't think it was possible!) because the phase before the positive test was definitely worse than before, but hopefully the meds will make a difference? I'm also hopeful that DH and I being so much more mentally and emotionally prepared - and also knowing each other much better as we hadn't been together long last time - will make a difference too. Is there anything with hindsight you would have done differently this second time round? I am trying if anything to get more rest than I need at this stage - when I could still get up and struggle on if I really had to - in the hope that might also help. I was much worse this weekend after having to get through Friday - in fact I nearly vomited several times but was totally determined not to throw up before the test even went positive!

Kali
The hyperemesis has been more severe this time. I started pre-emptive treatment the moment I found out I was pregnant. As the nausea and vomiting increased I switched anti-emetics pretty quickly so by week seven I'd been through three already.
I was still able to work until week seven (with difficulty)
What did make things easier was recognition of what was happening and acceptance. In my first pregnancy I forced my self to do things which would make me worse. This time I let go of everything easily and this really helped. I cancelled my work diary for three months by week 8.
With the severity of your hyperemesis in your first pregnancy I'm sure there won't be a problem for you accessing appropriate treatment. Have you got some ondansetron in stock already? The minute you start vomiting I would be on it. If you're anything like me no other anti-emetic touches the sides (and even ondansetron was limited)
Childcare must be sorted. I was physically incapable. We've used a combination of nursery and family. Having a one year old is difficult from a rest point of view however he has also kept me going as seeing him is the highlight of my day. Especially those months where you are pretty much bed bound. Rest, rest and rest! Do not push yourself. Certainly not at your stage. I might do so now but I'm near the end and the HG is much more manageable.

Being mentally prepared has also made a big difference. Although my sanity has been pushed to the limit, despite increased severity and a pretty weakened body at this point, I have coped with this pregnancy much better. The time has passed much more quickly. Having those around you understand hyperemesis also reduces the burden.

I've hired a cleaner and a lady to iron, although I appreciate this is an additional financial burden.

I've found it useful being under consultant care. Having 4-6 weekly appointments solely for HG management has been amazing, although I appreciate there are limited Drs with a specialist interest in HG, even a lot of obstetricians struggle to manage it well. Do you have a HG clinic nearby?
The only reason I was under the HG clinic was due to requiring prednisolone to stabilise the HG. The prednisolone has got me to this point. I do not know if I would be pregnant now without it :-(

I don't know what your relationship is like with your GP but I mainly had telephone consultations. I was pretty frail and sitting in a GP waiting room would have been hellish. I know this may not be for everyone but to get down to the practice would have been horrendous and I know what to look out for admission wise along with having a stash of urine dipsticks. I have a BP machine too...so could pretty much do any obs that the GP would need. They would contact obstetrics on this basis. I'm not saying that you should do this but it's how I survived until I saw Prof T.