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.

okla LucindaE's rinsing mouth with bicarbonate of soda helped me, plus sucking sugarfree mints. I tried mouthwash (made me sick) and it's only now at 25wks that I can brush my teeth in the shower in the late morning after having my medication. Otherwise, it's a no-go. Horrid, huh? I hate feeling so icky :-/

Tooth brushing is a massive trigger for my sickness. I have even doing a quick rise and spit which I am sure is useless. Sometimes I manage a midday floss...

It's all well and good that pregnant women in the UK get free dental care, but frankly it would be more useful to me if I could get it post-birth! I shudder to think how bad my teeth are going to be by the end of this pregnancy...

I think you can? For the first 12 months? Or is that only prescriptions?

lottie yes! I'm so glad you said that because I had no idea! - www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/are-pregnant-women-entitled-to-free-NHS-dental-treatment.aspx

Yes, starry it's free for a year after, which is good because my temporary fillings keep falling out and I think I'm going to need a new crown. Having HG 4 times and also a hiatus hernia that got fixed 7 years ago means my teeth are crumbling by now!

Hi everyone I have a friend with hyperemesis. Probably a silly question - I've never been pregnant - but any ideas for any presents or little goodies I could buy for her? Any foods which help the sickness? Or anything else which would make her feel better? I want to make up a little pack and deliver it to her house. It's a little too early to buy baby presents at this point so I thought it might be a nice thing to do.

lepamplemouse it's such a lovely thought. To be honest her eating habits will be so off the wall any food you send could easily have her running to the toilet to vomit! At its peak the only food (much to my distress) that helped was McDonald's.

It's very individual as to what each of us can tolerate. Diet coke is my go to product but for others they need the full fat. I can't stand sugar in my diet right now which has not prevented me putting on huge amounts of weight sigh

No amount of gingery goods or travel sickness bands help. And buying nice smellies for her to use in the bath etc also not good. The slightest smell can set us off. I had to change my laundry detergent, fabric softener, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner.

Has she said what she's able to eat and drink? I guess she's not past the sixteen weekish mark? Things can improve for some people by then but for others they will have this for the whole pregnancy. It truly is miserable.

If someone bought me a supply of Rennies to last till the end of my pregnancy I would love them forever! I wonder about getting her something she can look forward to after the pregnancy, like a day out to a spa for the two of you? Or, oooh a cleaner to come and clean, even just for an hour! That would have been amazing! Dh bless him did his best but it was not to my standards

Others may have better suggestions! I think it would be very difficult to get her anything until she is feeling a bit more human again.

Just your support and understanding, lending her an ear to bend, is a godsend in itself :)

Hi le pamplemousse, that's a very lovely thought. The other ladies on this thread suffer worse than I do but I know we have a few things in common in terms of things that help a bit. Sucking sweets are good. If I was in the UK it would be sherbet lemons but I make do with skittles sours and fruit mentos. I also like fizzy drinks, full sugar coke for me but some of the other girls can cope with diet. I also like a milkshake too and I know some of the others share this so chocolate nesquick powder would be good. Some people find citrus smells help too. An essential oils burner and some lemon oil but it has to be natural as chemicals in the synthetic stuff can be a trigger. I have been at home a lot and get bored of daytime tv so I'd appreciate reading material too if it was me. If she's dehydrated too she may appreciate moisturiser and lip balm too. Some of the others do crisps and biscuits to nibble but I can't cope with either it's quite an individual thing! Hi to everyone i'll be back later.

Living, the cleaner idea is outstanding! I agree on the McDonald's too. If someone came round with a cleaner and a happy meal I would love them forever!

yeah, a cleaner ! seriously, such a good idea.

moisturizer and lip balm too, but as low-scented as possible, big style.

Reading material. At its worst, you cant look at a screen at all, TV or PC. some people struggle even with the eye movement of reading, but it's a better bet than a screen. If she has any faviourite authors or something, that'd be good specially if they are easy reading.

So nice of you to think of this and not just turn up with food ... she will probably appreciate it that you take the whole thing seriously actually. It's very annoying when people think you can just 'get on with it' and 'try harder'.

okla tooth brushing is a bugger, yeah. I could only clean my teeth in the morning and still can't do it at night, its guarenteed to set me off. I usually brush them in the morning and use one of those little flossing sticks early afternoon while I still can. Some people find baby toothpaste better than adult.

good morning everyone. there's were a few painful contractions last night then eveyrthing calmed down again ... ho hum.

Tak1 I pee a little bit every time I sneeze! It was like that with my first pregnancy but recovered afterwards so I am hoping it will all go back to normal after this pregnancy as well.

okla tooth cleaning was a nightmare for me too in the first trimester. Trying different toothpastes helped and things are a lot better now (20wks) I can always brush in the morning and most times again in the evening,

Meerka hope something happens soon!

I have the teeth cleaning thing too. It's worse in the evening. Bizarre isn't it. I. Tried lots of different mouthwashes but I can cope with the listerine soft mint one. Good tip about baby toothpaste though.

lepamplemousse That is so nice of you. I don't think I can improve on other's suggestions, but I did find sucking old fashioned barley sugars helped a little. I think Mereka may have got them online?
Tallyra Lovely to hear from a happily maeternal Tallyra.
Meerka Thinking of you, as ever. What an endurance test, you'll be able to think in later years 'Well, I got through that. I can handle anything.'...Not as if that's much comfort now.
Hope Nobody is in need of IV...
xx

LePamplemousse I would avoid food / anything scented (as mentioned above).

How about some books on CD. I can't really read or watch TV as the nausea is terrible but you can lie down with your eyes closed and listen to a book.

And totally agree with the cleaning. Someone to come in and do a couple of hours so the house no longer looks like a bomb site would be a godsend!

It's crazy how much HG varies for everyone, like even just for teeth cleaning.

My mornings are always horrific but I can sometimes cope in the afternoon / evening whereas you all seem to be ok in the morning.

Okla Oh dear, do you start the day with a bile run and have it carry onfrom there? That makes you dread waking up as you drift off at night. When I suffered, the mornings were worst and then late at night.
About tooth cleaning, do people find kids' strawberry toothpaste more bearable than mint? I used to put it on my teeth with my little finger ...

Yep, literally the first thing I do when I wake up. Urgh.

Pample v lovely thought...
Is v hard to recommend any foods and the only person to bring me foods I felt like punching....crackers 'it's just morning sickness under it all'
I bought a friend of mine some Dr Hauschka Bkackhawthorne oil...but I don't know if it smells (good for stretch marks)
A friend of mine bought me a lovely maternity top which was inspired as that could do me no harm! Books...although I couldn't read until around 18 weeks or so. Audiobooks are great though.
Depending on finances, another friend bought me a mother to be spa day but that is very OTT!!

A cleaner! Yes, this has made our lives much easier. I can't manage the whole house even now....

I can clean my teeth now but for very brief periods but I use a chlorhexidine based mouthwash which I can manage okay. Using a child's toothbrush makes life easier too :-)

I must be feeling okay, I've arranged for a friend to visit one weekend. Although I lived with her for five years so seeing me on a vom day will be no problem :-)
This is a big breakthrough for me!!!

Punk that's exciting! Glad you are feeling a bit better.

I've given up on worrying about puking in front of people. They'll get over it.

okla how many weeks are you now?

I woke early again this morning and went to work earlier than planned. Big mistake as got asked to teach an A2 lesson at the last minute with no prep! Fortunately it went ok, and was mainly revision based so I did lots of 'what do you think about that' discussion I think by the end of the period I'd almost got my teaching knowledge back...

Good news is I've managed to get out of my evening commitment tonight and have now come home so I can rest for the rest of the day. Feeling tired but nausea is only at 4/10, 8/10 when walking around though so definitely need a rest.

Got the doctors at 4pm as run out of meds again today. I want to have a sensible conversation with the doctor about switching/reducing meds but I guess it depends on how good the doctor is at giving advice to pregnant women...

I'm 14+2 today so a long long way to go still. You're a few weeks ahead of me I think.

How are you interacting with people!? I can just about cope with a couple of hours from home occasionally but I don't think I could actually speak to anyone about work. At least if it takes me an hour to write an email no one has to know!

You have my awe!

Yes, I'm 21 weeks tomorrow. At 14.2 I couldn't have interacted at work, those were the worst few weeks for me, I was admitted to hospital @ 15 weeks.

I feel comparatively like a different person this last week or so, I'm capable of actually doing things in the day and getting up and dressed doesn't fill me with dread anymore! I haven't felt this normal since about 4/5 weeks pregnant. I'm just hoping I'm one of the lucky ones and I don't relapse again.

Okla I couldn't have thought about work at 14 weeks, I think I was around 26 weeks when I started to take some stuff on. That was hard but satisfying...but I'm pretty ill if I attempt two days close together (as last weeks attempt proved to me) so I'm happy to stick with one day a week but will be working (hopefully) until the very end.

I didn't really leave the house much until around 20 weeks. It's actually pretty useful to reflect back to make me appreciate what I can do now, as little as that seems.
I can shower now!

Lottie sounds like you are doing great! You could well be one of the lucky ones who goes on to have a 'normal' pregnancy :-) get some rest!

pample what a thoughtful and kind thing to do! I wonder if you could get her a water filter, if she doesn't already have one? I can't stand the taste of tap water any more.

Totally just went for a walk for about 25-30mins; SO pleased with myself!! It was the first time I had managed to venture out of the house for 4 days, and the first time without my dh HUGE GRIN Completely shattered now, mind you, but I don't care!!!! Celebrating with a glass of iced water. Ah, how we live :-)