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.

ouch, lucinda, hope you are feeling better now. Thanks for the welcome back. Things are going to be rather busy again til just after new year but hopefully I'll be around.

It can be difficult bonding for a while, but there are also lots of people who bond immediately even after HG or something else. Even if bonding takes a while, it does come. Honestly.

Thanks for posting jen. How old is your first? Sorry, I've lost track a bit. DS is (just) 2. My post-natal experience sounds quite similar to yours: maybe a bit less extreme in the first weeks but I went on down, it took me a couple of months before I told anyone and it was a year really before I was anywhere close to back to normal (though I felt I was getting better rather than worse from around 6 months). Unfortunately I can't take antidepressants which makes everything more complicated, and also my mother is being very not-supportive which I have to say does make me feel more vulnerable - however great DH is (and he's wonderful), and however good the NHS support, it would be good to feel that I could if necessary go to my parents if I became really unwell postnatally and to be honest I don't really feel that, especially this time.

On the plus side, like you I feel we at least know what we're doing with a little baby this time, and we are prepared for probs. Practically we'll have more help and we're prepared to pay for extra if necessary - e.g. a night nanny if things get really bad.

Forgot the most important thing. Is no news from basgetti a promising sign?! Crossing everything for her - that she's finally had or having the baby and that it's a lovely straightforward birth.

Oooh looks like I popped back at the right time has Basgetti had her baby? If so congratulations!!

I was looking for advice from other HG graduates please...

Oklette is now 7 weeks old and I am exclusively breastfeeding but the last few weeks have been quite nauseous again. Meerka I'm pretty sure you struggled with this and am hoping others may be able to advise too. How do I know if it's the HG and what should I do?

Waves to all. I so agree with Kalidasa and NorRoom and Everyone
that basgetti deserves a very easy birth and a very easy baby...
Jen I was very frightened, too, though no0 prone to depression; I think being ill after the birth made it worse - I think not feeling like a 'proper mother; for a while is common. The bonding does come as you know, but it can be delayed. Sorry you are feeling so foul and coke is off the menu.
Meerka Thanks for sympathy.
Oklahoma Kalidasa Meerka and I all suffered from the symptoms lingering for some while after birth and exacerbated by breast feeding, it seemed. I found it got much better, but didn't ever really go until I stopped at five months. I think they are doing research into the subject of Hyperemesis lingering after birth for a tiny minority, and it does seem to happen most to people who had it throughout; as I only had mild residual symptoms after fifteen weeks, the only reason I an think of is that I was run down from blood loss and an infection. It might be an idea to contact the PSS number quoted on my intro as if anyone would be up on it, it would be them. I did have to watch my diet, bland stuff. Really miserable after having done that pre birth for so long.
TalllGiraffes How are things. NoRoom Really sorry that the appointment didn't achieve anything.
Hope everyone is coping.
xx

hiya Okla :)

after the baby arrived I felt SO much less sick that I didn't notice anything else. As my body gradually readjusted to the new normal from horrible endurance test, the nausea became more noticeable because it kicked in at specific times: breastfeeding or when seriously overtired or if I hadn't eaten in a while. So it was probably there the whole time but body was adjusting if you see what I mean.

Seriously overtired - well, we took it day by day, sleeping whenever I could, husband doing a lot. That was when I retched or upchucked mostly. Not eating for a while - ate small bits regularly, definitely helped. Breastfeeding - this was really noticeable. Shortly after letdown a surge of nausea would come over me, sometimes with retching. Very unwillingly I cut right down to 1 feed late at night and occasionally 1 feed in the morning and it did help :/

A few months later things have stabilized greatly and I can bf whenever he wants milk. Had to increase the supply again by letting him feed instead of giving him a bottle, but a few days and that went fine.

Main cure is giving it time, resting whenever you can (bugger cleaning the sink out and ask your husband to cook) and if you have to, cut bfing down. Also actually remember how MUCH better the nausea is now than during the actuall preg. Remembering that helps put it in perspective.

silly thought - is this just the last few days, or has it been weeks? ie, could it be a bug?

lucinda iirc you said the acupuncture really helped you. Is there any chance that it might have masked the symptoms somehow, so that post birth it might have worn off as your body changed? I don't know how acupuncture works, other than needles.

Thanks guys. Meerka it's exactly how you just described. I was ok at first but the last few weeks am now noticing waves when I feed her and it's much worse when I'm tired and in the evenings. I think it just took my body a while to notice it because I felt SO much better after the pg. it's nowhere near as bad as during pg but would still rather it wasn't there! I've been doing way too much (the novelty of being able to do things again still hasn't worn off) so I might try and take it a bit easier.

I haven't read all the thread but to those of you suffering you have all my sympathy. You WILL get through this, I had my baby 7 weeks ago after suffering throughout and it just went as soon as she was born. Hang on in there xx

Yes my experience was v. similar to meerka's as well as yours okla. How interesting. I didn't notice it so much at the very beginning but did after that. I'm pretty sure it was related to the hormones produced by breastfeeding - they are similar to pregnancy hormones apparently, though in much smaller doses, which would explain why it is only women who have had particularly severe/long-lasting HG (so presumably particularly sensitive) who notice it. But stress/tiredness a big factor too.

I think I only actually threw up a handful of times post-birth, but I did struggle with the nausea and I found it very demoralising as I really wasn't expecting it. I have family members who had bad pregnancies but the one thing everyone had said was how amazingly completely better you feel as soon as the baby was born and to be honest I didn't (though it was much much better).

I did wonder as well whether it was partly a sort of lack of confidence/habit: that your body has just got so so used to feeling sick e.g. after every meal that it takes a while to get over it. It was definitely a long while after DS was born before I regained confidence with e.g. fruit because I remember weaning myself back onto things at the same time as him, and weaning is from six months old!

I mix-fed from about five months (because I was back at work), which helped, but the nausea did not completely disappear until I stopped breastfeeding completely (at about 9 months). I haven't decided what to do this time but if I notice the same thing I might ditch it earlier, especially as the SPD didn't really sort itself out properly till I stopped breastfeeding either.

I definitely remember taking some cyclizine for nausea when DS was small.

Forgot to say - I never really enjoyed breastfeeding and that was partly because I seemed to have a very exaggerated response to the letdown. Lots of women describe a lovely relaxing mildly drunk feeling but I always felt it as a huge wave of dizziness/nausea (though I don't think I ever threw up at that point), quite overwhelming and made me feel really out of control. I was not in a great place psychologically though so maybe if I'd been feeling happier I might have been able to enjoy it a bit more? But it sounds similar to what meerka describes.

It sounds like there needs to be so much more research into HG, I had no idea it could carry on post birth for some women - huge sympathy to all those suffering.

12 week scan went well, baby waved at us which was nice. We've had fun telling people, although most of them had guessed. My ghastly complexion is a bit of a giveaway. I've been put on high calorie drinks to try and stop the weight loss, 13lbs has dipped me into the underweight BMI.

Hope everyone is feeling as good as can be and not too overwhelmed by all that needs doing before Christmas.

Oh lovely to hear, tallgiraffes, makes it so much more real when you see the Bean waving doesn't it!

kali i took some cyclizine too. Did help. What you say about taking a while with some foods too, yeah, that rings a bell.

When I look back, noticed the sickness after the second baby much more than after the first. Which is odd because I was in a great deal worse state after the first.

Hi all, baby Evelyn was born yesterday just before 5am. The birth wasn't entirely straightforward, I was ketotic (no surprise!) and apparently this effected progress, I ended up on drips and stuck in agony at about 8cm until I had an epidural, after which things went a bit more smoothly and she was born. Then the placenta and membranes got stuck, I was puking right up until the point they got them out, and then suddenly the sickness stopped. I haven't even retched since, really hoping it stays that way.

She is beautiful, I'm in love with her already. Feeling a million times healthier than I did a few days ago. I will upload a photo later, just wanted to quickly update, thanks everyone for asking after me and all the support the last few months. Hoping everyone else is doing okay xxx

Congratulations basgetti! Wonderful news. I had ketones/drip in labour with DS too but luckily I don't think it slowed things down for me. Glad you got the epidural. Can't wait to see a picture. Lovely name too!

Woohoo! Congratulations Basgetti and welcome to the world Evelyn! So glad that you are feeling healthy.

DS and his new baby sister xx

Congratulations!! Such wonderful news. Welcome little Evelyn

Yay Basgetti congratulations!! She's lovely and what a beautiful name.

You are officially not pregnant any more! Hooray!!! Hope you make a quick recovery from birth and more needed from the HG! Xxx

Congratulations Basgetti! what a beautiful photo of your kids. Glad you are feeling better. Xxx {Gentle hugs}

Congratulations basgetti! Beautiful name too. X

Congratulations!! She's gorgeous and such a beautiful name. Well done you.

basgetti How wonderful, lovey baby, great name, (thanks) (thanks) sorry it was a nasty labour too with puking throughout, you didn't need that. But how wonderful that it has stopped, at last. You've been wonderful.

TallGiraffes That is nice news, good.
NoRoom How are things? Comeagain Jen Newshoesmuddylettuce and everyone?
Meerka I wonder about the Acupunture masking the syumtoms? You could be right, who knows; I had the symptoms return violently for a week or so , then as you and Kali and Okla describe, mainly nausea when breastfeeding. so agree with kalidasa about the 'let down feeling' (sorry, awful pun). It is very rare though, to anyone worried about it happening to them, so far only five or six out of the many many women I've encountered on this thread, but four of us happen to be about at the moment!
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.
xx

basgetti Hows absurd, used to call up flowers, sorry about that; and forgot to say, it's so nice to see your DS looking so delighted.

xx

basgetti ~congratulations!!~

lovely news, lovely photo. Endurance test is at an end and such a lovely result :)

( feel for you on the 8cm ... I stopped there too. They wouldn't give me an epidural tho, Dutch bastards that they are, only a lecture on Not Giving Up And Only I Could Do It. The epidural is definitely a better option! :D)

All happiness to you all :)

Congrats Basgetti!

Kali - DS is 10 months. I am feeling wretched.