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.

carno what a horrible weekend

mellee Best of luck for tomorrow and the scan. The indoor pool sounds wonderful!

carno & kayme feel for you both - hg in the early stages is horrible. carno I had multiple admissions for rehydration particularly in second pg- only thing that could get hg under control for a few days was several litres of iv fluid and iv ondansetron and within three or four days I was back to square one - don't hesitate to go back to Dr if becoming dehydrated again.

amy- yay to vomit free day.

lilac glad you are continuing to improve. as always take it slowly and hopefully you will soon have even more energy back!

mellee good luck for scan tomorrow

waves to lucinda, hello, meerka, eallison and everyone

Omeprazole is pretty good for heartburn etc.

I'm considering swimming, or rather bobbing. Problem is the aquanatal class at my gym is during work hours and I can't face swimsuiting up without the shield of other pregnant people! 3 people today told me I was getting big. So I'm feeling fat and bloated. I know it's pregnancy hormones but I think it's got to me cos it echoes what I was already thinking.

My back/pelvis/between my legs (muscles at top of legs in tge middle, no idea what they're called!!) are very, very painful at the moment. Waiting for physio referral, which quote frankly can't come quick enough. I've got a pillow I sleep with between my legs. I stand and rock side to side. And I have the family (in laws) maternity pilates ball which is good for short bursts of time. Problem is, even a comfy position just doesn't last very long. And if I sit for more than 10/15 mins my butt really hurts when I get up.

Those in early stages and really suffering: I remember it well (as I'm sure we all do!), and know that there's not really anything I, or anyone else, can say to make it less crap. But please rest assured that it really does get better. You a most won't notice the changes at first, and it might not go away totally til you give birth, but my understanding is that it gets better to some degree for almost everyone. You are doing amazing to get thru each day, please don't put any more pressure on yourself.

Thanks Eallison and everyone else for the supportive words

I've had another bad day, didn't go to work this morning (work mon-we'd) as felt so horrific, just laid in her and couldn't face any food whatsoever until 3pm, kept dry retching all day. My mum came round and made me eat a bit of ginger cake which was like a bush tucker trial but I kept it down. Getting the hump with things I was previously ok with..ready salted crisps..making me so sick! I had 3 rocket lollies and plenty of sips of water today though! My partner bought me rennies too and they are amazing! Totally sorting the acid tummy feeling :)
Glad to hear so many of you feeling better.. I remember getting to about 16w last time and it getting better, was still sick but like twice a week rather than twice in 15 minutes! X

Carno I'm dismayed that you are still trying to battle in to work when you are so ill. Did you say there are issues with sick pay? Have you been offered a sick note? Remind me the meds you are on.. I so agree with elizabethsmum about if you go downhill rapidly, as sadly can happen at this dismal stage, don't hesitate to go back in. Glad your mother came to the rescue with her ginger cake, about the only time I've ever heard of ginger working. . What's a 'bush tucker trial', excuse my ignorance, which is limitless?
eallison Wise words, and I'm so glad you are a lot better yourself and can look back on that early nightmare and see the signs of it's gradually lifting. Is omprazole prescription only? Maybe that's the one I was stupidly trying to remember.
Mellee The fainting sounds dismal and I'm glad you are an expert at handling it. That indoor swimming pool does sound nice. When did you say your scan was?
Kayme How are things? Thinking of you; how many Lo's did you say you have?
Hello The bobbing in water sounds like just the thing. How is the spd? Is the physio still doing the trick?
I hope any ems and everyone are as OK as is possible in the circumstances.

Thanks Lucinda another vomit-free morning. Still waking up queasy but can't have everything can I!! I think the sparkling water is helping, I'm able to keep fresh fruit down which is a nice change to the beef crisps!

Hope everyone is as well as can be, and if not, hope you are feeling better soon x

Mellee good luck for your 20-week scan today! Indoor private pool sounds amazing, hope the warm water helps.

Amy hope you get physio referral for SPD pain soon. There's a long waiting-list for physio in my area, wish I'd made a fuss earlier and got diagnosis earlier, my midwife kept saying it was 'normal pregnancy aches'!
As Hello says avoid breaststroke, the frog-kick leg action puts too much strain on pelvis. My doctor said swimming with a float is best or just using arms, be careful not to twist pelvis, don't use legs vigorously, also don't swim for too long as you don't always feel the pain until later! The aqua-natal class i've booked onto is mainly gentle aerobics and stretching exercises in water, it's run by a midwife so I'll let you know any tips I pick up.

Eallison I know what you mean about wanting to swim with other pregnant women, I feel self-conscious too, also I can't find a maternity swimsuit i like so will have to wear bikini which means exposing bump. Have you checked if your local pool holds pregnancy-swimming sessions? Mine has one evening a week pregnancy-swimming (not a class but pool is exclusively for pregnant ladies, which must be nice as you can swim slowly without people pushing, shoving or crashing into you!) I feel like my bump is huge though it looks smaller in photos, so maybe it's just hormones affecting perception of it. Pregnancy is such a dramatic change in body-shape and all happens so suddenly, in 1st trimester I didn't have a visible bump then when it finally appeared it grew very rapidly! Can't fit into most of my normal clothes now so i've banished them all to a suitcase. Plus SPD pain causes me to walk in a sort of shuffling/waddling way with legs close together so I feel even more ungainly (though DH jokes it's the classic 'pregnant lady walk' and thinks it's cute!)

That's great Lilac Thank you!

Eallison and Lilac I'm sure you look lovely,whatever you may think. You should be proud of your expanding girth making you resemble celtic fertility figures. Lol about ''pregnant woman waddle' and it's being thought cute. In my youth I did Sportsfighting, and normally I have marched about on the balls of my feet in a most uncute way ever since, even now, well into late middle age; during later pregnancy, I waddled too and males thought that much more acceptable...
any Great news about a vomit free morning with healthy drinks...
Ah, it's a twenty week scan for Mellee.

I'm doing fine thanks Lucinda im on proper countdown now, less than 2 weeks to go and I cannot wait!!

Spd is still there but manageable, still having the occasional morning where I'm sick but it seems to be when I've not eaten much the night before and I have a v empty stomach.

One positive of having HG (for me anyway) is the lack of weight gain, at 37 weeks I only weigh 4.5 lbs more than I did before getting pregnant. Although my bmi was high to begin with im still trying to look at this as a positive!

Oh I must have missed that, Mellee hope your scan goes well! We have our 20 week scan in just under 2 weeks, starting to get nervous!

Hello not long to go now! I have gained a massive bump already but after losing 1.5 stone in the first 14 ish weeks I have only since put 1lb on! Definitely a positive of HG (maybe the only one!)

I'm feeling very positive today for the first time! I feel like the pregnancy is flying by. I remember when I was at my worst with HG when it felt like it would never end and I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel... but it does get better and here I am nearly half way through already :)

Hope you are all well and enjoying the sunshine x

Hi ladies, can I join?

Since Monday afternoon, out of nowhere, I can't keep anything down! Feeling so so sorry for myself and don't know what to do! I don't know what food to try, toast, jacket spud and ready salted crisps are straight back up. Worried about my body and baby getting nutrients. Fluids are not settling either. Just been to the docs and got some meds, can't remember the name right now, avimore or something. They are all the way downstairs at the moment, too tired and too far from loo to get them. Read the leaflet however and it says do not take if preg or BF unless told by your GP.I thought there'd be more specific meds for this?

Any advice for a newbie very gratefully received :-)

chops avomine is a travel sickness drug which can be used in pregnancy, I was given them when pregnant with my son back in 2013. They worked for a few days initially then stopped and sickness etc came back, think they might be the first port of call for morning sickness sufferers rather than the stronger stuff they give for HG. If they aren't working make sure you go back to your docs, I have found that you may get fobbed off initially especially if it is your first pregnancy so you may need to fight your corner a bit.

Lots of great advice on this thread if you can stomach scrolling through the pages.

With regards to foods both times Ive struggled to keep anything down and pretty much lived on Lucozade for the first few weeks of both my pregnancies. Then I found I could manage things like Yorkshire puddings with a bit of gravy or one roast potato. A lot of ladies have found things like tinned peaches and custard a godsend though.
Hope that helps

And don't worry about baby getting nutrients, they will get all they need from you but unfortunately it will be you that feels like rubbish!

Hello all...I am new to this thread and almost didn't want to admit I should be a part of it.

I am 7 weeks pregnant with my second child. My first is one, and while I had fairly crippling morning sickness with him, it is nothing like what has happened to me in the last 10 days. I am currently in hospital, have been for two days, after days of constant vomiting, blood pressure very low, ketones exploding from everywhere, lips peeling off....nothing you guys don't all know inside and out. I am on a drip and last night started a course of steroids...one of the more modern approaches to HG. I am under a very good obstetric physician (private) called David Williams. I like and trust him very much - very few like him in the UK.

We are in a mad race to get me standing up again by tomorrow as it is my little boy's first birthday party (a Teddy Bears Picnic), which I have poured my soul into organising for the last two months. And then it is his christening and lunch on Saturday...more friends and family and effort.

While I have not vomited today which I guess is progress, I am feeling so very low. I am still very nauseous, dizzy and simply cannot imagine how I am going to shower for, let alone enjoy the events of the next few days. I haven't changed my clothes since I got here, or brushed my teeth. My blood pressure is going up and down still, but my urine is now fine.

Everyone seems to be so excited for my pregnancy (I have had two scans and we have a strong heartbeat). But I am finding my mind going to some dark places...

I don't know what I am asking but somehow you all have a gift of sounding upbeat through equally hideous suffering. Can anyone talk to me about ways I can think about this, and/or about the upcoming two days, that might give me a small lift?

When I planned my baby's birthday party it was with such joy and excitement, and my regret at now knowing I will simply have to endure it bring tears to my eyes for both me and him.

We've not all managed upbeat all the time, let me assure you! I've sat and sobbed and shouted and also sat completely non responsively cos I've not had anything left in me. But you are right.between us we managed to keep things upbeat.

A teddy bears picnic sounds lovely. You get thru it by having the only job for you to do tomorrow is showering. Then you sit and allow the organising you've done so well roll. And people will help.

It sounds like you've had a really, really rotten time of it and I'm so sorry. Now you're in the system and under good care you will start getting thru each day. Don't beat yourself up about anything (if you don't manage to shower tomorrow, who cares? You're growing a teeny human who is not making life easy for you - achievement enough!). There is light at the end of the tunnel, even if you can't see it right now.

lucinda yes I think omeprazole is prescription only, but nhs website says safe in pregnancy so I can't imagine too difficult to get hold of if you ask.

Eallison....thank you so very much. That HAS helped.

Lahottie and Chopsface welcome to the thread, sorry you're suffering so badly.

Lahottie all the best for getting through next couple of days, let us know how you get on. It must be so upsetting when you've put so much time and energy into the plans. Try not to worry about the finer details, just focus on conserving energy. Be honest with friends and family about how ill you're feeling. Rest whenever possible and like Eallison says let other people help out. Delegate tasks and let people look after you. I know it's not what you had in mind but hopefully you'll be able to enjoy some parts of it, and I'm sure your son will still have a wonderful time.
About the shower, if you're still in hospital i'd recommend asking for a shower-chair (slatted plastic chair on wheels) so you can undress at bedside, wrap up in big towel and let them wheel you to shower, you stay sitting on chair in shower so no need to stand up at all. Staff will stay and assist if you want them to or if worried you might faint. Or ask nurse to bring a bowl of hot soapy water to bedside and just wash with that. Dry-shampoo works wonders when you have no energy to wash hair!
I remember only too well that feeling of being too weak and ill to cope with daily tasks. HG is a dark place but the darkness is temporary and will gradually lift. In early days of HG I often felt despairing, furious and hopeless and wondered how i'd get through. Everything seemed to revolve between bed, sick-bucket and bathroom, felt like I was surviving hour by hour, just getting through the long hours without enjoying anything. I didn't leave house for weeks on end and slept a lot. But things will improve. At some point you will have a few good hours, then a few good days, and the bad days get easier to cope with. Then before you know it you're having more good days than bad ones and enjoying daily life again.

Chopsface about food... in first trimester i lived mainly on bland carbs, things like bagels, scones, toast, croissants. Some days I could tolerate porridge and i'd try a bit of most foods as sometimes they'd stay down unexpectedly. I found salt+vinegar crisps good at one point. I couldn't stand the taste of meat or salad until about 20weeks, and at 26-weeks I'm still having problems with keeping fruit down (other than watermelon which my body doesn't reject!) Liquids have been my biggest problem and I still vomit them up regularly but have more success with thick liquids like drinking-yogurt, hot-chocolate, milkshake. Ice-lollies are still my main source of water (favourites are Rocket lollies, rowntrees Fruit Pastille Lollies, Callypos, fruit-splits, Twisters).
It might be a case of trying several meds before you find one that works for you. Be careful not to get dehydrated, and go to Early Pregnancy Unit or A&E if you're not keeping fluids down at all.

Oh lahottie, you sound exactly how I feel espescially re the no energy to bath/shower thing!
Posting on this thread has helped me, as every time I come back to post (and see my last post the day before or whatever) I think, I've got through a day! Just taking it day by day is helping me. Do you have much support around you? Try and sleep and rest as much as possible but also to sip plenty of fluid if you can, just small sips as I know I get sick if I gulp lots down like I usually do pre-pregnancy.
Do you get acid feeling in your stomach after being sick? I do (which I didn't with my previous pregnancy) so have started taking rennies which are great!
Hope it all goes great tomorrow, try and stay cool in the shade x

Chopsface & Lahottie - so sorry to hear you're suffering. Your stories remind me how far I've come, it's taken a number of weeks, but you will start to improve. Key thing is dehydration, when you get dehydrated, the HG gets worse. Water or liquids start absorbing into your system within 5 mins, so drink something and force yourself to lie still as long as possible despite the uncontrollable urge to vomit. Any liquid you can keep down will help.
I don't even want to think about the food I ate during the darkest times, throwing it up so many times has given me a long list of aversions. Stick to soft carbs, bread, pasta, potatoes etc, carbs absorb into your stomach well making them harder to vomit, but also soft enough they don't hurt the throat on the way back up.
When I was dry heaving, I always had a glass of water next to the loo to drink so I had something other than acid to bring up.

Hope some of that helps. I have my 20w scan in a couple of hours - eeek! I've been suffering from insomnia all week because of nerves over this, hopefully all is well!
Had my 20w midwife appt yesterday, and there was no talk of eating disorders (yay!). I've gained back 3.5kg so far, after losing 6kg in the beginning. Should be at my pre-pregnancy weight by 24w.

Waves, hugs and to everyone. We can do this!

Welcome to Lahottieand Chopsface. Great advice from eallison
Lilac Hello Carno and others, I haven't much to add except Chopsface do get some kekstostix (available from any chemists) to check for dehydration. Don't ever worry about dr's prescribing anything damaging to the baby, they are super careful, and as others say, don't hesitate to ask for stronger meds if these don't work.
Lahottie Steroids have worked brilliantly for the women who've been put on them on this and other threads, usually on the NHS its the worst cases, so hopefully they will for you. Have you got friends/neighbours/relatives etc who could help with LO's birthday tomorrow?
I am sorry to say flat coke, jelly, chips and crisps plus ice lollies and lucozade and ice cubes made of flat coke was my staple diet for a bit. Ah, and cheap ice cream. Many swear by chocolate milk shakes, too.
Helllo and any That is happy news.
Apologies to anyone rudely ignored....

You are all so wonderful....in fact, thanks to you all I have even managed to shower this evening, and put on fresh underwear, whoo hoo!

And yes I have good help for the party tomorrow. I am sure it will be ok, I just really expected to love every minute of it, and that won't be possible sadly.

I have been taken off the drip for the first time in 2 days, and they want me to try sleeping through the night without it, and sip water instead. I have developed a mental block about drinking liquids, has anyone else had this? I feel scared of the jug of water here, and can't imagine every wanting to drink again.

My other big phobia is the vomiting when there is absolutely no liquid in me, but there is some food. Those dry hunks of crisps etc taking such effort to heave back up. I'm sorry for the descriptions, I just feel you all understand what HG does to our relationships with food. All messed up.

However, the notion of milkshakes has grabbed my attention...like a McDonalds thick, synthetic one....I think I will try this when I get out tomorrow. I also love the flavoured ice cubes idea, I will try this at home too.

Thank you all.

In haste chops Avomine is fine. All drugs say 'do not use in preg' due to the old problems with thalidomide, but in fact some are safe in pregnancy. The problem is that because all of them say 'do not use', it's hard to know which are which.

Avomine is the name for the med Promethazine, which is a powerful antihistamine used against nausea post-ops and also as a travel sickness. It's a good one. The current thought on HG is that its caused by an oversensitivity to the preg hormones (specially the HcG hormone) and the anti-histamine helps against that. Diff meds work in different ways.

Give it 3 or so days on it and if things havent improved much go back to the doc. He may keep you on avomine and prescribe somethign else, which is a good option.

lahottie sorry you are having such a wretched, wretched time. Can't add much but just to echo everyone else - rest as much as ever you can and please be gentle on yourself.

sipping thru a straw can help some people. Or very hot liquid, or very cold, even sucking ice cubes.

Lahottie I am so glad our suggestions have helped a bit. Someone knowledgeable about biochemistry on here, I think Mellee, said that it only takes five minutes for some water to get into your system,which is encouraging. Are tiny sips every couple of minutes bearable? A lot of people on here have such horrifying associations of liquids and violent vomiting that they do feel scared by liquids. Never worry about tmi - no such thing on this thread. Foam (I got that with Gaviscon), bile, bowels, all get discussed .

Meekra Cross posted as ever. Great advcice, as ever, too..