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

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.

Oh goodness me Icant, really hope you and baby are OK. How stressful for you - as if you don't have enough to contend with.
Meer, sorry to hear you're under the weather - feel better soon.
MrsAmerican, ketones of 3+ or more really need medical attention ie IV rehydration and IV meds. I'm worried about you. Please do consider A&E if things don't improve. I still struggle with liquids. I found lemonade ice lollies stayed down OK and then a bit later on, around 10 weeks plus, I grew to like vanilla milkshakes if they were ice ice cold and quite thick so not really like a liquid.
Ickle, hope you get some rest after that horribly early start.

Hey all.

icant how are you getting on? It all sounds very scary and I'm keeping all my fingers and toes crossed for you.

Mrs American I second that ketones that high need a visit to doctor. If you go via your gp, they can have you admitted directly to early pregnancy unit/gynae ward so you don't have to go to a and e. I felt a million times better after I was admitted and had a couple of bags of fluid and IV ondansetron.

Sorry to everyone else that's suffering.

I'm OK. I'm really not vomiting as much anymore but still have constant nausea feeling, can't stand food smells and I'm so bloody tired! I was asleep from 7pm last night to 9am this morning. I'm on 8mg ondansetron every 8 hours with cyclizine to take as and when I need (though I avoid taking it on the whole).

I'm 14+2 now and very frustrated that all the guides and books keep on saying I should be feeling better now I'm in the second trimester. I'm worried I will feel like this forever...

Also, the constipation. My god. This baby best be really cute!

SpecialStains I guarantee that you will think your baby the cutest that ever was, and as for the delicious smell of his or her head...[smile) Your OH being a doctor, what does he say about the suppositories? You are warned not to use them in preganancy, but they routinely use them for pregnant women in hospital they say that on the cyclizine you can get over the counter *(used routinely for Hyperemesis for decades with no ill effects). Hyperemesis does hang around longer than ordinary ms, but most people get an improvement sometime after week fourteen.
Ican't I do hope things are being handled OK?
mrsamerica Goodness, ketones of 4+ is high. Glad they are down, it can be very hard to reduce them yourself once they get that high. How is the vomiting now?
Barmee Thanks for asking. My finger is a lot less sore now. I hope you are OK? Are you resting enough?
Waves to eallison OnceaMeer and everyone...

Hi to all, hugs to those suffering.

5pm and the nausea hits me even on the ondansetron. I'm so knackered I'm now in bed waiting for a mindfulness app to download to do that then sleep. So tired all day long.

I too worry I should feel better by now. What if this lasts all the way through?

Worried I'm getting depressed.

Hey cola, I was getting really down from the loneliness and isolation. Basically, noone was visiting/contacting me because they were trying to be nice and give me space while I was unwell. It wasn't until I sent some texts and Facebook messages saying that i was bored and lonely that my friends and work friends came to visit and watch films or arranged to meet me in their lunchbreaks. Might it be the same case for you?

It is really awful and frustrating feeling housebound. For me, I've been fortunate enough to always be in good health so this is a complete shock.

It is unlikely to be this bad all the way through (or so I keep on being told) and before we know it, it'll be mid August, our lovely babies will have arrived and we'll be sitting out in the sunshine, able to enjoy the odd glass of Pimms, and gazing lovingly on our newborns (can you tell I've been thinking about this a lot!). And because we've suffered so much, our babies will have to be lovely and we'll behaved (can you tell I'm a first time parent by any chance! ).

ColaBottle Most people do get a strong improvement, even if it doesn't go entirely away. It's only the unlucky ones who suffer badly throughout. This can vary from pregnancy to pregnancy with the same woman, as in Reebok#s case.
We haven't heard from spandau for a while.
I hope Ican't is doing as OK as she can in these appalling circumstances.
SpecialStains I'm glad things are getting a bit better overall.
Survey on Treatment Experience by Caitlin Dean of PSS
Is anyone up to answering this survey on recent treatment experiences

plymouth.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/experiences-of-treatment-for-hg

icant that must be very scary. My sister in law went into labour at just shy of 34 weeks but drugs etc held it off and he ended up being a day late. They can do veru clever things! And if baby is ready to arrive sonnet rather than later then at least the HG goes!

cola yes you may gave some nausea throughout, but is so rare to be awfully ill throughout. But it does go. 20weeks on and I've sort of forgotten the specifics...A year or so and I imagine I'll remember even less.

Peaceful night to all.

Oh and lucinda I did that survey a few weeks ago.

Thank you for all your replies, just a quick update, had both sets of steroids for bubs, still contracting regularly but had injections to stop it and having regular pain relief, good news is my cervix is closed but the length is borderline for my gestation so not had to move hospital yet. Having a repeat swab on weds to see what my pre term levels are, they've estimatitaed 1\10 chance I'll have bubs within 2 weeks, 2\10 it'll be 4 weeks and 5\10 chance it will be 6 weeks so hopefully I may be lucky and go to term. Sickness gets quite bad with pains and not slept much at all so been giving sleeping tablets.
I really thank you all for the support on this thread, we've not told people in RL, and I'm here by myself (dp has Ds) and your all so reassuring.
Eallison~ that's fab with sil! Its good to hear positive stories.

Sorry to all of you suffering, I wish I could be more supportive instead of posting selfish posts about myself,

Good to read your update icant you are certainly not being selfish. If it helps my friend had a very premature baby (30 weeks maybe??) And she is now a very healthy and happy 4 year old although obviously the first few weeks werest pretty hard going. Glad they are giving you something to help you sleep and keep talking here as I can imagine it's quite scary and lonely. Have you family local who could have ds or visit?
cola I have definitely felt very depressed with hg. Having my first scan definitely helped make it seem worth it or just reassuring to know baby is fine. Telling people who can support helped and being signed off work to rest was essential!

special I will be having pims in September! Have also been thinking of this regularly whilst eyeing up dh's wine!

mrsamerican glad you have got your ketones down please keep checking as 4+ is high. I was only 3+when I went into hospital and felt horrendous.

No toddler to blame for my early wake up this morning so just trying not to move some I'm not sick and don't wake him up!

Ladies, I'm sorry to hijack your thread - I'm a HG survivor and just discovered I am 5+5 with DC2. I've been given pre emptive meds by my GP (hurray for Pregnancy Sickness Support!) but I'm starting to get that heavy nausea feeling. I've started a seperate thread but really keen to hear from other HG sufferers - how and what have people told their DC about their sickness? My DD is 4 and already asking questions about why I need to lie down a lot. Cautious about telling her straight as I had a mmc before her.

to you all - I've been in your shoes, HG is horrible.

lokahmsamatah Welcome. Do come and join us on here. What meds did they put you on? Sorry if I'm being obtuse, but not sure if you've started on them yet and they're not working? I suffered years ago, now I'm Mother Hen on this thread. I so agree with you about Pregnancy Sickness Support being great for helping people get effective treatment.
Ican't I'm so glad that the chances are low you'll go into labour at this stage, and well done for not panicking and being able to take in the information (always difficult in such situations).
Great advice from everyone on here, as ever. I do hope the new people are OK, we didn't hear back from many of them. I must search back for the due dates list.

Thank you Lucinda, I've been given promethazine (at my request) which I will start today (it knocks me out and I'm home alone with DD so need to wait until evening) and already taking a high dose of vit b6. GP has advised me to ring if I need more/change of meds. And I've discovered I can self refer to the HG day unit if I get really ill, which is a massive relief. All in all we are alot more prepared this time and have lots of support which I am extremely grateful for. My symptoms are mild at the moment, and I am hoping that the meds will nip it in the bud - PSS seem to think there is a large amount of evidence that this is effective.
So technically, right now I don't have HG - and the meds may keep it that way. One day at a time!

Thank you icle, its reassuring to hear of others having pre term births and it working out OK.I hope you got some sleep ?
Mother hen how are you feeling now? Has hand healed at all?
Welcome lokah, it sounds like your well informed and have good support from gp/pss, I hope the pre emptive meds work.

Hope everyone is doing a bit better this weekend? Sorry for silence, it's not that I don't think of you all often but that having a 5-week old baby is rather time-consuming!

ICant I was born at 32 weeks and am a strapping healthy adult now! So try not to worry too much (impossible at times I know)

icant glad the news is better and I am really hoping you reach full term. You're in my thoughts at the moment. How are you getting on in hospital?

lokah hope this pregnancy goes better for you than the last. If you're feeling up to it, I like being regaled with stories of how good it is once you have the baby and hg goes away. Fantasising a lot about that and a brandy sour at the moment! Your daughter sounds lovely and astute if she's already asking about you. Do you think she'll be excited about having a sibling?

ickle I'm seriously considering throwing myself a 'I no longer have hyperemesis' BBQ at the end of August where I will eat all the food I couldn't stomach when pregnant! I rarely drink when not pregnant, but I really would love a glass of wine, or a Pimms, or a g+t etc right now! I think I possibly need to get out more, and fantasise about having had the baby less...I'm only 14+3, so it is still 25 weeks and 4 days to go!

Twodrifters how is your baby? Please tell me how wonderful it is to no longer have hg?!

loka I'm glad it is worked out.
TwoDriters How lovely to hear from you, and that you were a 32 week baby must be so reassuring for Ican't.
SpeicalStains Waves.
Here's the list. We haven't heard from the ones at the top of the list in a long while, and hope they are doing OK.I'll leave them on for just a few more days. Come to think of it, we haven't heard from PeppaPigStinks and racheljayne and in a good while, and I wonder how squeezed and others are doing? Reebok and spandau were still suffering and had ill lo's and have been quiet recently.

Due Dates
mrsm14 14 February
Mirabel 19 February
mygreeneyedboy 22 February
BarmeeMarmee 10 March
Bugista 26 March
Shoop 28 March
Reebok 29 April
spandau 5 May
MotherofPearl 7 May
spandau 8 May
ICan't 11 May
Madrigal 30 May
lemonslemonslemons 12 June
amysmum 9 June
Iam 22 June
racheljayne 10 August
Special Stains 18 August

Special I felt better as soon as she was born, it was amazing! I think it helped with the early newborn days too, even when sleep deprived and trying to establish breastfeeding (notoriously difficult times) I was just ecstatic to no longer feel ill.

Thank you everyone, I'll keep bobbing on, even if it's just with words of encouragement. I couldn't have done this a second time without PSS and Spewing Mummy, we feel like we have a plan and even if the HG hits we will be better prepared to cope. I have a whole list of sarcastic replies for when the Ginger Crew pipes up

lookah 'Spewing Mummy'/Caitlin is great. As your pregnancy was over two years ago, it's no good my asking you if you will take part in the survey she's doing for an Msc on Hyperemesis, as it has to be someone who's suffered in the last two years, so no good for me.
If anyone else cares to take part, the link is
plymouth.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/experiences-of-treatment-for-hg

icant Thinking of you. Have you managed to get some sleep?
lokah We told Dd very early that I was pregnant, same with close family. In part it was very obviously. The main reason was that our older dog was being sick a lot before he was put to sleep and she was worried about me also going away.
Sorry haven't caught up, but waves to you all.
Dh got a bit grumpy and blamed my working too hard this week on my epic vomiting session last night. Not that I would agree with him to his face, I think he's right so I'm going to ease up a bit.

Two drifters can't believe its been 5 weeks! How are you doing? And minidrifters?
Special, that's a good idea re BBQ and Pimms! I'm really fancying some rosé!
Squeezed, had about 3 hours sleep this morning and feel a lot better for it, got a temperature now but they are unsure of cause.
Definitely take it easy and get dh to look after you.

Waves to everyone x

Hello everyone, have been feeling a bit better emotionally this week, but unfortunately still having a couple of voms per day so not out of the HG woods.

You'll be glad to know that I've learnt my lesson about the decorating - this weekend DH is doing it on his own and I am sitting on my arse!

I am starting to feel like time is passing a little more quickly than it was in the early days - will be 26 weeks on Monday and so not too long before I hit the third trimester now.

Hope everyone is ok. (Hope your finger is healing now Lucinda)

Hi all, Had an okay day yesterday but still can't keep down any liquids. As soon as I try it just comes back up. I just feel so bad, and now I'm worried that even if I go to a&E they'll think I'm just being silly. Last pregnancy I just stayed at home and laid in bed until I got better, but I feel like this time, I can't really do that.

We did finally get to tell DH's parents in person (and mine via Skype) which was nice. Apparently the in-laws were waiting for us to say since my daughter kept saying "Mama keeps going [puke sound]". They are happy for us, which is really nice, but the nice feeling only lasted a little while.

Meant to say Lucinda that I'm due around 10th October.