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#!scenario

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.

Glad you are getting the u/s today Blondes, I hate waiting for that kind of thing, so stressful. I hope it is all good news and the clot (if it was one) has cleared! Would they keep you on the Fragmin (or something else) if they co conclude it was a clot?

Wishing you the best outcome, blondes!

LightTripper, I completely missed your post, I have the prescription with no dosage on it, just "as required". Pharmacy didn't pick up on it when they gave it to DH and they usually do which was odd. As I was so dehydrated I knew I needed to come to the EPU that deals with HG thus morning (even if the doc chose to brush it under the carpet yesterday), I'm on my 3rd bag now and they've advised me accordingly - that ondansteron can be taken 3 times a day at 8 hour intervals, staggered with my previous meds to get on top of this. I'm praying it works!

Previously I've felt so stupid calling PSS because I always end up crying when talking about my experience of HG with people. I spoke to PSS and they were the ones who told me not to wait another day yesterday and pushed me to contact my surgery. I wasn't aware they could discuss dosage, that's very helpful to know!

Blondes. Keep us up to date. Hope all OK and you are being looked after.

Light - I am 24 weeks today! I wonder if it's that hormone surge we have were talking about around xmas. I will wait until I finish work (next week!!!) before trying again. Also not being there should reduce my stress hopefully.

Hello and anti sick thoughts to everyone

Thank you all 😘

Scan showed no clot tho scan man said I have all symptoms of one as fluid on legs shouldn't cause pain or be hard to touch

I'm on fragmin anyway. Been jabbing since 12w due to previous dvt which was missed and went to my lung and collapsed it and spent 2w in hospital over new year 2006.

So will see if leg swelling and pain gets less

Have 34w scan and chat with consultant on Monday so will touch base with them then

Good news don't feel sick or been sick famous last words and all good with bubs who is kicking madly bless her 💓👶🏼💓

Thats good news Blondes, glad to hear it. Long may the lack of nausea last!

Meowstro I'm sorry to hear you were so ill you had to be admitted. Hope you feel better soon. I have heard nothing but praise of PPS on here. Glad they advised you to push for treatment.
Blondes Great news.
LightTripper I hope you are taking care of yourself?
Waves to hopsalong and everyone...

Hi all, like I've said before hate moaning as so many have it worse then me, had a few not so bad days but am now back to feeling sicky. I feel like my life revolves around food and eating as hunger makes me worse. Bloody headaches are pissing me off too, I'm not worried about them as I'm constantly drinking but still another annoying pregnancy thing. Can't wait til DD is back at nursery next week (cue mum guilt)

Hello everyone,
Gosh I really connect with mums here sad about not being able to be there as much as possible for their little ones! It's hard. Having said that my dd is such a joy that I think I would be a lot more depressed if I didn't have her around. sprite I also feel kind of a whinger this time round as I am not experiencing the kind of suffering of many here. But I still feel about as useful as a chocolate teapot sometimes 😀 And I usually enjoy food and kind of have to be strict not to put on weight... now I feel I am eating rubbish not to feel sick, not enjoying it and I would resent any weight I put on! (Have avoided scales so don't really know!) winners for me are cheese sarnies on white bread, salt and vinegar crisps, those cola bear sweets from the co op and full fat milk. A dietitians nightmare! Oh well back to slimming world once these weird symptoms are over!
I've just packed off an under the weather and clingy dd to the childminder so I can rest. Took the day off. Poor darling had her jabs on Monday- 4 needles! I think that's been the worst thing about babyhood for me, having to allow your little one to be jabbed by a mean practice nurse repeatedly!!
Sorry to bug you all with a query, if anyone has any advice- I'm low on iron but seem to feel more sick with the tablets prescribed. Anyone had any luck with any alternatives out there? Heard there's a liquid one you can get from holland and Barrett?
Hang on in there everyone, especially those several months down this hard road. I think it is only natural to have low mood with such overwhelming and long term symptoms. Hope that the support you need is there for you all.
Xxx

sprite25 Never feel guilty for moaning, it is hard to bear even if you don't have it as badly as many on here - and those hormonal headaches are awful. Glad that at least you know they are not dehydration ones. I
Daffodil Iron pills made me vomit after as well as before birth- and a lot of people find the drops much easier to stomach.
The average Hyperemesis diet is almost funny; cheap ice cream, coke, ice lollies, those crisps, cuppa soup, tinned fruit and it's juice, perhaps some nice takeaway of junk food - but the babies thrive like parasites!
To those with typical mother's guilt: you couldn't give your LO's a better present than a sibling. From all I have seen on these threads and elsewhere, your LO's won't even remember this period of comparative neglect.

Daffodil - I couldn't handle the iron pills while preg with DD, not so much vomiting but more I had enough constipation with ondansetron and iron pills made it so much worse. Ended up getting iron jabs in the butt at the end of the 3rd trimester, narrowly avoided a transfusion after birth and literally within a week of being able to eat properly again my iron levels were through the roof.

I've definitely turned a corner, not physically sick every day anymore, depends on what I eat for dinner as to whether it sticks or not. Still nauseous and weary. Quite glad I've decided to torture myself like this while DD is so young, she's only just starting to really talk, would've been harder if I had to explain my sickness to her.

Good luck everyone. Hope Blondes swelling issue is resolved! Thinking of you.

Sprite: the headaches suck don't they? Mine seem to have got into the habit of timing themselves for the later afternoon onwards, when I want to be able to spend time with DS and DH when theyre back from work and school and yet I find myself often wishing we could all just sit in silence or I go lie down as it gets to the point that noise just hurts my head more.

Daffodil: chocolate teapot is definitely how I feel as well. I don't know how people manage work feeling like this; I can barely manage the ironing and washing up without needing a lie down or some recovery time.

I'm so sorry people have been met with unsympathetic or ignorant drs or mw. I've been lucky so far but even my dr just fobbed me off when I mentioned my sudden lethargy. I didn't feel this tired during the 1st trimester... At least I have new headaches to try for the dizziness and light-headedness. Fingers cross they work.

In other news, the mental health mw rang me back and I have to say I was not impressed. I tried to explain that I'd been asked to ring her because I had prenatal depression last time and my mw wanted me to make sure I had the support, and I agreed cos I've been feeling down and crying and she spends the rest of the call asking me about last time (I don't care about last time, I'm bothered about this time) and repeating everything we've all no doubt heard about little and often, and sipping (I hate sipping, does not work for me) blah, blah, blah for dealing with hyperemesis. Then without discussing how my mental health state is atm, she books me an appt for 6th March (seems ages away) and again mentions she wants to talk to me about last time. I may end up ringing the helpline for someone to talk to who won't judge - that's the point of the mental health services right? We feel like we can't discuss everything about how we feel with those who know us because we don't want them to judge or feel defensive so we want to moan to strangers who can listen and maybe offer some sympathetic and supportive advice.

To end, I am bored of feeling rubbish and not being able things and feeling like I'm letting everyone down.

I hope everyone is having a good day. If not, feel free to moan. I/ we are listening and judging will occur.

Haich - I'm so sorry. I had such a lovely lady ring from mental health, but she's booked me in with another lady, who better be as lovely. I think the tiredness might be associated with iron deficiency too. Babies need so much iron and iron rich foods are the most unfriendly for HG. I hope you get some good help soon!

Good evening all. What have I missed?!

Sorry for being absent for a few weeks. We went away last week to Wales (the land of no signal it appears) and then the car broke down coming home so have been tied up trying to get life sorted since.

HG wise things have been ok, I seem to be an a run of nausea without vomiting. So a lot better than I have been.

Lots of hospital appointments for my heart at the moment so that's keeping me busy.

How is everyone? Missed you all. Xx

Haitch- sounds like you've had really bad service there. If you wanted cliches like have you tried sipping/little and often/stating the obvious to someone several months in to this horrendousness you could have sought out an unsympathetic GP!!! I would have thought mental health mw should know better!
You need help with the emotional miserableness of it all. I too hate feeling helpless and not able to do what needs to be done. Tried to open up to dh about it a bit earlier, that I don't like people thinking I'm not strong cos I always used to be strong and happy and capable. He didn't really encourage me that much although he had a go. I think he thinks I am not fighting the symptoms enough or something. But I'm going to stick to my guns and let people help me with the stuff I'd normally do myself. I definitely don't enjoy it. But if I try and push through I'm just flat on my back and more sick the next day.
I hope your appt on 6th march does what it's meant to and gives you some strategies to cope and some encouragement. Or that there might be another mw available, hopefully one with experience of chronic illness and the emotional effects they can have!
mellee gosh you must have gone rock bottom with your iron levels. Your hg both times round sounds very severe, you are pretty amazing to take on being a mum of 2 with the experience you have! I think I'd better try some alternatives orally first and see what I can keep down.
Can't wait until not pg and I can have a steak and some red wine, much more pleasant!!! Oooh wine (gazes longingly into the distance)!!!
Xxx

Hi shirley welcome back and glad you are feeling a bit better

Great advice from Daffodil and others. None of you seem like 'chocolate teapots' to me.
IAmSerious Welcome back. Which bit of Wales? I'm living in mid Wales atm; signals are bad. It's been foul weather here recently; not the best weather for a holiday. I hope it did you goo anyway.
Meleebacca I am so glad you are a bit better.
HaichM I am so sorry that that mental health midwife was so useless.
I do hope you get better help on 6 March, my goodness. I think ringing PPS is a great idea, though everyone on here is so great, actually talking to someone can make such a difference.
Much sympathy to all.
I was just wondering; when over the worst of Hyperemesis, I ate a fair bit of cold chicken. Does anyone else find that bearable?

I'm back for another moan, laying here in bed unable to sleep cos my stomach is doing its nauseous/hungry/acidic thing. I saw a friend earlier who, jokingly, asked if this (me feeling awful) was going to last through my pregnancy or was I going to 'man up' and get on with things. I just kind of laughed it off but it has made me feel like I'm being pathetic and precious. She had easy pregnancies with all 3 of her children so I know she doesn't understand how I am feeling but to not want to just get on with everyday things I think is quite valid if you feel nauseous and exhausted all the time....right? 😞

Daffodil - I was blinded by love of my DD and it wasn't till the nausea set in that my brain freaked out about the craziness that I'm putting myself through. My cheeky monkey is totally worth it, but I have a really tough time bonding to the baby in my tummy.

Shirley - glad you're doing better 😀

Sprite - that's awful! It's hard when friends don't understand. My mum has 3 super easy pregnancies and the undertone in her convos with me is 'come on, get over it already'. Hopefully your bubba is an absolute angel when born.

Sprite: feel free to have as many moans as you like, especially when faced with such an attitude. Unfortunately this probably won't be the last time you come across it. It doesn't make you pathetic (if it does, I am in the same club). I sometimes find it just as difficult to 'man up' and 'push through it' (as my DH will say) even if I'm having a period of time with little nausea, dizziness etc because I'm so fed up and whatnot.

Mellee: I'm really sorry to hear you don't feel like you're bonding but I'm not too dissimilar if it helps. It's only really been this last few weeks as it moves around a bit and reminds me it's there that I've started to feel more positive towards it rather than blaming it for making me feel so rubbish.

I'm hoping it's not iron. They checked my levels 3 weeks ago and they were high. If it doesn't get better I guess I'll have to have another blood test and see.

Daffodil: sounds like our DHs are a bit similar in outlook. Mine is not a big talker about feelings and he would listen if I tried to explain but that's as far as it would go, which is why I was hoping for a bit more from this mental health midwife.

Thanks ladies btw, I'm glad I wasn't overreacting or reading too much into it. I was disappointed that the focus of our phone call wasn't my current mental state but we'll see if she does better face to face.

Hopefully the next 10 or so days will keep me going while not proving too much for me. Tomorrow is my luxury manicure and then Fri starts a long weekend away just me and DH before 6 days of family days out and quality time together to make up for 10 weeks of me being rubbish and not really having a Christmas.

At least I'll know if I'm fit for work...

Hope everyone has a good night and that tomorrow is a good day. Fingers crossed

Was thinking about how to be able to explain my HG pregnancies to other non-understanding people last night. This is what I came up with.
1st trimester - the worst hangover ever. Like drinking a bottle of vodka and having your stomach turn inside out every day.
2nd trimester - recovering from stomach flu. Weak, pathetic, able to eat and drink more but feeling green constantly, with vomiting now and then for good measure.
3rd trimester - normal morning sickness. Able to eat and drink most foods, except a collection of adversions (for me chocolate 😞), puke randomly if eat or smell something on the no-no list, but still manage to live life.

Just my two cents tho.

sprite25 and HaichM I am frankly outraged at how anyone, who has not suffered from this, has the nerve to sit in moral judgement. And to use the term 'man up' is loaded in itself. Men are NOT braver than women about pain and suffering - that is just a myth because they go into adrenaline powered fights. Well, that's easy: I know, because I used to do the martial arts myself. But facing this miserable , debilitating condition every day requires to my mind, far more courage and receives almost none of the recognition it deserves.
Rant over. Mother Hen would like to peck people who say these things! Retires, flapping and clucking furiously.

Lucinda We were in Pembrokeshire, it was really lovely. And we only had one day of really bad weather so can't complain at all. We plan to go back after baby arrives we enjoyed it so much. Folly farm was my daughters idea of heaven!

I have just had an interesting call from my high risk pregnancy unit....
I have been feeling excessively tired so they ran some more detailed blood tests and found quite a few culprits!
I have an extremely low vitamin D, B and Iron level. They say could be due to HG or my Crohn's but either way needs treating urgently. I was a bit surprised, but in some ways pleased to have a concrete answer to why I'm feeling so rubbish.

So for those feeling very low in energy might be worth asking for those blood tests. Apparently my vitamin D and B in particular were bad. Xx

I second everyone who says it's outrageous for others to comment on how you should be feeling or coping better.
If you have never had HG then you will NEVER understand just how severe the symptoms are.
I have a very close friend who is pregnant at the same time as me again, and she sails through with minimal sickness. Thankfully she has seen how ill I get and totally gets that it's not 'Just' MS! But have certainly had my fair share of people telling me I should be better by now....

Having said that I found that I was my own worst enemy on it. And once I stopped being so hard on myself and accepted some help things got a bit better. Xx