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, phone them on:
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.
It has been suggested that I add some practical tooth cleaning advice: a lot of sufferers find using a child's small toothbrush and strawberry toothpaste far less nauseating.
On my image of a pink castle: that is an image I use because when I was little, my family had a Snakes and Ladders board with an image on the last square of a pink castle in the clouds. As Hyperemesis is so like a grotesque version of Snakes and Ladders - eat a meal, go up a ladder, first thing in the morning bile run, down a snake - I have used the image of that pink castle on the last square of that Snakes and Ladders board as a metaphor for the happy end of Hyperemesis.

Hi everyone, sorry I've been quiet - I'm utterly worn out each day so life is mostly bed as soon as I'm home from school! I'm so sorry to read that everyone is having such a horrible time, especially in cases where there's no support and you're being let down. I'm glad you got fluids @eallison88 after all that waiting and I'm sorry your doctor is being so harsh @avacadooo I imagine I would've been given zero sympathy if I'd been back again to dr ginger biscuit but I'm incredibly lucky that I'm over the worst of it.
Sorry you've been poorly too @LucindaE xx
I'm eating semi normally now, as long as I'm careful and doing have anything too rich I can get away with it. It's making all the difference and I'm finally able to play with DD and give her some attention!
Sending lots of hugs to everyone suffering, it's incredibly hard and you're all amazing xx

@silversplodge - I’ve been expressing too. It’s hard work! In my case it’s becusse my daughter struggled to feed and it was so stressful. Plus she ended up allergic to dairy so really would want to avoid formula on those grounds, otherwise I probably wouldn’t be so anxious.
I also had an attempted sweep on weds and they could find cervix but couldn’t get it. Unfortunately my blood pressure is also climbing so things may need hurrying on sooner anyway (which is what happened with my big girl). So it may be an earlier induction away. And whilst I ideally want less intervention and mw led unit intimately I just need us both safe. Mw coming out this morning to check ne again and have another go at a sweep if I don’t need admission.

eal and beanhunter I have no reason to need to harvest colostrum, it was suggested again in the antenatal class to be a good idea for everyone to avoid that dreadful formula before milk comes in or if unexpected problems. I think I feel more confident at least knowing how to do it and that I'm definitely already producing something.
Hope the steroids kick in quickly and the sweep today works and BP settles.
norbert I was fairly similiar when at work of doing literally nothing but work then straight to bed and I think in retrospect it meant I should have done even less work. Could you scale back a bit more?

Silver interesting about harvesting colostrum. I had never heard that about one bottle of formula guiningngut bacteria, I’m going to research it. With dd just before we were about to leave hospital a foreign mw came in and announced dd looked a bit jaundice and she woukdnt allow me to leave the hospital with herher until I gave her a bottle of formula (I was bfing). This despite my notes saying all goin well with bfing and no previous comments about dd looking jaundice. She literally forced me into it. I had been waiting for about 6 hours to leave but had to wait until they had time to discharge me and didn’t know her actions were rubbish. I hope it didn’t ruin dds gut (althiugh we were later forced into formula top ups anyway).

Eal how ar you feeling this morning? Just goes to show how good the steroids are and what a difference they make.

Bean you sound like you have a healthy attitude to potential interventions, I hope the day comes as soon as it can but not too early!

Norbert poor you, but good to hear from you and glad you’re ticking along. It makes such a difference when you can eat.

Cattaxi that’s great news, fingers crossed fo you.

silver I've never heard that about colostrum either. DS ended up having a bottle or 2 of formula before I was fully aware of my surroundings and able to fully function and he's been fine. His appetite now as a 16mo is pretty impressive if I do say so myself 😂
As a side note, I'm leaving my boobs alone. Ain't got time to try and express. I know full well I can feed. My milk comes in thick and fast.
(Adds breast pads to mental list of things to stock up on)

As for me, I'm currently awake watching Our Planet on Netflix waiting for SiL to wake up so I can go back to sleep. DH is at a job interview today and we really need him to get it. He'd be on 27k which is over double what he was on in his previous job. And there's a brilliant route for improvement and earning more which will help with getting on the property ladder. Our lack of job atm is really stressful and we'll be effectively homeless by end of June at the latest if nothing comes our way. Just hoping that's not going to happen.

Tbhreastie I still feel like shit. Still feeling rrally nauseous, despite the steroids, which is really worrying me. Still have ketones despite 3 bags. They're talking about doing a blood ketone test cos of the diabetes. I've only just been given breakfast; a piece of white toast and marmalade. Having had neither for months, my stomach is rrally struggling to deal with it. I've had IV omeprazole and IM ondansetron this morning to limit my oral intake. But I'm not sure either have made me feel any better. I'm feeling very sorry for myself this morning. It's hubbys last day at current job today, so I'm trying to leave him to enjoy it, but I just want him here with me; he remembers what people say better, understands what's happening,and generally makes me feel like things are ok.

Oh eal, poor you. Do you have any family that coukd come and just give you moral support? An dh come after work? Btw wtf white bread and marmalade for a diabetic?! It reminds me of them trying to give me macaroni cheese last time when I told them I was gluten free and would be really ill if I ate gluten (so can’t have pasta!). If I lived closer I’d say I coukd drop some food into you at hospitak as I know what a difference it makes tommamage to eat certain things at certain times in managing it. Hopefully once your ketones are back to normal you’ll feel a bit better and increasing the steroids will help things get managed more.

Dead best of luck to your dh, cross fingers for you.

Hubby us coming at 12.30pm. I'm being hooked up to another bag of fluids, on a 4 hour drip thru. Which means I'll be here over lunch. So I'm gonna have to negotiate a dairy free diabetic friendly lunch.... Hubby is also going to try and bring food in. There's a Sainsbury's a few mins drive away, so he can go buy stuff if needs.

So sorry to those who are really suffering at the moment, the hospital admissions sound so hard. It does make me feel a fraud posting here when I haven't experienced that.

I had a 13 week scan and harmony results today and found out we are having a second little boy! It is making the pregnancy feel much more real which is nice because so far it has just felt like a very long illness.

I fainted on the tube on the way to the appointment which wasn't ideal. I'm trying to get hold of my booking in blood results from hospital from a month ago to see if I might be anaemic but the hospital are so useless they just don't pick up the phone. Not sure what I can do about that really.

Still not hooked up to 4th bag... cannula site suddenly became very painful so had to recannulate. Doctor tried and failed twice so now waiting for aneastetist. Which would suggets that I'm still fairly dehydrated...! And I've basically been told to get hubby to bring lunch in for me as dairy free option is likely to be crap. Marvellous. Part of me just wants to go home where there is food and drink (I've stopped being able to drink now as well cos all my ice has melted and apparently there's no ice in the hospital...). Part of me knows that if I do I'll be back tomorrow, or the day after, as I'm currently too dehydrated to effectively manage this myself. I just need someone to get this bag of fluid in me. And to be able to eat and drink - as in actually have food and water that I can tolerate, to give me half a chance of actually getting it inside me. I did not expect to be in this state again in this pregnancy.

Congratulations on the boy elkie. You're not a fraud, you're suffering just like the rest of us. It's just that some of us (ie me!!) seem to like a little more drama...!!

Oh gosh so sorry everyone is having such a hard time. Sorry Eal but that hospital sounds useless, hope you feel better soon!
School is all done now, no more school run, yay! Still getting over this cold, constantly blowing my nose and can feel it running down my throat... yuck. But I’m 21 weeks now and I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not going to feel normal again during this pregnancy so I’m just going to accept that and try and plod on. And hopefully deliver early.

Quick update. I've been discharged, just waiting for hubby to get here to take me home. feeling better in terms of hydration than I did yesterday, but I am utterly exhausted. I'm covered in plasters and bruises from failed attempts at cannula citings. Back up to 45mg steroids for a few weeks (have i said that?), growth scan and consultant apt a week on Monday. So a quiet few days ahead of me, trying to rebuild strength and maintain good hydration levels. My ketones are actually still 3+, but consultant and I agree that this is largely due to not having had enough to eat since lunch yday.

I have to admit to being surprised at the speed of my decline. Live and learn. And we'll be watching me far more closely over the coming weeks. If I'm still struggling with nausea and puking at my consultant apt I'm going to push for an earlyish c section. I can't do this for very much longer.

avocadoo How are things?
eallison My goodness. I bet you are relieved to be going. What a dreadful breakfast for someone with gestational diabetes. No wonder you feel as if you can't do it for much longer. I hope the steroids really help and you are able to eat and get some energy back. You have had a truly dreadful time,and yet always encourage others.
Reastie I thnk I forgot to congrtulate oon your scan news the other day. I never knew a midwife could discharge you. As a healthy youngster after a minor operation I was kept in hospital over the weekend as the consultant had gone home, only he could discharge me, and no-one dared contact him at home! I diidn't realise that I could discharge myself.
beanhunter All very true.
ElkieMcjibe Congratulations on scan.
DeadDoorPost Good luck for OH.That is a stressful situation about housing that you don't need.
silversplodge I wouldn't recommend an induction myself after my own experiences, but some have had good ones. It is a shame that some female doctors are extra hard on female problems. Not ones who have had Hyperemesis though, anyway...
norbert Thank you. Congratulations on eating semi-normally and on playing with your DD. Happy news.
cattaxi I do hope you have indeed turned a corner.
bili I am so sorry that things haven't looked up much.
Aplogies to anyone rudely overlooked.

@LucindaE still horrible spent the whole day babysitting (I don't know how you guys have more then one and have hg! Absolute legends)
Managed to eat some homemade chips and got the train home to great dh by running to the bathroom and shoving him out the way 😔
I'm so exhausted I could sleep for a year.

@silversplodge well done on the colostrum collecting. I didn’t last time, but might give it a whirl this time.
Please don’t worry about needing a c-section. There is a good chance you won’t. But if you do, it will be fine. I ended up with am emcs with ds. I really think that the fact that my birth plan was “whatever kind of birth I needed to get the baby out safely” helped a lot. So many of my friends were set on not having interventions and then disappointed with themselves when the needed it. And there is no point in being disappointed in yourself for something you can’t control. A c-section, if you need one, will be a literal lifesaver. My recovery was good as well. I was out walking the dog (slowly!) in 6 days. You are a hg survivor, you can cope with anything!

I hope you are comfy at home by now @eallison88. It’s amazing how quickly things can go downhill. Hopefully some decent food will help you.

I hope your blood pressure has stayed down @beanhunter. Almost time for your baby to arrive! Very exciting!

@Reastie that’s a terrible hospital experience. It irks me when you have shit people like that who give the rest of the wonderful nhs staff a bad name. My ds never had a drop of formula - little blighter would refuse anything apart from boob fresh! Expressed wouldn’t even please him 🙄

Good luck to your dh with the job @DeadDoorpost. Pregnancy is stressful enough without adding money worries. Sorry you are having a worrying time 💐

Congratulations on your boy @ElkieMacjibe

Thanks @LucindaE, I hope so too!

Not a great day for me, but not a terrible one either. Mostly exhausted - probably from yesterday’s cleaning. I did pick ds up from his 1/2 day at school and he was super pleased. He’s developed a nasty cough so we had a lovely afternoon of sofa snuggles. And now we’re both tucked up in mine & dh’s bed. I think I’m a bit dehydrated as my head is thumping. I really should get some water, but every time I move he wakes up! Maybe I’ll just text dh with my order!

I quite like Friday’s because it feels like another week down. Well done us!

@cattaxi this is going to sound insane but the reason I don't want a c section is it makes me feel hugely claustrophobic just thinking about it. I know it doesn't make sense as it wouldn't be an enclosed space, but the idea of not being able to get up until they were done makes me feel like I can't breathe.
I think HG has made it worse as anxiety leads to nausea and then I think about being on my back unable to sit up feeling like I'm going to throw up too.
I nearly had a full on panic attack the first time I was even just hooked up to a ctg as I just felt trapped and like I couldn't easily get up if I needed to, even though with that I was sitting up and could have easily removed it myself if I needed. With a section I wouldn't be able to stop it once it's started.

I know if it has to happen then it has to happen, I'm not going to refuse if the baby needs it, but equally I honestly don't know how I'd cope.

eal glad you're home and can start recuperating a bit
avacado homemade chips sound wonderful, although only if someone else was making them!
elkie congratulations on the boy!
blii sorry to hear about the cold, definitely doesn't help

Thanks everyone, I'm still taking it as easy as I can but the end of term is always a mix of trips, tests / marking and Easter madness! I'm off now for 2 weeks though and we're currently at Alton towers doing the first nice thing together since last summer! An exciting day of CBeebies land awaits and I have a very excited 3 year old who has been awake since 5... we were all asleep by 8:30 though so I can cope!
I'm sorry you're feeling worried about the thought of a c section @silversplodge I haven't had one but I think having HG makes you constantly consider the worst case which must be so difficult on top of feeling so awful anyway.
I hope everyone has a better day today and plenty of rest 😀

@silversplodge my mum made them 😂😂

I'm so hungry right now but can't eat as I'm at work and can't risk throwing up on a service user 😫 dying for dairylea on toast or a Thai green curry 😂

Well, hubby and I came to the conclusion last night that at least some of what went wrong over the last few days was a tummy bug (I won't go into details, but was battling with spectacular output from both ends). Sheer exhaustion carried me thru a pretty much full night of sleep. Very low blood sugars this morning (3.8) meant I had weetabix for breakfast. Followed by another 4 hours sleep! I am feeling much better. I'll stick with the 45mg steroids for at least the next 4 or 5 days, to make sure everything settles again. But I've never been so relieved to have norovirus (which is going round around here atm). It would also explain why I was still projectile puking even whilst on the drip - that's never been the case for me, in either pregnancy.

Eal I’m glad you know the reason why and at least hopefully you won’t experience it that badly again.

Avacadoo hope you can get something to eat soon.

Norbert I’m in awe of you managing Alton towers.

Silver I get the anxiety. I’m having a csectoin and am petrified of the fasting causing vomiting (as eating is one of the main things nw keeping it under control) and being on my back and unable to move. I don’t know if this would help but sometimes the more you research into something and have knowledge about it the more informed you are. Of course at the same count it can be better to be blissfully ignorant about things so think about which direction you’ll be better at. But chances of needing one are low. I’m having a planned one so I know it’s coming iykwim.

Cattaxi hope you have a better day today.

Average day so far for me. Had to go back to bed earlier as felt rubbish but came down for lunch. Heartburn is now biting me despite medicine. It’s weird how some days it’s fine and others it’s dire even if I eat the same, but for now I’m grateful it is intermittent having had it constantly last time.

Blood pressure ok yesterday so next planned check Tuesday with induction Thursday. However think I’ve started to lose plug so maybe things are happening? Trying not to be too desperate.

We shuffled round CBeebies land and mainly drove postman pat's car 😀 all done by half 12 and came home, but we had lots of fun.
I hope you get good news @beanhunter x

Fingers crossed things are moving, bean