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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Hyperemesis Support

989 replies

LucindaE · 14/08/2021 09:39

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/topics/nausea-vomiting-in-pregnancy
I would like to thank everyone who has given such invaluable support and advice on this and on previous threads.
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.
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.

Hyperemesis Support
Hyperemesis Support
OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
LucindaE · 22/09/2021 19:05

Ah, and MrsNovember and kalidasa Congratulations on scans!

OP posts:
LucindaE · 23/09/2021 14:23

I hope everyone is coping in this lovely autumn weather. Wet weather forecast: I always think it is more bearable to be ill in dismal weather.

OP posts:
thingymaboob · 23/09/2021 14:43

Hiya. Just checking in. Sorry so many suffering. @kalidasa how are you getting on with things?
@abbs1 just checking in to see you're still
Ok?
@meg232xx are you still going in and out of hospital?
@FateHasRedesignedMost sorry you're at the beginning of this journey. What weirdness about ondansetron only being able to be prescribed from a specialist. Was that in the U.K?

Waves to everyone else! Sorry to those overlooked.

20 weeks and still vomiting daily normally twice. Slept 12 hours today. Fell asleep after DD in bed. 8pm until 6am then got up with DD. DH took her to preschool and I went back to sleep for two hours! Madness.
Had my invite for my booster vaccine today.

MrsNovember · 23/09/2021 22:56

@thingymaboob that’s interesting… I wonder if we’ll all get them? I wasn’t sure how they were prioritising the boosters.

Sorry to hear about the ongoing puke… I’m desperately hoping by 16 weeks it may ease for me… I had a bad evening after a day of feeling ‘on the edge’ but doing everything I could to avoid it.. finally succumbed though and also coughing with germs the kids have brought home from school - although did do a PCR test just in case and desperately hoping not Covid.

On that note- Has anyone had the flu vax yet this autumn? Does anyone know if I need to ring and book it myself or do the gp / midwife get in touch? I normally have it for asthma, but have no idea how it came about booking last year- where is my memory?

Loving the positivity @LucindaE - I think going through this during the summer months has been particularly rough, but I suppose there’s no good time is there. Bring on the rain, definitely much more bearable if there’s nothing fun going on outside!

FateHasRedesignedMost · 24/09/2021 09:45

Life as a wilderness medic sounds as if it was exciting

It was but I don’t miss it 😊
I’m unfortunately prone to travel sickness (especially in small aircraft or turbulence) which is very embarrassing when you’re meant to be the medic. I’m not great with boats either, soon as the boat starts to roll I’m hanging over the railings. I’ve heard women with HG often suffer travel sickness all their lives (I have done since childhood) wonder if there’s a link?

Gynaecologist kindly prescribed metaclopramide which is helping a bit but predictably causing diarrhoea (great 😬) so I’m trying to manage without as haven’t reached the HG peak yet. She agreed to book an early scan but will get back to me as she needs to find a slot.

I’m still managing most school runs. For now! My 6-year-old bizarrely asked me if I have a baby in my tummy (kids must be able to sense something or he’s connected vomiting with pregnancy!) I told him I don’t know yet (I want to wait for early scan to make sure it’s viable first).

Yesterday I had a formal stage 1 sickness review with my manager and HR (NHS) as they wanted to temporarily re-deploy me due to the amount of sick leave I’ve had (laparoscopy in July then post op kidney infection sent my Bradford score sky high). But they had to quickly back track as now I’m pregnant they can’t legally progress to another formal meeting (or re-deploy me while I’m suffering HG!) However they want a sick note confirming it’s pregnancy related, payroll won’t accept sick note letters from my gynaecologist as they’re in the wrong format and my NHS GP puts me on hold so long I give up.
So I’ve paid £60 for a private phone consultation with a GP today who can hopefully provide the sick note (and maybe even prescribe ondansetron 🤞).

How’s everyone else doing?

FateHasRedesignedMost · 24/09/2021 09:47

What weirdness about ondansetron only being able to be prescribed from a specialist. Was that in the U.K?

Yes in the U.K. I suspect it’s a funding issue, eg some GP surgeries aren’t licensed to prescribe certain meds. This was in Leeds though and we now live in the South East so hopefully it’s better down here.

FateHasRedesignedMost · 24/09/2021 09:52

I hope everyone is coping in this lovely autumn weather. Wet weather forecast: I always think it is more bearable to be ill in dismal weather

Agree! Last time I had HG it was a summer pregnancy and the heat made it so much worse.

I like crispy autumn mornings, woolly jackets and doing the school run in semi darkness (less chance of being seen if I have to vomit in a roadside bush!!) Same for umbrellas, they’re like a shield you can hide under.

kalidasa · 24/09/2021 14:24

@FateHasRedesignedMost yes I have terrible travel sickness. My seasickness is particularly bad - a couple of summers ago DH and I took the boys out on I kid you not a pedalo (!) on the totally flat Mediterranean and I felt so ill I had to get out and swim alongside to avoid being sick!! Literally no swell whatsoever and (obviously) it was only going the speed of . . . a pedalo. My HG is also very movement-related so I assume the balance system is somehow involved. I've had labyrinthitis a few times too, quite similar symptoms. Hope you can keep struggling along for a bit longer how far along are you now? Metocloprimide had that effect on me too. (And eventually also neurological symptoms, which is why I had to come off it.)

Funnily enough, my six year old also TOTALLY knows. We have explained that I've a problem with my balance making me sick and dizzy, and the very first time we said this he immediately said "like when you have a baby"? And every day for the last week he's segued from asking about my illness / whether I'll have to go to hospital to some sort of question about babies: when you know you're pregnant, whether I could still have a baby, how do they get in there etc etc. Meanwhile my 8 year old (very literal and much less emotionally intuitive) is totally incurious and has accepted our explanation at face value. We won't tell the children till the 12 week scan I think, as I'm 41 and very conscious that even after a good first scan this week at 7 weeks there's still a relatively high chance of a first trimester loss.

I'm 7 and a half weeks now and have started vomiting again despite the Xonvea I threw up this morning, but not much, and so far it is controllable which is really great, I'm still managing to eat and drink small amounts regularly. Always before I have lost control very quickly after starting to be vomit and ended up in hospital not long after. If I can manage still to be at home when I turn 8 weeks at the start of next week I will be thrilled I was hospitalised before 7 weeks with both the boys. But I'm also very aware that I'm not yet at the peak, which for me is usually about weeks 8-10, so things could change quickly.

@thingymaboob in my first pregnancy the best bit was really late, about weeks 25-30 I think, so you could still have a better patch! In that pregnancy I was still throwing up every day until about 25 weeks and really thought it would never stop, but it did finally ease off at least for a month or so.

thingymaboob · 24/09/2021 15:22

@MrsNovember I've been offered the booster due to my job as paramedic but paramedics can't work on ambulances when pregnant, even before covid, as soon as you inform them you're pregnant you're on light duties. I work in a specialist team in hospital now and have been pulled back from clinical work and am working from home (due to HG and asthma) but I will be front line after mat leave which is one of reasons I am getting booster now as not sure what will happen next year and don't want to be working in "covid A & E" without having had booster.
In terms of flu jab, I just walked into my local pharmacy today and they gave me one there and then!

LucindaE · 24/09/2021 19:34

thingymaboob Sorry you are still vomiting at 20 weeks. Encouraging information from kalidasa. I have been wondering about Meg232xx. I do hope she isn't suffering too horribly.
FateHasRedesignedMost Yes, that is so true about umbrellas as a form of cover.
kalidasa What you and others say about travel sickness is interesting. I had it in early childhood, but not afterwards.

MrsNovember So true.
I have to attend a family meeting this weekend, but I hope to be back on Monday.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

OP posts:
FateHasRedesignedMost · 25/09/2021 08:30

Good news: I had an appointment with a private GP yesterday who wrote me a sick note for 4 weeks (citing ‘debilitating hyperemesis gravidarum’) so work cannot now progress with formal sickness reviews or redeployment or terminate my contract as my sickness is confirmed to be pregnancy related! He also gave me a prescription for a month’s worth of ondansetron and wrote to my NHS GP to recommend they continue this prescription as needed.

FateHasRedesignedMost · 25/09/2021 08:37

kalidasa

That’s interesting about your 6 year old intuitively knowing too! Mine caught me getting dressed this morning and said ‘mummy why are you nipples so big and dark, are you going to make milk?’ I can’t believe he’s cottoned on so quickly. I have to get through his 6th birthday party tomorrow, DH is doing the heavy housework but I’ve got so much tidying and dusting to do.

I’ve actually lost track of how far along I am! My last period started on 14th August so I guess I’m around 6 weeks? However it was a very light short period compared to usual so now I’m wondering if I’ve got my dates right. Guess the scan will tell! I’m 36 and have stage 4 endometriosis (had surgery in July) so my risk of ectopic/miscarriage is high; I can’t relax until I’ve had the scan!

FateHasRedesignedMost · 25/09/2021 08:40

Is everyone having the covid booster jab?

I’ve been offered it as I’m NHS (not that I’m working right now, I can’t even go in the car without vomiting so getting to a vaccination centre would be tricky).

I’m double jabbed but not sure about the booster. I had covid last December (just before the jabs) it was horrendous but I’m hoping I still have antibodies/T cells against it? Or is it recommended in early pregnancy now?

thingymaboob · 25/09/2021 08:55

@FateHasRedesignedMost RCOG are recommending eligible women to get booster. I am getting mine - got an appointment in October. Only pushed to October as had flu jab yesterday and got the whooping cough one next week so spreading them out. Felt pretty rough after second Pfizer jab

Catconfusion · 25/09/2021 09:25

@FateHasRedesignedMost thanks for bringing up the booster. I’m a little confused as to what I would have if I am offered it. I’m double jabbed with Astra Zeneca and that one isn’t recommended in pregnancy. Would it be the Pfizer one? If so would it be as effective as I’ve not had Pfizer previously? So many questions at the moment… My midwife seemed to think they’re looking at combining the flu jab with the Covid one. Sounds like something that might be available way in the future. Xx

thingymaboob · 25/09/2021 09:44

All the boosters are either Pfizer or moderna so millions of people who've had AZ will now have an mRNA vaccine. Research is showing that using the different ones elicits a very strong immune response, and mRNA is safe in pregnancy (based on what we know so far)

Catconfusion · 25/09/2021 10:20

Thanks @thingymaboob that’s really reassuring. I do tend to have strong reactions to medications generally so I am a bit worried. I was ill for three days after the AZ with high fever and flu like symptoms. I know AZ is notorious for this. Hopefully if I have a booster it’ll be easier. My second jab was just before I conceived so I should hopefully be well covered for now. Xx

kalidasa · 26/09/2021 11:09

I'm in France and I don't think they are doing boosters here. I've had double AZ jab but also had Covid really quite badly (was briefly in hospital) back in March/April 2020 so am hopeful that between those I have decent immunity!

Vomiting really ramping up for me now despite Xonvea as I approach the 8 week mark. At the moment I am managing to limit it to 2-3 times a day by staying pretty much motionless the rest of the time, and still managing to eat and drink a bit, I think OK. Constantly dreaming of food though which I remember from previous times as a symptom of serious underlying hunger! Feel confident that I'm still OK at home for now but it wouldn't have to get much worse for me to lose my grip on it. I have ketostix so will start using them if I'm concerned. Feeling really grim now as the nausea is so strong and unrelenting but I know I am not that far from the peak. One day at a time!

abbs1 · 26/09/2021 11:32

I had both AZ ones. One in Feb one in May. Im gonna ask about booster as Im meant to be on blood thinners (asprin) to help prevent pre eclampsia again but its making me feel awful so I stopped and waiting to speak to obstetrician.

I hope everyone is coping ok. Ive been reading posts but not had much time to reply as my little boy has been keeping me very busy atm.

I hope the weather continues to cool down as I remember that helped a lot with the nausea and sickness as I wasnt sweating so much.

theconfused · 26/09/2021 14:18

Hi ladies, I hope you're all well and making the most of the lovely weather (or at least trying to)

I've come down with a cold and I keep hearing things like you can't take normal over the counter medication?

It's honestly the worst thing ever, I think my husband picked it up from one of his nephews who got it from the nursery, great!

But any tips on what I can do? I'm struggling so badly rn and the sickness doesn't help either when your throat is burning as it is:(

I feel I've got a temperature and my body is just achy- any tips on how to get rid of this? (I'm 13 weeks atm if that helps)

abbs1 · 26/09/2021 14:35

@theconfused oh no! Being poorly and a cold etc isnt good. Can you have a look at lozenges? They may contain paracetamol but I think you can take paracetamol if absolutely necessary. I had to have some when i was pregnant with my son around 12-14weeks. Just be careful taking anything on an empty stomach if your still vomiting as the pain is horrendous. I had to have IV paracetamol in hospital in the end.

If in doubt check with your midwife. I hope you feel better soon.

theconfused · 26/09/2021 15:10

@abbs1 thank you!

I've got myself some of them now- phoned 111 and they said paracetamol is fine.

I was worried because I read an article about the dangers of paracetamol!

abbs1 · 26/09/2021 17:07

@theconfused oh thats good. I think they mainly say avoid it first couple weeks of pregnancy when everything is forming so rapidly in the womb and also that women arent taking it on a regular basis throughout pregnancy.

MrsNovember · 26/09/2021 18:40

Hi all, been in and out of the thread - wrote a reply and it deleted Shock and I gave up and thought I’d reply later.

@theconfused sorry to hear you’re unwell, a lot is going around at the mo. I’m 14 weeks and the pharmacist just said no to everything my partner asked- I drank a lot of honey and lemon last week. Obviously with Hg I’m entirely off it this weekend.

Glad to hear some of you have been getting booster through work, I suppose we’ll hear more about the booster later in the winter. Sounds like some are still really suffering and that your employers aren’t being great. My fit note runs out next weekend, so just crossing my fingers to see how I am.

Was planning to get my flu vaccine then returned a positive Covid PCR on Friday morning after being unwell and getting worse quite quickly. I have been feeling pretty ropey, and coughing so much it isn’t helping sickness triggers. I’m in a horrible loop again. Thankfully partner and step kids who live with us all returned negative PCRs, but it does mean I’m banished to my room (which is no different to the last 10 weeks of my pregnancy with HG!). Feeling utterly rubbish but thankful I’d had both jabs so not as severe. Hoping it passes quickly, I was really enjoying a glimpse of what life with lessening HG could look like. Hmm

Looks like rain most of this week. Actually looking forward to hearing it through the window as I hibernate. Perhaps this is me til baby comes in March now Smile

Putting my positive pants on for the week and hopeful I start seeing a change with HG and Covid. Flowers

FateHasRedesignedMost · 26/09/2021 19:17

I've come down with a cold and I keep hearing things like you can't take normal over the counter medication?

I think you can take paracetamol to bring down your fever. Inhaling steam or using a saline spray is supposed to help sinuses/blocked nose. Homemade lemon and honey (not Lemsip as it contains decongestant) and most throat lozenges are safe (check the packet). I find ice lollies helpful (both to numb sore throat and to help HG). Warm liquids eg weak tea in sips, or diluted herbal teas. Hope you feel better soon! If it’s really bad doctors often prescribe codeine as it’s a pregnancy-safe stronger painkiller if taken in occasional doses, and acts as a cough suppressant too.