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/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.

Hi All hope you are all coping as well as you can! Can I ask aside from your hg have you had other symptoms come and go? Like my boobs were swollen and sore now they’re not anymore but my hg continues. I’m 8 weeks 3 days I’m scared that I’ve had a Mac due to my boobs not hurting anymore

@Dizzysheep try not to worry. Hormones seem to come in waves. I had terribly sore boobs early on as they went up a size, now I just get odd discomfort here and there. Generally throughout pregnancy symptoms come and go.

@FateHasRedesignedMost glad to hear cyclizine is helping and that you got your prescriptions! Still not great sleep here, but I don’t have anything on this weekend, so can rest lots.

@LucindaE thanks for all the kind words. Im starting to have good days and im only 11wks today, so doing amazing!

Just wanted to send 🤗🤗🤗 to everyone. I have been reading through the posts but struggling to find a chance to reply to people. I hope everyone is doing as best as they can be. X

FateHasRedesignedMost So glad that the Omprazole has helped.
Melleebacca Great advice. That's excellent about good days.
abbs1 Lovely to hear from you with your nice message of support.

Hello everyone, I hope everyone is coping. I am over 15 weeks now and (amazingly! this never happened in my previous pregnancies) I am really doing a lot better. I'm still throwing up most days of course, but I can eat more and more normally and can be up and about at least part of each day. I am still quite a bit down on my starting weight, but I am putting weight on. Everyone says you "pop" really quickly with a third pregnancy, and I do feel like I have a tiny bump now, but it is honestly invisible to everyone else . . .

Some great news though -- I had a hospital appointment on Friday and they have discharged me back to the midwife until the last couple of months (or until my pelvis fails, which realistically it is bound to I suppose). I am officially now considered to be having a "normal" pregnancy! I have NEVER been told that at any stage of either of my previous pregnancies, and I was so thrilled I rang my Mum straight away to tell her. I would never, never have expected to have had a better pregnancy like this at 41, and in objectively quite stressful circumstances (just moved country, operating in foreign language, just lost my Dad). I mean, by normal standards I suppose it was still quite extreme because I was completely bedbound for eight weeks, but I stayed out of hospital and I am really obviously over the worse now at 15 weeks.

Anyway, I thought I would pop back in to update -- I know most people on these threads do have a significant improvement around now, but in my previous pregnancies, though I stayed out of hospital after this point, I was still so horribly ill and basically completely out of action. I really did not expect to have a significantly better time third time round (and all the same sex) but it just goes to show it can happen even if you have very, very severe HG as I did. I suppose it really is true that every pregnancy / placenta is different . . .

Courage to all still battling through the worst stage or still feeling very ill in the second or third trimester.

@Dizzysheep just to reassure you, I've always found that my boobs get huge and very uncomfortable super early but stabilise quite early too, mine definitely haven't changed much for the last 4-6 weeks. (Then they change again right at the very end.) Mine also leaked colostrum incredibly early this time round, from about 3 weeks, but that eased off too after a few weeks of weirdness! I was particularly surprised it happened so early as DS2 is 6 so it's years since I last fed anyone!

Dizzysheep Really sorry I missed your post. I hope the comments of others who weren't being as dopey as me have reassured you. I always found, too, that my bosom was most uncomfortable really early on.
kalidasa You've been discharged as having a 'normal pregnacy'! Well, it is really good that they think so - exttreme nausea and being bed bound for eight weeks before or not! Congratulations on reaching 15 weeks, gaining weight and keeping out of hospital.

@kalidasa that is all just wonderful news. I am so pleased for you!

I also am having an easier time with pregnancy number 4. I have found I have improved slightly with each one, potentially because I know to take the meds religiously and am on self inflicted bedrest every afternoon/evening. I usually would try and have dinner with the kids, but this time around I stay in bed and the reduced movement does seem to help my chances of keeping food in.

Rough night anxiety wise + plus a mosquito eating me alive. Hoping sleep returns soon.

Melleebacca My goodness, a mosquito, how horrible. I can't hear them coming any more these days; I used to be able to. I hope you will be able to eat dinner with the kids soon and cheering you on at this stressful time.

kalidasa I meant to add - I'm particularly glad that you have found this pregnancy at 41 easier, because they referred to me as a 'geriatric mother' at 36 - I don't think they use that ihnsulting term so much these days - and were reparoachful about any woman having a baby at 35+.

Morning all, hope everyone had an OK night. I’m trying to work out how I can get myself and the babies to the hospital for my endocrinologist appointment today. I’ve been vomiting for 2 hours and just can’t see how I can do 2 buses and then be in the hospital without throwing up. Already moved the appointment once 🙄. The only thing helping is just going to lay down as soon as my other half gets home from work.

BuffyFanForever A b it late now for me to suggest that you lindulge in a cab - taking some nappy bags or whatever in case you have to be sick in it?

Hi everyone, I hope you’re all ok. My last posts were about vomiting blood and being unable to move from back and pelvis pain. I’m currently 21w4d and think I’m ready to dip out of the thread now. Have had 2 osteopath sessions and the pain is gone. Have taken no medication for 2 weeks, and have been sick once in that time. I feel almost completely back to normal, energy levels are great, and I am able to start enjoying my pregnancy.

Thank you SO much for all the help and support of this thread - I would not have survived this pregnancy without most of the advice here. It’s been so amazing to not feel alone, and share all of our experiences. My GP has told me that there’s a good chance of it coming back in later pregnancy, but for now I just feel really grateful. I hope everyone starts finding some relief as their pregnancies progress. Thinking of you all.

Derbee That is wonderful! Thank you so much for coming on with your encouraging message. I am so glad that this thread has been helpful. So many sufferers find Osteopathic or Chiropratic treatment wonderful for such symptoms. True, it does come back towards the end for unlucky ones - but rarely as badly as in the beginning, thank goodness. Wishing you all the best. Remember to keep resting as much as possible: there's always the temptation to do too much once the symptoms become manageable!

So, I now know why this pregnancy has been easier on me. I feel like I have turned the corner at 11wks, which is a good 5wks earlier than I have ever before. My HG is made worse by higher levels of estrogen. My nipt results came back all clear for a healthy baby boy. I was worse with the son we lost, but that was because his genetic irregularities made my hormones well out of whack.
I’m still around, but may not be commenting as much, as I now need to build up my strength so I can be more present for my kids. Thank you all for the support thus far.

@Melleebacca that is wonderful news! I'm so glad your son is healthy. I really thought this pregnancy I might have a girl as it's been such a lot better, but no, another boy. I think worse with girls is more common, but some women with HG report the other way around. Anyway, that is such good news that your baby is healthy and you've turned a corner.

@Derbee I have found the sickness worse again in the third trimester, but from lurking on this board over many years my impression is that, generally, the earlier the HG clears up, the later any sickness returns at the end (and not everyone even with bad HG at the start throw up a lot again at the end). With DS1 I threw up every day until about 25 weeks and started throwing up again at about 30/31 (so a pretty short gap!) but as your sickness has really eased off well before that I think there's a good chance it won't reappear for a while. A lot of women find a good antacid (like esomeprazole or something) backs a particularly big difference with any sickness at the end, probably because the stomach is so squashed by then. So if you've got anything like that around, don't get rid of it! Fingers crossed for you.

I'm having a not great couple of days -- have got a bit overtired I think, not helped my DS2's class having just closed for a week due to a covid case. Great! But still basically a lot better than I was. Have also just started having osteopathy as a pre-emptive strike as the last few days I began to feel the very first beginning of twinges in my symphysis. That's a later start I think than with DS2 (when I ended up in a wheelchair for months) so I'm hopeful that with some treatment now I can stay functional for a while. I just really want to be reasonably OK for the Christmas break as I'm taking the boys back to London and want to be able to do stuff with them.

I'm trying to enjoy this pregnancy as much as I can, given that it is unexpectedly more bearable than I expected --- and there's no way I will be able to talk DH into a DC4! (Though I think if my first pregnancy or two had been more like this one I would probably have had 4 or 5!)

Courage to everyone.

@kalidasa That made me laugh! We’ve finally announced my pregnancy to family and they are all so impressed with how well I am. My grandmother even said “roll on the boys”. Even with this pregnancy being easier vomiting wise, I’m still dealing with really bad stomach cramps and fatigue. I think we are happy with the 3.
Keep looking after yourself and I hope you are well enough for Christmas. I’m hoping to be able to do some of the Christmas activities with the kids come December. Also be careful covid wise, pregnant women have weak immune systems, and another illness on top of HG would be incredibly tough.

Melleebacca Wonderful news that you're expecting a healthy baby boy. I am so delighted for you. Good that you have got off - comparatively lightly this time. As you say, you need to build your strength up. We will miss you and your great advice.
kalidasa You are very brave to go for three, anyway. Excellent idea about the osteopathy. With luck it will help you as much as it has Derbee.

I haven't updated the Due Dates list for a good while, as I didn't like to while Melleebacca was waiting for her results - but now she has the good news here we are. This is a very old list!

Due Dates
JessicaM2021 22 November
hporter10 25 December
LilmissCa 13 January
nomeslice 2 February
thingymaboob 13 February
abbs1 12 March
Catconfusion 3 April

Thanks @LucindaE I think my due date is about the 5th May. (Not quite sure because they calculate it differently here and also keep changing it!)

@LucindaE oohh I think mines 29th of March!

Nice to see everyone’s due dates! @LucindaE mine is the 26th March

@LucindaE could mine be updated to the 10th of March please x

@LucindaE very early days still but mines the 14th of June 😊

Hi ladies 👋🏻

My due date is 25 March, and like @Derbee at a similar stage I’m feeling like a new woman. I still have a few nauseous moments, and I’m scared to back off the meds (I tried it last week and it wasn’t ideal, albeit not as bad as it was) but I’ve not vomited for a week and I even went for a walk today 🎉

I do feel quite invested in all your stories now though, so will be dropping in I’m sure and @Melleebacca I’m so happy to read your news!

Thank you all for being so happy for me! I’m still nervously awaiting my scan on Monday because baby is confirmed to be genetically healthy, but there could still be structural issues. Although very unlikely.

My due date in June 5th. Smack bang in the middle of the 2wks ish there is between my birthday and Hubbys. I would love to have him before my birthday so I can eat all my favorite foods again, but it’s unlikely.