Hyperemesis again?

[JosieB68]

I would absolutely love another baby, my first is now almost 2 but the thought of being pregnant again and suffering with hyperemesis genuinely gives me PTSD.
I was so unwell, could not function at all for around 20 weeks then for the second half of my pregnancy felt better but was still sick/ nausea.
I couldn’t go through that and look after a toddler so just wondering if anyone’s second pregnancy was different?
Hoping by some miracle I can avoid it second time round.

I had a terrible HG first pregnancy. Put off a second pg for longer than I’d have liked. Filled my freezer with ice lollies, started seeing and acupuncturist, got cyclizine from my GP… still ended up I hospital at 8 weeks pg, on and off for a couple of months.

I had HG in my first pregnancy, I lost 2 stone, was in hospital on and off for the whole pregnancy. I’ve since had 2 more DC and am pregnant and haven’t had HG again! With my 3rd I wasn’t even sick. This time I’ve been sick once and I’m 8 weeks now.

Currently pregnant with number 2 - first pregnancy i had HG and was medicated throughout. Only 1 hospital trip, thankfully, but enough to make me keen to avoid it happening again.

This pregnancy, I was straight onto the GP as soon as I was first sick, and was very clear about what I wanted. It took a few weeks to find the right combination that worked, because it was much earlier and I couldn't have the same drugs as last time. Still ended up off work for a bit, but I'm 16 weeks and through the worst, whereas last time at this point I was still very much in the thick of it!!!

I had awful HG with DD. Hospitalised 3 times.

Fell pregnant accidentally when she was 10 weeks old, and had my first panic attack. I was petrified that I wouldn't be able to look after her if I suffered the same again.

Although I was very sick pretty much up to 6 months, it was not HG, so hopefully things will be the same for you too .

First pregnancy I had awful HG. Wasnt hospitalised mainly because my community midwife told me what I was experiencing was normal for pregnancy.
Now pregnant again and I hate to say the HG is back and worse.
Ive been medicated since 6 weeks and hospitalised for fluids and meds.
Its constant nausea despite the medication.
Thats just me though.

I'm on pregnancy 4 and this is my first without hyperemesis! Having done it twice in 6 months last year due to miscarriages I think my body has finally gotten used to the hormones!
Each pregnancy I have started one higher step on the treatment ladder and in this pregnancy I was prescribed xonvea as a precaution as soon as I found out I was expecting as I already had a bit of nausea. I was on it for 3 weeks this time and it took all the nausea away although it was no where near as bad it usually was. I've been sick a couple of times since stopping it mostly triggered by heartburn and indigestion.

My first sounds similar to yours and I waited til my first was older and she is more able to understand.

I have been in hospital 7 times already and it's been really tough. I also took pre emeptive xonvea which was advised after my last pregnancy and it has helped compared to the last pregnancy. I have also found pregnancy sickness support useful.
Make sure you have good childcare in place as it is a struggle.
Hopefully you will be like some pp and no get it again but also be prepared for it to be worse

I've just found out that my latest pregnancy is a boy. I wonder if all the others were girls!

@Superscientist aawww congratulations!

That could well be the case as hasn't it be proven for HG to be worse with girls?
For what it's worth my first - severe HG - was a girl, second 13 months later - no HG - was a boy.

Hope you are keeping well x

Don’t want to give you false hope but anecdotally my experience has been different each pregnancy.

first pregnancy (boy) had HG my entire pregnancy, was hospitalised a few times for dehydration etc, couldn't lift my head off the pillow or open my eyes most of the time. Signed off sick from work almost my entire pregnancy as I just could not function. Tried various forms of medication from the GP, the only one that worked knocked me out for most of the day. I was sick even through labour, and then like a switch off once I had given birth.

second pregnancy (boy) normal morning sickness (severe I suppose by normal standards but NOTHING compared to HG) and only lasted the first trimester.

third pregnancy (girl) again no HG just morning sickness/nausea, but it did last longer than ‘normal’ until into my third trimester but was definitely just normal morning sickness. It wasn’t pleasant but was able to function. Again nothing like HG

I’ve been there, awful HG with my first. It did mean I wasn’t brave enough till she was 5.

But I was more prepared, accepted and managed medication much better. Yes I did still end on a drip a couple of times - but on the whole so much better.

HG is awful, I still can’t decide if nausea is worse than actually just being sick. Over sensitive to smells, it was soooo hard and unless you’ve suffered from it people have no idea. And trust me if another person mentioned ginger biscuits I was likely to loose it - medication and finding one that works was the only thing.

I had HG first pregnancy in 2022 - several hospital admissions, was off work for 3 months and it didn’t ease until around 28 weeks.

Second time, I took cyclizine preemptively (which didn’t help in my first pregnancy) and got referred to consultant care in my area from first finding out. They’d made a new treatment pathway since my first pregnancy and were brilliant at aggressively medicating to prevent it getting nearly as bad as first time. I went in as a day patient for fluids once, but no admissions this time. Also, since 2022, a new medication has been made available called Xonvea - it made a BIG big difference for me. The day before I started taking it I was pretty much bedbound, the first day on it, I went out with my toddler and husband for the morning and ate a proper meal.

There is hope your next pregnancy doesn’t have to be so bad - you have lots more info this time than first time, know how to advocate for yourself, there are new medications available and some areas have developed much better treatment pathways.

Also, I got a peer supporter from pregnancy sickness support this time and she’s been brilliant - can’t receommemd doing that enough!