severe hyperemesis in first two pregnancies. Accidently pregnant with third :(

[maggiemoon]

I have suffered severe HG with my first two pregnancies. I didnt move from bed for three months except to be carted to and from hospital for rehydration. My hair fell out, my skin peeled off and i couldnt even swallow my own saliva without throwing up. I lost nearly 2 stone on my first trimester. I find pregnancy debilitating and mentally exhausting. My last pregnancy was so horrific that it's left me totally phobic of vomitting.

After my two children i decided there would be no more. In fact i rarely even have sex with my husband as im worried about the consequences! Anyway, we obviously did. Once. Contraception failed so the next day i took the morning after pill. Ive just found out im 6 weeks pregnant. Im gutted, scared, angry and confused.

Has anyone suffered from HG in previous pregnancies and then had a HG-free one? Im not feeling sick yet but am expecting it any day. Am i guarenteed to get it again?

I dont think i can do it again

bump

Hiya maggiemoon

I am in the same boat as you hun.. However never hospitilised
With my DS1 i was sick for the first 4 mths couldnt work so was sacked and i had to move too.. the preg was a nightmare.. I managed to get over this ill pregnancy and fell preg again when he was 1. This was the worst sickness ever and was diagnosed with hyperemesis. Sadly i lost my babies at 12wks as they were siamese twins didnt have a scan
this nearlly destroyed me but i had to stay strong for my DS.

Then when my son was 5 i fell preg again and omg the sickness was all day n night every day and night. I went down to 6 1/2 stone but because they said i wasnt dehydrated enough i was left to deal with it alone. Then had severe anaemia too n couldnt even stand at traffic lights in ques or anything so hardly went out thru the whole preg as being sick in streets etc was embarressing. I was relieved when my DD arrived safe n healthy.
This left me terrified to have another because i just couldnt cope with the sickness etc again!
But now i am 16+6 wks preg with our 3rd.... And omg sickness is back (13wks of it now). Its all day every day, found myself crying on many occasions because i just dont want to be sick again. I plead to myself not to be sick b4 most meals and even the thought of eating sets me off. I am sick 10X a day but has slowly gone down to 3-4x and feel sorry for my 2DC having to put up with my mood swings and sickness. I have a rubbish mw atm who missed my stomach infection and messed up bloods and has fobbed me off with "oh u'll be ok its just MS!!!"

i am lucky in the way my DP doesnt work as we moved 150 miles back home near our family n is still looking for a job.. he is offputtin it tho till i feel better enough to handel the house school runs etc alone. Hopefully very soon!
So i do sympathise with how your feeling.
The thing that keeps me goin is that its all worth it in the end. i'm under consultant care for 20wks so makes me feel a lil more relaxed..
Strength as a mum comes from inside and i'm sure you'll get through it like i am doing.
If your extremely worried speak to your GP before it all starts so the sec it does you are well prepared.
Your not guarenteed to get it again but there is a higher chance you will. it may not be as bad tho you just dont know till it happens.
Stress dont help sickness either so try to relax as much as possible.

All the best hunni and take care of yourself xx

thanks smiler. Hope you feel better soon.

im petrified. will have to consider my choices if the sickness starts. Im not strong enough to do it again.

My friend had HG in her first pg, and was hospitalised for dehydration & sick until the end... (although not sure if it was as bad as you describe) but only normal morning sickness in the 2nd one.

Sorry that not more help... she was waiting for the HG and it never came. Yes she was sick a couple of times a day in the first trimester in her 2nd pregnancy but it wasn't totally dehabilitating in the way it was first time round.

Awwwww hunni

i didnt think i'd be strong enough but youd be surprised what you can get through.. speak to your gp asap hun so you know all options and what help you can get support etc..

i do understand because after my MC i couldnt face havin another baby/sickness/terrified id lose it again etc so i had an abortion.. i regret it 100% now but it was the right choice for me at that time. It doesnt mean your wrong or a bad person as 1st and formost comes your DC and yourself. Esp if you think that you definately wouldnt cope with the HG. I'm not saying your considering this option or puttin it in your head.

There is medication to help the sickness.. did u try any of these with your other DC??

What has you DP said?

hope u'll be ok
worried bout ya now xx

ps... i hope u dont get the sickness and all goes ok for you xxxxxxxx

thanks both. That is helpful mumnwlondon as most research shows HG gets progressively worse - so a positive story is great to hear.

Smilerjane - thank you too! I'll be OK, whatever decision I make. Its early days so I might wait to see how things progress - youre right - maybe i'll be lucky this time . DP is supportive with whatever decision i make but i dont think he would survive another hyperemesis pregnancy either - it's tough on him too!

Just gutted that im in the position to have to make the choice - we were always so careful!

I have had hyperemesis with both my first two - never quite bad enough to be hospitalised (almost purely because I could drink lucozade). Lost two stone each time, eased by 20 weeks but carried on being sick til the end.

I am 13 weeks with DC3. I have 'only' lost a stone and gradually (and was overweight to start so normal weight loss if that makes sense). I am sick on average 3 times a day (most of those before 9 am and then might not be sick all day!!!). Some days I am only sick once .

Don't get me wrong, I still feel pretty crap and am limited in what I eat - but I can eat some things and keep them down. I am also out and about - a bit dizzy but fine. I havent cried once or even really felt miserable about the level of sickness. I certainly havent laid in bed sobbing for my DH to 'just do anything to put me out of my misery'. I haven't thought about ending the pregnancy once or miscarrying (sorry for sensitive subject- I never truly wanted to but it is often a fantasy when you have hyperemesis as you feel SO awful).

So things dont have to be that bad. I was shocked - this is my easiest pregnancy by far and some days I even forget I am pregnant.

oh, thats great news peppa! Im particularly worried about HG this time because we have a holiday of a lifetime booked to australia in 4 weeks as we've had the most awful year (dd has been diagnosed with a long term chronic illness and its been very stressful) so we were really looking forward to going away and relaxing as a family! As you can tell, this pregnancy has been a BIG shock.

The thought of the 24 hour flight with two children was bad enough without throwing up the entire way! Obviously we wont be able to go if the HG rears it's ugly head. It's just such bad timing. Sorry - now feeling VERY sorry for myself!

I had HG with both No 1 (boy) and No 3 (girl) - hospitalised several times, up to 20 weeks etc, etc. Truly vile.

Nos 2 and 4 (currently 35 weeks) were severe morning sickness - sick a couple of times a day up to 26 weeks , continually nauseous even at this late stage, but able to keep down liquid and carbs a bit so never as bad as the other two. It's fairly debilitating and frustrating but not in the same despair-inducing league at all.

It IS possible it won't be so bad. Can't promise but it IS possible!

You could always get as prepared as poss before yr Oz trip with some serious anti-emetics just in case from GP??? To be swallowed at the first sign of mild nausea before the swallowing becomes imposs? Also keep hydrated and go to bed really early every night - tiredness seems to send me heaving so I've been trying to avoid doing anything post 7 pm except lying down ... since August ... am currently eligible for most boring woman alive award!

Thanks TRL. Yeah, the outlook is not looking great for getting some form of morning sickness is it? God, if I sailed through pregnancy, everything would be so much easier. im AMAZED youve had 4 children. Thats incredible. (and making me feel a bit ashamed that i feel i cant do it).

Well to be frank, Maggiemoon, No 4 is a complete and total 'accident'. I would never, ever in a zillion years have risked another planned pregnancy after No 3 given the HG I had with her. Really there were times when I'd have happily cut her out and wrung her embryonic little neck i I hadn't been too weak and dripped up! So, No 4 is not so bad as I was expecting when I found out.

Is it possible for you to plan ahead as if you are going to get HG - I mean, sort out some help with childcare or cooking or cleaning or something for the next few weeks so that in the worst case scenario of it rearing its grim & ugly head, there's a family back up system so you don't need to worry so much? I don't know if you've got family around who'd step in or galoshes of cash? It may not be feasible but I got so tense this time round just expecting to get ill and that stress/tiredness thing seems to trigger me off.

Don't know if any of that's any help, but I am sooo on your side!

If you decide to go ahead, and decide on balance to take medication, get yourself ondansetron and omeprazole. It's helped me stay out of hospital, and not lose weight, for the first time. I'm on my 3rd HG pregnancy.

I would also agree with others who've said there hasn't been a progression in terms of getting worse each time. My first was the worst by far, but then like many, no one believed me, so I had no care at all.

I must say though, there is no way I would go ahead with a 4th - that is one brave women! Though I do think we're all terribly brave to have any more than 1!

I have had 4 DC, youngest is 6 months.

DD1 - bad HG. Hospitalised 5 times

DS1 - terrible HG - hospitalised 12= times

DD2 - just about HG. hospitalised once

DS4 - No HG! Was still nauseous, but no where near as bad!

So it is not inevitable.

Maggiemoon - what anti-emetics have you been on in the past? Here is what you need to do to get the good ones.

Go to Gp now. Ask for referral to obstetric consultant, which is what HG pregnancies are meant to get. Ask for anti-emetics. If they don't work, keep going back to try others. Ask for as quick a referral as possible.

Go to pharmacy, buy ketostix, for checking own urine to make sure you know when dehydrated. Getting treatment quickly, is key. Also buy phenergan, which helps some women with the nausea, and also knowcks you out a bit and makes you sleepy, good for avoiding hg.

When consultant appt comes through, ask for ondansetron. Say no other anti-emetics work for you, to get them. They are the bees knees. GP's won't prescribe it unless a consultant tells them to (though by all means ask GP, just in case).

You may end up in hospital for rehydration before consultant appt comes through. If so, again, beg for ondansetron. (also known as Zofran).

You may also need to consider an anti-depressant as part of your drug regime, as depression is triggered by hg.

Here is a link to best hg site, with loads more information and support. [www.helpher.org]

I think its tragic that HG "care" in this country is so shoddy that women who are good, loving mothers of their other DC often consider terminations. All I can say about that decision, is that although it would mean no HG, a termination often exchanges one set of problems for another. I speak as someone whose sister has had 8 years of counseling and 2 failed suicide attempts, following a termination, which led to post traumatic stress disorder.

So pursue getting some great treatment first, if you can. Let your HV know, and she should start visiting you regularly now. Tell your midwife you might not be able to make it to ante-natal appts, she might need to come to you.

If you can afford it, start planning childcare/help in the house now. Can you let us know which part of the country you live in, in case any of us can meet up to offer a shoulder to cry on?

I got pg accidentally with my third. Because of my sisters experience I didn't consider termination, but my hg ended up not being as bad, and I in the end chose to get pg again with number 4. Try to put out of your mind hg experiences, and think about positive bits of your previous births/early days with new baby, and all the joy ahead.

link here

thank you all for your support!

Lymond - I finally got ondanstron in my last pregnancy and stayed on it until week 42, and although it helped, i still struggled.
Also - thats so sad about your sister. Did she ever go on to have any more children?

Im afraid of what hyperemesis will do to my relationship with dh and the children too. If I go ahead with the pregnancy it means cancelling the 4 week holiday to australia (and this is a BIG deal to us - we have only ever been to west wales on holiday!) This was more than just a holiday for us - we've had an awful year with dd's illness (severe juvenile arthritis) and it was a way of recouperating and enjoying time as a family. DS has really suffered this last year as it's ALL been about DD and her pain and hospital / physio appoitments and i feel ive really neglected him. DD is currently on chemothereapy treatment for her arthritis and has only just improved enough to walk again. I feel it would be so unfair on them to put them through HG Hell. In answer to another question though - i do have lots of extended family support around.

Anyway, youve all given me lots to think about. It's reassuring to know it may not be AS bad as before and youre right - managing it early on would probably help.

Thanks again.

I'm not sure why it would mean canceling the holiday? I've always found that my HG is least bad on days I can sleep in, not rush around too much, and am free from the stresses of normal life. Could you achieve that on holiday? I also think that fun things are distracting. I flew to and from Barbados at 13/15 weeks with DC1, I didn't enjoy the flight but they upgraded us (!) and got out oxygen for me when I got faint at one point.
(Or you could postpone the trip for a year or two, and go as a family of 5!)

Re my sister; she had a termination on medical advice as had just been found to have cancer. After treatment she thought she'd be infertile, but actually has had three children! But she still really gets depressed about the termination, as now medical science has moved on and the cancer she had wouldn't be treated with chemo... so she feels she should have got the Dr's to find another solution. Very sad.

Did you know that ondansetron works best when you are well hydrated? So starting it after you've started vomiting means you're already on a downward cycle. I would go to the GP now, if I were you, and claim to already be vomiting, and get a prescription for ondansetron. Then start taking it the second you feel sick. DH thinks that doing this made a huge difference to my HG not being as severe for DC3&4. Have you tried phenergan before?

It sound really tough with your DD. All I can say about DC coping whilst we have HG is that they are more resilient than us, and when you see them with their baby sibling it all sems worth it.

Your OP reminded me to hassle DH to have a vasectomy!

Hi maggiemoon..

i hope that your feeling ok. I totally agree with Laymond. At the point of my termination my head was a mess my partner had walked out on me so i was alone. i so wish i hadnt done what i did n live in sadness n regret at the time i was suicidal but snapped out of it cuz of my DS at the time needed me. The thing that gets me through is my 2DC so that route caused more long term problems than i expected. Go see your GP n dont let them fobb you off like my mw does to me still. i'm lucky now tho as my sickness has gone right down. Sorry if i have not filled you with hope or been much help. but i do know how you feel xx
See your GP and find out EVERY option. I hope all goes well for you hunni i really do.
Sorry Laymond to hear about your poor sister. I hope that you both are well.

Take care all of you

How are you today Maggiemoon?

Hi Lymond,

Im feeling fine. Now THAT is worrying me!

Thanks for all your advice - i'll keep you updated. There's no point worrying until the HG starts and i'll deal with how i feel about it mentally then. Until then dr has given me cyclazine (pfft )

Those of you currently suffering - good luck and keep strong!

Would the GP not give you ondansetron, on the basis that your consultant prescribed it before?

Glad you're not feeling sick a the moment!

I know this is yrs ago but Oml someone else that was the same as me!!! I was hospitalised every 3 days for 4days!!! Everything the same my own body smell made me vomit my saliva food drinks anything I could smell or think of!!! I lost so much weight I looked terrible like a drug addict almost!!!
It wasn't until my second pregnancy I took it further with my complaints for someone to really find something to ease this as I was in too often and becoming malnutrioned every week!!! They eventually argued between doctors consultants nurses were confused they all said they had never seen someone so bad!!!
I finally was prescribed Odansatron!! This is for chemo people for sickness!!! This was like a god send!!!
I took this at 3am with a biscuit went bk to sleep for hr woke up threw up and I was fine to eat throughout the day. I'm not going to sat my I was happy go lucky because I was still weak but I definitely had it under control.
5yrs later I'm now in my 3rd pregnancy and I thought my sickness was back as I woke up at 7weeks feeling horrid but I noticed I didn't have a bad taste in my mouth. I decided to take the tablets but I still felt sick. I tried to let myself be sick but was only a small amount of bile. I knew something was different this time... I could control it myself. I've only been sick twice in 1week so I'm not sure if it's even going to happen so I stopped taking the tablets. I'm hoping this one is different for me.