Pregnant? Feeling a bit nauseous or are you finding you are constantly being sick throughout the day?  If you are experiencing the latter then chances are you are suffering from Hyperemesis.

Morning Sickness or Hyperemesis Gravidarum and what can help

Morning or more aptly termed pregnancy sickness as it strikes at any time of the day is common within the first 12 to 14 weeks of pregnancy and affects more than half of pregnant women.  It’s nothing to worry about just your body adapting to the change in hormones due to pregnancy and normally begins at about week six.  From my own and many others experiences morning sickness can be aggravated by odours, fluctuations in temperature, tightness of clothing and hunger.

Hyperemesis

Hyperemesis on the other hand can be quiet a traumatic experience and having gone through it myself I wanted to make sure that others are not only aware of the condition but also know that they are not alone.  I have two girls and during my pregnancies with both I found that I was not just feeling sick but also being sick to the extreme that with my second daughter I began to lose weight and I also became very dehydrated and tired and as a result struggled to do many things that we take for granted in our daily lives.

The doctor then prescribed me ketone sticks to keep an eye on the level of ketones in my urine but eventually I ended up in hospital on a drip for rehydrating.

The sickness with both girls was on and off until the end of each pregnancy.  Now I am pregnant with my 3rd child and the sickness naturally decided to invade my life yet again all through the day from when I was 5.5 weeks and started easing up at about 14.5 weeks.  It was very frustrating as aside from it being quite tiring running back and forth to be sick the actual process can also be quite exhausting mentally and physically.  This time around equipped with previous experience and a strong desire to stay as far away from the hospital as possible I found coping mechanisms to help me take in fluids at least which was a great help.

What may help:

Ginger

Ginger, this was fantastic during my first pregnancy. I could drink a little ginger tea and eat crystallised ginger. But by the time I was onto baby number 2 the mere thought of it made me want to vomit.

Rest

Rest, this seemed to help a little with nausea but don’t forget your body is working hard creating new life so you will naturally feel tired and should try where possible (not so easy if you already have kids or have to work).

Controlling Fluid Intake

Drink at night.  I found the only time I could take in fluids and not bring them back up again was at night.  I would have a few bottles of water next to my bed and each time I would wake I would have a drink of water.

Food

Eating small meals if you can control yourself may help for some. Unfortunately, I found if I ate small amounts I would just vomit small amounts.

Dry foods like crackers can help and I was surprised at how many are available from the supermarkets.

Drinks

Either very hot or very cold / icy drinks.  My teas when I managed to drink a little had to be very hot or it would trigger me off.  I found that getting cartons of juice and freezing them and making them into a slushies would work wonders.

Body Temerperature

Keep an eye on your body temperature.  I found that the second I overheated I was in trouble and had to make a quick dash for the bathroom.  Make sure you wear appropriate clothing for the weather.  I almost passed out whilst talking to some other mums just after the school drop off as the sun started beating down on us and my body temperature crept higher.

Distraction.  I found that sometimes keeping myself busy rather than worry about when I would next have to go and be sick although it worked best when others were around rather than when I was on my own.

Meditation

Meditation can help some people when it comes to morning sickness. Although an individual thing practising daily may provide some relief. If you’d like to try it for yourself you might find this post by kundalini center helpful: A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation.

Candles

Burning candles with smells I could tolerate helped me to deal with the various smells in the house such as freshly washed clothes which bizarrely drove me insane and would always trigger me off.

Acupuncture

I was quite desperate just at the time the sickness began to die down a bit so I tried acupuncture.  This seemed to do the trick for a day and a half before the sickness returned with a vengeance but I hear that some people have great results with this form of treatment.

Acupressure Bands

The Acupressure bands didn’t seem to work at all for me. They are worth a try for anyone with Hyperemesis as we are all different and therefore react differently to treatments.

Orthodox Medicine

Orthodox medication is available but you will need to see your doctor about getting some.  I found that it did not work for me which was quite upsetting. I am fortunate that the sickness has eased. Although I am still being sick it is nothing like it was at the start of my pregnancy.

For those that suffer from Hyperemesis, it can be very traumatic. It is obviously not very pleasant but also because feelings of isolation can take root.  At the beginning stages of pregnancy you are unlikely to tell others.  I initially told my husband only. Eventually, I told my parents at around 10 weeks. It was pretty obvious when I was running to the bathroom.

My friends and other family members were unaware as were the other parents at the school my daughters attend as I did not go to any events and basically could be found at home in the bathroom visiting my porcelain friend, in bed trying to suppress the feeling of sickness and urge to be sick, dropping off / picking up the children and very briefly in the local supermarkets although I was caught out a few times and had to leave my trolley in a rush. Fortunately for me, I have always been an extremely happy individual but I can totally see why people would become depressed as a result of this.

Having searched online when I was getting extremely irritated by the condition I came across https://www.pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk/get-help/ . There is a helpline for those struggling with this.

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