My pregnancy sickness journey
I am yet to comprehend why people refer to sickness in pregnancy as Morning sickness. In my experience this description grossly downplays the reality of extreme nausea and fatigue that for me lasted all day, 24/7 everyday until week 20 in pregnancy one and week 18 in pregnancy two. Some people are lucky and get off lightly with either no symptoms or mild sickness, perhaps in the morning but between 3-5% of women suffer something much worse for which the medical term is ‘Hyperemesis Gravididum’.
The low statistics of the illness account for why awareness was (and still is) relatively low. When I became ill with it, I hadn't really heard of it before. I hadn't known anyone who had ever suffered from it and I had only vaguely heard of the condition thanks to the Duchess of Cambridge who publicly shared experiencing the illness during all three of her pregnancies.
When it hit me the first time round, I remember waking up feeling like I had a black cloud over my head, I had never felt anything like it. It felt like a permanent hangover (without the fun of having the drink!), I felt weak and like I was constantly going to be sick. I questioned whether I wanted to be pregnant, I felt really low and didn't know who I could turn to to help. I found a cloud of vagueness surrounding HG which did nothing to help my anxiety levels. No doctor I spoke to could give me clear answers, the thing with HG is that it is hard to tell why some people suffer and others don’t and to what can help relieve the symptoms.
I really wish there was greater awareness and support for pregnant women suffering and since suffering myself of a charity called Pregnancy sickness support which I urge anyone suffering to look up as they have some great resources https://www.pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk/.
In the meantime, below are a few things that helped me in my HG journey that may be worth bearing in mind:
1. Keep reminding yourself that the feeling won't last forever
However awful you feel at the time, remember that the feeling cant and wont last forever. A therapist encouraged me to keep some perspective and remember that the maximum period of time I could feel this way was until the end of the pregnancy. I found this paradigm shift that how I was feeling would someday improve really helped me and luckily i didnt have to wait for the whole 9 months to feel better again.
2. There isn't a cure but there are a few things that you can try that can help
Whilst there isn’t a silver bullet that can cure it for everyone, there’s some known remedies that are worth trying out. Ginger ( eg in tea, boiled sweets, biscuits) , peppermint , citrus fruits, wearing travel compression bands, acupuncture are all worth a try.
3. Consult your doctor who can prescribe anti nausea tablets
As above, there is an element of trial and error here too but your GP can prescribe anti nausea tablets for you. I tried three different types in my first pregnancy before I noticed any difference and then the same drug made no difference in my second pregnancy and so had to try another one.
4. Eat what you can when you can
The only foods I could stomach during the worst times of my sickness were what I would describe as ‘beige foods’. These were cheese, white bread, crackers, crisps, pizza. And to drink was Lucozade. Eating little and often can help relieve nausea.
5. Lower your expectations of yourself
Cut yourself some slack and accept that you may not be able to go to the social engagements you had planned or do the activities you did pre pregnancy for a while. This is short term though and as stated in point 1 it can’t last forever. The more pressure I put on myself to go to events, the more upset I found myself when I struggled to go and had to cancel at the last minute. Clear the diary as much as you can!
6. Seek support at work
One of the things I found difficult when ill was that I struggled to work and found not telling anyone about what I was going through harder. At week 8 I decided to confide in my line manager who was really supportive and moved me onto a different project that allowed me some flexibility to work from home. Whilst I appreciate I was lucky here and not everyone works in a job where they can do that, think about if there is someone at work who you could privately confide in ( until you’re happy to share your pregnancy more widely) who may be able to support you.
If you’re suffering from HG I hope the above may help you, and as well as seeking help from a GP, if you feel it is impacting your mental health I really encourage speaking to a therapist or mental health professional.
Tinies & Co edit
DISCLAIMER: Features published by Tinies & Co are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. Always seek the advice of your GP or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition