As you may have now heard, the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting her third child, and she’s once again, suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum.
Hyperemesis Gravidarum, or HG, is a condition characterized by severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss, electrolyte imbalance; It is not your run of the mill morning sickness. While most women experience some form of morning sickness, HG affects about 1% of pregnancies.
To get a better understanding of just how serious this condition can be, we reached out to former client, Emily Ewing, to ask her some questions about her battle with HG.
When did you first feel the effects of HG?
For me, HG started around the 5 week mark. It did not take long before the severe dehydration began.
Did anything offer you any relief?
IV hydration and medication almost always offered temporary relief. Other than that, nothing other than sleep offered much relief.
Did if affect your relationships?
HG affected my relationships immensely. Since I was unable to work, and at times, unable to care for myself at all, I fell into a deep depression. I felt as if I were just taking up space and becoming a burden on my loved ones. In some ways, it positively affected relationships as it deepened friendships and showed me who was truly there for me during hard times and who was not.
Were you able to continue working with HG?
I worked until 13 weeks. Although, when I say “work” I mean I showed up and barely paid attention to anything other than how quickly I could run to the bathroom and heave again. I don’t remember very much from my days at work from weeks 6-13 other than being paranoid because people were starting to talk about my odd behavior and extremely sickly appearance.
What was hardest thing about being sick?
The hardest thing about being sick was the isolation and the lack of understanding. I would get people telling me that it was a normal part of pregnancy, that I should suck it up, or try ginger and crackers. NEVER tell somebody to try eating ginger, crackers, drink more water, wear sea bands, etc. While the intentions may be pure, the message never comes across as anything positive.
What would you say to someone who suspects they have HG?
SPEAK UP! I wish I had made it clear just how terrible I felt. My doctors noticed my weight loss before I ever made it a strong point at appointments. I was consistently told from colleagues and friends that this was just part of the pregnancy process. The absolutely KEY to managing HG is early intervention. Most people are able to avoid serious interventions, such as a PICC line, if they are able to manage the nausea and vomiting, therefore the debilitating dehydration, early on. Unfortunately, because I waited, I was stuck with a PICC line for 26 weeks. Also, check out www.helpher.org, it’s the biggest HG support and information center in the world, and has some GREAT information for both suffers and caretakers.
Our hearts go out to Kate and all women suffering from HG, as it disrupts all aspects of life. As in Kate’s case, women have an 86% chance of recurrence of HG with successive pregnancies, which can make those pregnancies even more difficult as it’s almost impossible for a mother to put aside her duties as mommy to focus on her own health. Please reach out to us if you’re suffering from HG, we’ll help you put systems in place so you can focus on getting well.