Every woman suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) creates her own coping strategies during those hard nine months. Here are some tips on how to cope with hyperemesis gravidarum from real life women going through their pregnancies.
Your care
Don’t get me wrong, the NHS is an amazing thing. Free healthcare across the uk for everyone and anyone. But sometimes you know your body more than a medical professional.
From my experience (being told I had a sickness bug that lasted 6 weeks) i knew it wasnt that, i knew i wasn’t well and I fought until i was admitted.
Find a good GP who understands HG, getting the right treatment is half the battle!
PSS can guide you to treatment centres but you need a GP referral. Helen
This is essential. As a first time mum i was clueless. I had never heard of HG before in my life and having my midwife and doctors tell me it was normal didnt help me at all.
Fight for the care you know you deserve. Do not let them utter the words KETONES to you!! Katie
If you have HG or have suffered with HG you’ll know that dreaded word. Ketones. These are the indicators in your urine that monitor where your body is sourcing its energy, the higher the ketones for the starved you are. Just because your ketones are at an ok level, it doesnt mean youre ok and not dehydrated.
Your wellbeing
Rest whenever you can which always sounds so hard especially when HG is unexpected but it does make a huge difference and when you can’t rest and have to go out take your HG kit, a sandwich bag for vomit water and what ever safe foods you need. For me personally this time round (3rd time) it’s reminding yourself that it’s not you and it won’t be forever, you will find the old you when baby is in your arms. Alison
Don’t be so hard on yourself. I find myself constantly beating myself up that my daughter is watching too much telly, or the house is a mess. Make sure you tell someone who can support you too. There is so much social pressure to keep your pregnancy quiet until 12 weeks and by then you’re really suffering. It can be a lonely place without someone who knows what you’re going through. Laura
This really hits home for me. We waited until 12 weeks to tell our parents, that included my mum. I felt so guilty lying to her, saying i had a sickness bug then some other illness. As soon as i told her it was a big relief. Definitely tell someone close to you, or anymore for that matter. The more support you get the better.
Don’t force yourself to do things you aren’t well enough to do just because “every other pregnant woman does it”, HG is often likened to the effects of chemo, and I’m pretty sure people wouldn’t expect you to have a clean house and be the perfect housewife if you changed the name of your condition. Helen
Your Progress
Take things a day at a time… sometimes an hour at a time. Also don’t stress too much about the effect on existing little ones… hard to imagine, I know, but my 3 HG babies are now 34, 31 and 29, and they are all fabulous and very loving people. They are all my friends. Alison
Just take each day as it comes. Trust your body and listen to it, do what it tells you…and do not take any notice of all the useless information that will be forever floating around you from people who have never experienced it and think they can ‘help’.
I learnt this by my second hg pregnancy and after finding support/advice from the pss website and forums (whilst battling my first and having to turn to Google for help, because everyone kept telling me this was all normal and should pass soon) I was much better at knowing what to do day by day, whether that was attempting to try the fifth different type of fizzy drink/food to see which one actually stayed down that day, or insisting to ignorant people/gp’s that actually no, ginger or a biscuit will not help me so back off! Sarah
Set a goal each day, even if it’s just one little thing like “get out of bed and sit downstairs for a little bit” and then celebrate that achievement/goal each day. If you cannot do it, try, if you cannot try, then save it for the next day.
I still use this, as i’m 21 weeks so still battling and my achievement today was that I was able to get out of bed and dressed today. It really has helped me keep positive. Heather
For more help and support please visit the links below.
