Hyperemesis gravidarum is a severe form
of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy,
which affects one to two in every 100 pregnant women.
However, the true numbers are almost certainly higher.
Unlike morning sickness, which usually settles by 16 weeks,
hyperemesis gravidarum can last much longer,
even through a whole pregnancy.
When I found out I was pregnant,
and I was so, so, so excited, we were ecstatic.
We just couldn't wait to kind of share it with everyone.
It kind of gradually happened over about a week to 10 days
and then all of a sudden it was like a switch.
Anything that I tried to eat, drink.
Within maybe a minute,
I would just bring it straight back up.
And it got to the point where I was afraid to eat.
I didn't want to drink.
Well, I kind of started to resent what was happening.
It can lead to dehydration, weight loss, malnutrition,
and affect a woman's everyday life and mental health.
Without early access to the necessary care,
women can have long-term health issues.
Babies can also be affected.
I was laying in bed.
I looked at my partner and I said,
I don't wanna sound dramatic,
but I genuinely feel like I'm going to die.
And he said straight away, okay, well get a bag.
We're going straight to the hospital.
And that was the first time
that I had sort of been taken seriously, you know,
by a doctor, by a midwife.
That photo, you know, I look at it
and I do get really sad because it makes me upset
that it had taken me so long to be diagnosed.
I just felt so guilty
that I wasn't giving my baby the best start in its life
because obviously I was losing so much weight.
I just didn't understand how it would be able to survive
in that environment.
Hyperemesis gravidarum often causes significant emotional
and psychological distress,
including mental health challenges.
Financial distress can also occur,
often as a result of poor work attendance.
It was really isolating to have people
not quite believe me.
How grateful I am to have my dog.
Anytime I was in bed, she jumped up
and curled up next to me, as almost as if she knew
I was unwell.
It was that company.
But you don't plan to have six, nine months off
while you're pregnant.
So that was really tough.
And because you are so sick,
you really do ruminate on these thoughts and feelings.
So I just felt so guilty that I wasn't, you know,
contributing as much as I could be.
Women can experience severe fatigue
which has significant impacts on their day-to-day lives.
Sometimes women change their attitudes
towards current or future pregnancies,
with some women seeking advice regarding termination
of pregnancy or limit their family size,
choosing not to fall pregnant again.
I'd love for my daughter to have a sibling,
but at the same time, I just don't think
that I could go through the pregnancy that I had again.
Just I still really carry that trauma
and the depression.
We all have a vital role in the care of women
with hyperemesis gravidarum.
We can reduce the adverse effects if we are all aware
of the wide ranging impacts it can have
and ensure we make enough time to determine the care needs
and other support women in their families require.
The doctor that diagnosed me in my first pregnancy
at 18 weeks at the hospital was amazing.
So she was like, this is what you have,
this is what you need to do right now,
and this is a plan for later.
I was in such a dark place then.
She was one of the first people
that I was able to open up to, to say,
I just don't know if I can keep doing this.
So, yeah, without her, I don't know where we would be.
Sorry.