Hyperemisis Gravidarum
A condition of severe morning sickness that lasts the first trimester sadly, for some woman goes into their second trimester and even some have it the entire pregnancy. This condition completely resolves once the baby is born or at some point before the second trimester. This is beyond typical nausea and dry heaving or occasional vomitting. This is vomitting several times a day 25, 30, or more times per day. This is constant nausea not relieved by traditonal methods. You can no longer care for yourself let alone, children or a home. All you can do is lie in bed all day long.
The smell of my husband was huge. I didn't want him near me.  I couldn't answer questions or have conversations with my children because it hurt to think. Everything made my head hurt. Sometimes the light was to bright. The heat was awful and the humidity so, I didn't go outside for months. It was like world travel to go to the bathroom, the amount of energy it took was beyond what I could even think about. You cannot read because, it hurts your eyes, your head, and then you vomit. You cannot watch television because everything food related makes you vomit. I sat there for months in misery. My husband wanted to know why the house was so messy and why I couldn't just get up and clean. I didn't wash my hair and I rarely took a shower. I did try a couple times to shower but, I was so weak I would crouch on the floor of the shower vomitting. I couldn't brush my teeth much because the taste of water, toothpaste, my own toothbrush made me gag and vomit. I took everything from, eating protein, small meals, crackers, ginger, teas, herbal supplements, vitamin B6, sea bands, accupressure points, chiropractic work and I was still vomitting.

I at least tried to stay hydrated. I had been through this four times previously with my other babies but, I was in my twenties. Now, in my thirties this was almost impossible to cope with. I was depressed because, I couldn't attend to my duties the way I normally would as a mom and it was straining my relaionship with my husband. He had to work and then work overtime with the children. He did it but, he was stretched. I understood and wanted desperately to relieve him so he could rest but, I could do nothing.
Often times, this condition causes a woman to go into depression. This is why misunderstood, some doctors shockingly refer woman to get pyschological help implying it is all in their head. This infuriates me, all that medical school and absolutley nothing remotely intelligent about that suggestion.
This condition for me relsolved by the second trimester in my first four pregnancies and HaleluYAH, I was eating, hanging out with my kids, cleaning, cooking, and loving my pregnancy and went on to have four wonderful births at home. After, six years I must have forgotten about the HG and this time around it was very difficult, coupled with bleeding during the entire time and resulted in a miscarriage at 16 weeks. I also had family sort of implying I was lazy and why didn't I just get up take a shower and wash it all away. Awesome, why didn't I think of that.
I did go to the hospital for IV hydration. I never had done this before. This was like a small miracle. I just wanted to lie in bed in the hospital and continue to get fluids. The dehydration from the vomitting exacerbated the vomitting and the awful feeling and that is why hydration helps relieve the symptoms but, the only way to stay hydrated without vomitting it seems was through IV. The nurse said she had never seen urine that dark. My urine was the color of amber. I also had a UTI infection which was making me urinate more often, so I was a hot dehydrated mess.
 I was surprised though I was able to eat at times. It was very little and very plain. It had to be bland.  I ususally threw it up but, I think some nutrients were absorbed because I only lost 15 pounds this round. In my other pregnancies, I lost more than 25lbs. I never had issues with gaining pregnancy weight. It was never an issue for me. I never cared because I was working on gaining my pre-pregnancy weight back during the pregnancy. Postpartum though was an entirely different ball game.
This condition sadly is so misunderstood, even by doctors. After this pregnancy, I really have begun to study this condition. There are things you can do to help get through it. I was unaware until I began reading a book entitled Beyond Morning Sickness. There are stories of woman battling this and some worse than I could even imagine. Some sadly, terminated their pregnancies because of lack of education about this, misunderstanding and lack of support, doctors even having them in pyschiatric facilities admitted with people with severe issues.  Unimaginable horrors suffered. There are medications you can take, I took some and they didn't work to resolve it but, helped a little. Although, I stopped taking what was prescribed because it left me crashing a bit when it wore off and I had awful headaches as a side effect. When they gave it to me in IV form I felt awesome and asked for food. I kept it down. I did read however, woman taking medications their effectiveness easily wore off in a few days. There are options to more treatments is my point because these are options I never knew existed. It will depend on the type of doctor you have and their knowledge base and their support. If they are unsupportive switch. Also, inform yourself by reading this book and infrom your doctor. If or when I do conceive again, I will most likely have a home health nurse which is more cost effective for insurance. I may or may not go into the hospital depending on the success of the in-home treatment. I will consider IV treatments more now I know how wonderful they are, yes can you believe I am saying that? 

For more information visit Help her
For emotional support email me: I am a volunteer with Her organization
For reading more about this condition and what to do: Beyond Morning Sickness battling Hypermeisis Gravidarum By Ashli McCall

I know what you are going through and I can tell you it does get better. Just get through it and you will go on to have a beautiful pregnancy and beautiful baby. It is all worth it, even if you do it just once. If it is lasting the entire pregnancy and you need support contact me. You can also get support from help her website and Ashli McCall website. It will get better. I am sorry this is or has happened to you. It's an awful condition that a small percentage of pregnant woman get and we are the lucky ones I guess.


Support System 

Contact me if you need support with meals for your family, cleaning, help with smaller kids, and support.

Contact me if you can volunteer to cook meals, clean, help with childcare for woman with this condition.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum Study Needs Control Participants!

Hyperemesis Gravidarum is severe nausea and vomiting of pregnancy requiring iv hydration and/or nutritional support.  This is a study to identify epidemiologic
and genetic factors involved in Hyperemesis Gravidarum.  There is no cost to you or travel needed to participate in this study.  You do not need to be currently
pregnant to participate, but you need to have had at least 2 pregnancies with no nausea or normal nausea (didn’t change your daily routine, lose weight, or seek
medical attention for nausea).

You will be asked to:
1) answer eligibility questions by email
2) go over the consent form and any questions by phone
3) sign and return a consent form
4) answer a risk factor and outcomes survey, and
5) submit a saliva sample for DNA analysis.

If you are interested in participating, please e-mail Dr. Marlena Fejzo at [email protected] to determine eligibility. 
We hope this study will bring us one step closer to finding the cause and cure for Hyperemesis Gravidarum.  Thank you for your time and interest!

This study is run by Dr. Marlena S. Fejzo and Dr. T. M. Goodwin at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, is supported in part by the
Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute of Health, Department of Health and
Human Services, and has been approved by the USC Institutional Review Board HS-06-00056.