Yesterday's news that Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge and Queen consort in waiting is pregnant has been greeted with excitement round the world. Details came through that she is less than 12 weeks along and that the announcement had been made prematurely due to her being hospitalised with Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Suddenly the world is asking, what is this mystery condition?For those of us who have suffered it in pregnancy, we know all too well and shuddered as we learned that Kate had been afflicted by it. Back in July I finally wrote about my experience of HG back in 2009, starting when Babyzoid was approximately 6 weeks gestation.
It is an absolutely horrendous condition and brings misery to anyone who draws the short straw of HG - along with their families who have to watch them suffer.
A scan of the papers this morning deems the condition a form of morning sickness and unfortunately a lot of people (including medical professionals) will dismiss it as such. For the HG sufferer this is even more distressing as their illness is not taken seriously.
But it is NOT morning sickness. In my post (linked above) I made an analogy about morning sickness being a light breeze in comparison to the hurricane that is Hyperemesis. Yes, there is vomiting and nausea, but it is round the clock and daily vomiting episodes nearly always reach double figures - sometimes 30+ times a day. As food is often not present in the stomach, mucus, bile and blood are often vomited instead. The oesophagus may tear due to violent overuse.
The inability to keep down food and often liquid often leads to malnutrition and the loss of at least 5-10% of body weight. Severe dehydration means that IV drip treatment is needed periodically. In the most severe cases veins collapse and it can be difficult to insert the needle needed to attach the drip. The process of trying and failing to insert needles in painful and bruising often results.
Ketosis often goes hand in hand as dangerous toxins build in the urine as the body begins to break down fat stores for energy. This makes you feel wretched as symptoms include dizziness, fever, fast pulse and weakness as muscle usage is affected. Ketosis can cause organ failure in extreme cases, though Hyperemesis sufferers should receive treatment before it gets to that level.
Psychological distress and confusion are a given and you can feel so desperate that you may want to abort your baby. Some do. Not because they are weak, but because they genuinely feel their life is in danger and they cannot continue.
Hyperemesis can also lead to:
- Premature delivery (possible coincidence, but my daughter was born at 27 weeks)
- Low birth weight (my daughter weighed 2lb 5oz)
- Large for age baby (perhaps some babies sense the threat of food deprivation and ramps up their nutrient intake!)
- Congenital heart disease
So, Hyperemesis Gravidarum is not morning sickness. It is potentially so much more serious than that. It is rare the HG sufferer who can alleviate symptoms with ginger, sea-bands and boiled sweets. Beyond morning sickness, it is a miserable existence which for an unfortunate minority can last the whole of pregnancy.
I feel desperately sorry for Kate, this will be spoiling what should be the happiest time of her life - and it may get a lot worse before it gets better. Stress is thought to make the condition worse, and can you imagine anything more stressful than having a baby in the world media spotlight while feeling extremely unwell?
But for those of use who have suffered before her there is a bright side. The most high profile woman in the world is suffering as we have and this can only lead to more awareness. Perhaps the medical profession will finally start researching this ignored condition and it can be better treated. Looking at some of the press coverage this morning, it may well be a slim hope, but you never know.
If you ever suffer Hyperemesis, get help and get it fast. If you are unlucky enough to have a doctor who does not take the condition seriously or even fails to diagnose it, then take someone with you who will act as your advocate and attest to the severity of your suffering.
Follow these links for more information on this debilitating and devastating pregnancy condition:
*Note: I am a former sufferer of Hyperemesis, not a medical professional.
Yes, it's annoying how the press are simply calling it morning sickness and underestimating what she must be going through. Let's hope as you say, that greater awareness of the condition will result and that Kate will be well cared for throughout her pregnancy.
ReplyDeleteIt is very annoying, Mummy Zen and completely trivialises the condition. I have no doubt that Kate will be well monitored and in such a situation only the most churlish would begrudge her the very best medical care. It would be nice to see that extended to all women who suffer HG.
DeleteI hate with passion people refering to my HG as morning sickness! At worst i was hours from death having been told by a GP at my home 24hrs previously i was NOT dehydrated despite not having drank or kept down a mouthful of fluid for days and an ounce of food for 3 weeks.I was carried to an oncall GP only to be rushed to hospital with severe dehydration and liver distress and spent 2 weeks re-coperating and i was only 8 weeks into the pregnancy - i spent the whole pregnancy right up until the day my son was born being sick 5+ times a day. It was the most extreme experience of HG out of all my 6 pregnancies, in which i suffered varying degree's of HG each time. My worst HG experience it had taken 1 year to fall pregnant with a very much wanted baby yet at my lowest ebb, i considered abortion and suicide just to escape from the constant abuse to my senses.
ReplyDeleteWell meaning people would suggest ginger and sea-bands, as if that would have any baring on HG.
Thank you for sharing your HG experience! x
Thank you for so much for commenting. I am sorry that you suffered so terribly and your life was endangered as a result. And that's the thing - left untreated it is potentially fatal. It's all very well saying that these days women are treated, but there are all too many instances where women are ignored by medical professionals. I saw an extreme example on the PSS Facebook page where one woman was sent for psychological evaluation, such was the lack of understanding that this is a genuine illness. Another told how midwives and nurses were heard referring to inpatients as the "Hyperemesis drama queens". And I have to say that when I was hospitalised (3 times) I did feel like I was viewed as a waste of a bed - especially when I was moved 3 times in 12 hours.
DeleteI too considered abortion, then suicide as I knew I could not go through with it termination having tried for 14 months to fall pregnant, but felt so desperate and not in control of all mental faculties. It's something you cannot understand unless you have experienced it.
HG was something that I did not know about before reading blogs like yours, something I'm very glad that I did not experience x
ReplyDelete