Disclaimer: My knowledge and tips with Hyperemesis Gravidarum is based on my own personal experience, please do consult with your doctor about your personal concerns regarding your condition.
What is Hyperemesis Gravidarum?
Hyperemesis Gravidarum is not your average first trimester nausea and anyone who has experienced it first hand will be the first to tell you.
Nausea in the first trimester of pregnancy affects somewhere around 70-85% of women and then there’s hyperemesis which causes the extreme need to vomit and feeling like you have the stomach bug day in and day out, for several months.
Well that affects about 1-2% of women like me, and possibly you? Don’t you feel so lucky to be part of that 1%? Love that for us.
Doctors and experts still don’t fully understand the link between women who suffer from this condition and how we differ from those of a more typical pregnancy where the vomiting stops by the second trimester.
Genetics are said to play a part in whether or not a woman may experience hyperemesis, in my case that is said to be true, my mother experienced it when she was pregnant with me.
Studies are now showing that women with high levels of the hormone GDF-15 ( Growth differentiation factor) which causes aversions, nausea and vomiting, are what is causing hyperemesis.
There is still research being done to find the most effective treatments.
I know its so hard, absolutely debilitating, but do try to keep in mind that it will eventually go away, maybe not until baby comes but in the mean time do what you can to adjust to a new temporary normal.
It didn’t go away for me at all in my first pregnancy, until I gave birth, but it did get easier to manage. You too will learn to live with this condition and though its not an easy journey It will be worth it all!
Medication
Many doctors don’t feel comfortable prescribing medications so early on in the pregnancy, anytime before twelve weeks, so getting through weeks 8-12 are going to be challenging.
With my first pregnancy they prescribed me Zofran, it worked for me but not incredibly well, I would still throw up sometimes and it honestly made me feel really groggy on top of how miserable I felt from the pregnancy and I just didn’t like it at all.
With my second pregnancy I tried a promethazine suppository and it helped me some but I have to say I do prefer the oral tablets.
With my most recent pregnancy I took a combination of vitamin B6 & Unisom ( the one with doxylamine) it worked really well for me, the only drawback is that I would take it at night and by the middle of the following day I would start feeling really ill again.
When I made it to my twelfth week my doctor prescribed me Bonjesta which is basically a combo of the B6/doxylamine but its a slow releasing tablet so it lasts way longer.
I also didn’t have any weird side effects and I slept well which is so important to get good rest because being tired makes nausea way worse, so get all the rest mama!
Staying Hydrated
With all my pregnancies I noticed the nausea kick in at around week seven and eight and just continue to get worse by weeks nine and ten and it certainly didn’t stop there.
With my first pregnancy I had to obtain Iv’s due to dehydration before week twelve when I could receive medication.
I also remember throwing up so much that I irritated my esophagus and blood started coming up with my vomit.
One of the hardest things to keep down is water.
I tried lots of things like, ginger tea, smoothies, sparkling water, juice, lemonade, even soda (which I rarely ever drink) milkshakes, and even milk.
With the ginger tea, the spice further irritated my already sensitive stomach. I did ok when I slowly sipped on sparkling water with a twist of lime.
I enjoyed some good smoothies that I would blend together at home with fruit and yogurt (trader joe’s yogurt is my fav) also with coconut milk or cream.
Those were satisfying and I was able to keep them down a lot of the time if I drank them slowly.
However, I have heard from other mamas that any creamy/milk products were a no-go as they would curdle in the stomach and be awful coming back up.
I will say one thing that really helped settle my stomach was an ice cold soda, not sprite or ginger ale but a dark soda like pepsi/ cherry coke or Dr.pepper, with lots of ice!
I didn’t know why and neither did my doctor but when you are miserable all the time and can barely keep your food and liquids down and your tummy finally feels “settled” we just roll with it.
When I would have that temporary relief id take the opportunity to eat something.
Cravings & Aversions
In all three of my pregnancies I noticed the Aversions the strongest during the first trimester of pregnancy.
The sight, thought and scent of meat, spices, garlic and onions absolutely repulsed me and I tried to avoid those things at all costs.
( I worked in restaurants through all of my pregnancies so that was impossible to avoid!)
What I did crave though was fresh fruit, salads and cucumbers with a squeeze of lemon juice and some paprika or chili powder sprinkled on top.
I also made sure to keep graham crackers or a banana right next to my bed so I could have something to eat before my feet touched the ground in the morning.
My breakfasts would consist of peanut butter toast or cheesy toast with a thin layer of mayo and a few slices of cheddar cheese.
By the end of my second trimester I was able to stomach the thought of eating meat again.
I found that if I timed it just right and ate plenty of little snacks so my stomach was never completely empty than I would usually be able to hold a little something down, I still remember when I slowly started eating burgers again.
One night during my first pregnancy the one where I was the most sick, my mom made me ribs and sauerkraut, to my astonishment it not only tasted amazing and stayed down but for several hours after that, I didn’t feel sick.
I really think it was the perfect combination of salt and acid, I mean sauerkraut is a probiotic food so it kind of makes sense.
That leads me to my next point, acidic foods with brines and vinegars can be helpful in keeping your stomach settled.
I followed that same advice in my two pregnancies following and it did seem to help. Id snack on kimchi, pickles, sauerkraut, salads or cucumbers with lemon juice and vinaigrettes.
I know chips aren’t healthy but I would love snacking on the Tim’s salt & vinegar chips. For a short while my body would feel relatively normal again, not normal but relatively.
Try some different things and see how you feel, even if you aren’t able to eat a lot, some is better than none.
Other things worth trying
Here are some other things that could potentially help you or at least take the edge off; smelling pleasant things like fresh lavender, fresh mint or other herbs, sucking on peppermint candies.
Whatever you do, do NOT chew gum! it will make you feel SO incredibly sick- I tried it once and never again! I like preggie pops, pink stork morning sickness tea & candies.
In my first pregnancy I tried the sea-bands which is a acupressure band that you wear which applies constant pressure to the P6 point on your wrist, that unfortunately didn’t work for me.
In my third pregnancy I tried a relief band that sends low frequency electrical pulses through your median nerve and signals the brains vomiting and nausea response ( the dorsal vagal complex) it sends calming nerve messages along the vagus nerve from the brain to the stomach, it did help me overall!
Click here if you want to see if it could help you too. https://balancedlifemama.com/recommends/vomit-relief-wrist-band
Support
This is probably going to be one of the hardest things you go through in your life and it can leave you feeling anxious, depressed and lonely.
Try your very best to practice self care as much as you can, get fresh air, take warm baths with magnesium flakes which is known to help with nausea too, and I know you have already heard this one but I cant stress it enough, get your rest.
Here are my favorite Magnesium Flakes https://balancedlifemama.com/recommends/ancient-minerals-magnesium-flakes/
I hope you have lots of support from your partner as well as family and friends.
If you are caring for other young children during this time my heart is with you and just know you will get through it. We are warriors, I look back after three rough pregnancies and sometimes I can’t believe I made it through, but I did, and you will too!
More info on hyperemesis here www.hyperemesis.org
(here are some links to some of the items that may help, I receive a small commission if you purchase through my link but it is at no additional cost to you)
Vomit relief band here-https://balancedlifemama.com/recommends/vomit-relief-wrist-band
Magnesium bath flakes here-https://balancedlifemama.com/recommends/ancient-minerals-magnesium-flakes/