Hyperemesis Question...

[beckmrk04]

I had severe hyperemesis when I was pregnant with my DD (feeding tube, home health care, round the clock IVs, the works).

What I'm wondering is:

If you had hyperemesis, did you have it with all of your pregnancies? Just with one or two? Was it worse if you were carrying a boy or a girl, or just the same? If you had it again, was it worse or better? Did you do anything to prepare?


DH and I have been discussing when we'd like to have another baby, but we're both so terrified since the first pregnancy was so hard. But, we also want to be prepared. And if you've had HG, you probably know there is little research, and a lot of doctors don't know what the heck they are dealing with (it is NOT morning sickness). Luckily I switched doctors during my pregnancy, and my second doctor was very aggressive in treating me, which made a huge difference. I am confident that he'll take every measure he can to make sure I don't get so bad with the next pregnancy (if I get HG at all next time- let's hope not!! ).

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

I have 3 children and had hyperemesis while pregnant with my youngest 2. I can't say that the hyperemesis was any worse with my youngest than it was with my middle child BUT I developed gall bladder issues while pregnant with my youngest and had to have my gall bladder removed while I was 17 weeks pregnant. My OB/Gyn did think there was a link to HG and the gall bladder flare ups in pregnancy.

The HUGE difference for me between the 2 HG pregnancies was a miracle drug called ZOFRAN. With the first HG pregnancy there was nothing the Dr could give me except for phenergan and that didn't do squat. I tried everything - even acupuncture - and nothing but giving birth finally relived the symptoms. With the second HG pregnancy I had the same OB and since I had the history of HG then he gave me Zofran for the nausea. I felt like a HUMAN again! I could actually brush my teeth without puking.

Zofran is now available in a generic form (it used to cost $1800 for a 10 day supply but was worth every penny). There are 2 doses and the Drs will usually start you on a lower dose but if that doesn't work then ask them to kick it into high gear to get some relief.

Zofran allowed me to function much better but the gall bladder sidelined me during the last pregnancy.

Good luck! I had forgotten how horrid HG was until I was pregnant with DS. I swore after my 2nd pregnancy that I would never go through that again but I guess that old saying about forgetting the pain is true...

 

[beckmrk04]

I am VERY familiar with Zofran. I have had it every way it's made (pill, dissolving tabs, liquid, and IV form). I also tried Phenergan (allergic), Compazine (didn't work for me, plus made my eyesight bad, which made the nausea worse ), Reglan (ended up with a pump of this plus Zofran every 4 hours through my central line)....

Zofran is a miracle- but my HG was severe and even the Zofran didn't always help. The combo of the IVs (2 bags per day plus TPN at night), Reglan pump, and Zofran finally did help.

I'm tellin ya- I went through it all. And I while I really don't want to go through HG again, at least this time I KNOW the end result will be worth it (people kept telling me that when I was pregnant with DD, and I was disinclined to believe them sometimes). And I want another baby badly enough that I will do it.

They considered taking out my gallbladder while I was pregnant with DD, but ended up not doing it. One of the docs managing my care suggested I do it before another pregnancy, but I haven't had any other issues, so I don't know if they'll just take it out or not.

 

[Michelle67]

I feel your pain (and fear). You're right, it is NOT like morning sickness "only worse", any more than getting your arm cut off is like a paper cut "only worse." It is more like having a knock down case of the flu for months on end. So hard to explain to someone who hasn't been there...just one of those things you have to experience to "get."

I was told by doctors that just because you had it once, does not mean you will have it again, because every pregnancy is unique and different and yadda yadda. However, I had it all three times. I had almost 14 years between my first pregnancy and my last, but that didn't seem to make any difference. I can't begin to answer your question if it was worse with one than another...it was just hell on earth all three times and that's all I can say about that. In a way I guess I would say that the second time was a little easier than the first because I'd been through it before, it was a planned pregnancy, and I had gone on the assumption that no matter what the doctors said it would happen again. It wasn't that I was less miserable, really, just that I had seen it coming and was more mentally prepared.

I never had meds for it, so I can't give any opinion about that. I hope they work and have acceptably minor/few side effects. That would be a God-send for women who suffer from HG.

 

[minkydog]

As you mentioned, this is NOT just bad morning sickness.I thought I was going to die with regular morning sickness(although, I have to say I had it morning, noon, and middle of the night--lost 15 lbs with each pregnancy!) I have a friend who worked with me who suffered HG during both of her pregnancies. I've never seen a pregnant woman as sick as she was. She was regularly hospitalized for dehydration after vomiting for 24hrs straight. Honestly, I don't know how she did it. and I have no idea what prompted her to do it again! I think once would be enough for me.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

If there is ANY question about your gall bladder then get it removed now. You don't want to risk having surgery WHILE pregnant!

The end result is worth it but also think about the fact that with the 2nd pregnancy you will have your DD to take care of and won't be able to rest like you did when you were pregnant with her. Be sure to accept help from anyone who offers!


Michelle67 - I had 14 years between my first and last pregnancies too! Got one in high school, one in elementary school and one in diapers.

 

[beckmrk04]

Honestly, I don't know how she did it. and I have no idea what prompted her to do it again! I think once would be enough for me.

You'd think we'd never do it again, but time heals all wounds.


I figure: I did it once, I can do it again. It sucked, for sure, but I want another baby. I used to want 4! Not so much anymore. Two will be quite enough. Especially if I have HG again.


Michelle67- I feel sort of the same way- I know it will be horrible (been there, done that), but at least this time I will know what I'm in for. And I will KNOW I'm not crazy, I'm not being a baby. It won't go away if I eat saltines and sprite before I get out of bed. (Some days if anyone else suggested that I swore as soon as I stopped vomiting I was going to get up and force feed them saltines and sprite until they puked).

And women are lucky that there has been so much success with anti-emetics (especially zofran), and so few side effects. I was really worried while I was pregnant- I was on all sorts of drugs. But, it came down to MY survival, too- if I didn't survive, neither would my baby. It was tough.

 

[beckmrk04]

If there is ANY question about your gall bladder then get it removed now. You don't want to risk having surgery WHILE pregnant!

The end result is worth it but also think about the fact that with the 2nd pregnancy you will have your DD to take care of and won't be able to rest like you did when you were pregnant with her. Be sure to accept help from anyone who offers!

I was very lucky when I was pg with my daughter because I didn't have a child to take care of, and I moved in with my mom while I was on home health care- she did my IVs, cleaned my central line, changed my bandages, stuck me with the needles for my reglan pump. I don't think SHE's ready for me to get pregnant again!

DH and I are lucky to be around a lot of family.

But, I do worry about my daughter- which is why we're going to wait until she's a bit older to even start trying to get pregnant. I was hospitalized for 22 days (a week here, a week there) in the first/second trimester last time, and I worry a lot about having that happen again, since my DD won't understand. Plus, I was out of work for months last time, and that was hard on us financially. So, I am trying to get everything prepared for the worst while hoping for the best, I guess.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Some days if anyone else suggested that I swore as soon as I stopped vomiting I was going to get up and force feed them saltines and sprite until they puked).

I know EXACTLY what you mean! Saltines - the wonder drug. LOL I was very tired of people treating me like I was just a little queasy and should just suck it up.

Not too long ago I was cleaning out an old purse that I hadn't carried since I was pregnant and I still had an empty air sickness bag in it. I used to nab all I could find from the seatbacks of the planes when I would travel - they came in handy more than once when I was pregnant! They also work great now for disposing of smelly diapers.

I was very lucky when I was pg with my daughter because I didn't have a child to take care of, and I moved in with my mom while I was on home health care- she did my IVs, cleaned my central line, changed my bandages, stuck me with the needles for my reglan pump. I don't think SHE's ready for me to get pregnant again!

DH and I are lucky to be around a lot of family.

But, I do worry about my daughter- which is why we're going to wait until she's a bit older to even start trying to get pregnant. I was hospitalized for 22 days (a week here, a week there) in the first/second trimester last time, and I worry a lot about having that happen again, since my DD won't understand. Plus, I was out of work for months last time, and that was hard on us financially. So, I am trying to get everything prepared for the worst while hoping for the best, I guess.

Good luck! Your DD is gorgeous. She's only a couple months older than my DS.

 

[Michelle67]

Michelle67 - I had 14 years between my first and last pregnancies too! Got one in high school, one in elementary school and one in diapers.

My oldest graduated high school in June, and my youngest started Kindergarten last week. I'm also expecting my first grandchild in October. My son will be an uncle at five. Seems to be kind of a family tradition; I'm twelve years younger than my oldest sister, and was an aunt for the first time when I was seven.

I know it will be horrible (been there, done that), but at least this time I will know what I'm in for. And I will KNOW I'm not crazy, I'm not being a baby. It won't go away if I eat saltines and sprite before I get out of bed. (Some days if anyone else suggested that I swore as soon as I stopped vomiting I was going to get up and force feed them saltines and sprite until they puked).

I know EXACTLY what you mean! Saltines - the wonder drug. LOL I was very tired of people treating me like I was just a little queasy and should just suck it up.

I think it does make a difference to be prepared for it. It's still ghastly, but at least you aren't blind-sided by it the second time.

And OH my goodness the stupid saltine cracker thing. Yeah. Okay, I tried the saltines, I tried flat 7-Up (gag), I tried pear juice. I tried ginger. I love candied ginger, but guess what? IT DOESN'T CURE HYPEREMESIS!!!

The only thing I could keep down for any length of time with my younger two for the first four or five months was oatmeal. I got SO sick and tired of oatmeal! There were a few times I made obscene suggestions as to what my husband could do with that oatmeal, when the poor guy was just trying to get me to eat anything at all. To this day when my husband is feeling spunky (and apparently wants a good slapping) he will offer to make me oatmeal for breakfast.

Taking care of your daughter is a huge consideration, IMO. My first and second are ten years apart and that was no big thing. But the second and third are only four years apart, and it was awful trying to take care of a three-four year old while I was that ill. I was a SAHM, and all my friends and family worked, so I was alone with her all day. It was awful for me, and it wasn't great for her either. I think to an extent that those memories affect the sibling rivalry and middle child syndrom that she has. She has every reason to be jealous of him; he "took away" her mommy before he was even born. Poor thing.

I'm really not trying to discourage you...just saying that I think you are right to consider waiting until she is older, and I agree with CCF that you should take full advantage of anybody willing to help you with her when the time comes.

Best wishes...and maybe you really will be one of those who has it once and never again.

 

[beckmrk04]

Thanks for all of your replies. At the very least, it helps to know that there are other women out there who know how hard this is... I can't just stop taking my BC and expect it all to be ok, which is really sucking the fun and excitement out of planning an addition to our family. (Let's see, honey, when would be a good time for me to be completely sidelined and ill for 5+ months? When would be a good time to go without 1/2 of our income for months?)

But, no one ever said it would be easy. Just worth it.

(ETA- Thanks, CCF- I think she's gorgeous, too, but as her mommy, I'm somewhat biased )

 

[Michelle67]

At the very least, it helps to know that there are other women out there who know how hard this is... I can't just stop taking my BC and expect it all to be ok, which is really sucking the fun and excitement out of planning an addition to our family. (Let's see, honey, when would be a good time for me to be completely sidelined and ill for 5+ months? When would be a good time to go without 1/2 of our income for months?)

I can sooooo relate to every single word of that! My second two do not have the same father as my first. My husband comes from a large family and always wanted children. We had several conversations about what it would mean if I were to do it. Then I also had a lot of fear of going through it, even though I really wanted to have another child. It does take a lot of the romance and excitement out of the conception stage...

This is the first opportunity I've ever had to talk to a whole group of women who really understand about this issue, so I hope you don't mind if I sidetrack your post a little bit. When I was pregnant with my son I discovered the world of internet chat boards by getting on a baby board looking for other women to talk to about it. I found one, and it was a huge comfort to me even though we were both still miserable. Somehow there is just a lot of "therapy" involved in being able to talk about it with people who really understand. I had lots of people who cared...but nobody who REALLY understood.

Anyhow, I'm wondering about what the rest of you went through, not only physically but emotionally as well. Besides the nausea, I've had spinal injuries and the constant heaving caused wrenching muscle spasms throughout. I felt so horrible, and I had so much pain...I really found myself resenting my pregnancy. Then I felt guilty for resenting my baby. I didn't blame the baby, but I had negative feelings and felt like a jerk for having them. I knew several women who had those picture perfect pregnancies where women feel "glowing," healthy, happy, and ready to take on the world. I hated them for it (not REALLY, but...), especially when they had the audacity to TELL me about it while I felt like I was going to die, and felt guilty for that too. I felt guilty for the envy, I felt guilty for the resentment. I wanted my baby, but I hated every minute of pregnancy except for a few thrills of first baby kicks, and then I felt guilty for being so ungrateful for the fact that I CAN have a baby when other women can not (also have a friend who suffered multiple miscarriages and a stillbirth. I knew she would have lived through the illness gladly if only she could have a live baby at the end.) Did the rest of you have feelings like that too?

*edited to add; I keep looking at your beautiful daughter and wondering if that might be a Bows4Maddie bow and tutu?

 

[lemondog]

I feel for you. I had it with my twin pregnancy. It was awful! Thank God Zofran worked for me, and my insurance covered it. The doctors think mine was so bad because I had a very rare complication of pregnancy where the hcg hormone attacked my thyroid, making me SUPER hyper-thyroid during the pregnancy. They actually think the thyroid issue is what made me so ill. That is my only pregnancy so I can't say if it would happen again or not.

 

[beckmrk04]

Anyhow, I'm wondering about what the rest of you went through, not only physically but emotionally as well. Besides the nausea, I've had spinal injuries and the constant heaving caused wrenching muscle spasms throughout. I felt so horrible, and I had so much pain...I really found myself resenting my pregnancy. Then I felt guilty for resenting my baby. I didn't blame the baby, but I had negative feelings and felt like a jerk for having them. I knew several women who had those picture perfect pregnancies where women feel "glowing," healthy, happy, and ready to take on the world. I hated them for it (not REALLY, but...), especially when they had the audacity to TELL me about it while I felt like I was going to die, and felt guilty for that too. I felt guilty for the envy, I felt guilty for the resentment. I wanted my baby, but I hated every minute of pregnancy except for a few thrills of first baby kicks, and then I felt guilty for being so ungrateful for the fact that I CAN have a baby when other women can not (also have a friend who suffered multiple miscarriages and a stillbirth. I knew she would have lived through the illness gladly if only she could have a live baby at the end.) Did the rest of you have feelings like that too?

I had all of those things running through my head. I felt awful (physically, mentally, and emotionally).

DH and I planned our pregnancy- I even charted my temps and the works! I was READY to have that baby! I found out on June 23, 2006 that I was pregnant. I was barely pregnant then! I think I was like 10 DPO when I got the positive. I started testing days before that. I tell everyone I had exactly one week of pregnancy bliss, then it all went downhill.

I remember laying in the hospital (my 3rd or 4th stay). I had the feeding tube catheter in my chest (which I had to have surgery for), and no one could tell me when I was going to feel better- I felt like I would never feel good ever again. I cried to my mom that if they couldn't make it better I didn't even want to have the pregnancy. And it broke my heart to think that way. I wanted that baby so badly, and here I was considering ending my pregnancy- I was just so desperate.

And I felt guilty and wretched for having those thoughts. I lost my job (I had only been there about 1 1/2 months so they let me go since I obviously wasn't coming to work if I was going to be in the hospital all the time). I was worried about our finances- we needed my income. I felt guilty because my husband had to take care of the bills, the house, the pets and go to work. I could see how worried he was, how stressed he was. I had to move into my mom's house so that DH could work but someone would always be with me. He had to bounce back and forth, between our house and my mom's.

Intimacy? Not so much. And although I didn't really feel up to it, I definitely felt very lonely, and I know DH did too.

I was angry that it was happening- this was NOT the pregnancy I had envisioned! I was angry that many people seemed to think that it was in my head, or that I was being dramatic or being a baby about it. No one had ever heard of hyperemesis. I didn't even have the energy to shower. And smells? Everything made me sick.

No one understood (including the doctors and nurses) that if some food sounded good to me, I had to eat it right then, and right there. Immediately. And it would be something that you aren't "supposed" to have (like cream cheese mixed with salsa and tortilla chips). I tried to explain that if I got a craving, then I *KNEW* I could eat that thing and not throw it up. The docs and nurses wanted me to have a bland diet, and I can't explain it, but it just doesn't work that way. I needed the freedom to eat whatever sounded good at the moment (which usually was NOTHING). So, when I did get a craving, my mom would do whatever she could to get me what I craved as fast as possible, just so I could eat something, anything.

ANd I felt guilty for not wanting to be pregnant anymore because at least I could have a child. But, it just felt unfair that it had to be so hard.

I was scared because I had to take so much medicine. I eventually ended up in the ICU with blood sepsis (a bacterial infection of my blood likely due to the catheter in my chest).

So, yea- I can relate.

I did start to feel better at around 5-6 months. And actually, I enjoyed months 7 and 8! Finally! But, it was a long, and very hard road.

*edited to add; I keep looking at your beautiful daughter and wondering if that might be a Bows4Maddie bow and tutu?

The bow is a Wee Ones bow, I believe, and the tutu is from Gymoboree.

 

[luvdzny]

I had it with 2 of my 4 pregnancies. The 2 that I did not have it with ended in miscarriages. I have a son & a daughter, 5 years apart. It was worse with DD, I spent more time in the hospital. It may have been because I was pregnant with twins though. Good luck, hopefully you will feel great through any future pregnancies!

 

[beckmrk04]

I had it with 2 of my 4 pregnancies. The 2 that I did not have it with ended in miscarriages. I have a son & a daughter, 5 years apart. It was worse with DD, I spent more time in the hospital. It may have been because I was pregnant with twins though. Good luck, hopefully you will feel great through any future pregnancies!

Doctors/researchers theorize that the increase in estrogen makes women sicker with girls than with boys.

Actually, a study just came out that showed that women who had hyperemesis were 80% more likely to have a girl.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Doctors/researchers theorize that the increase in estrogen makes women sicker with girls than with boys.

Actually, a study just came out that showed that women who had hyperemesis were 80% more likely to have a girl.

I have heard that too but my experience doesn't hold up to that theory. My oldest child is a girl and that was my easiest pregnancy (no hyperemesis but just normal morning sickness and nausea). My middle child is a girl and that was a horrid pregnancy (severe hyperemesis and reflux). My youngest child is a boy and that was a rough pregnancy as well because I had hyperemesis and gall bladder issues. The only thing that made the pregnancy with the boy any easier was the fact that Zofran was finally approved for pregnant women and that offered me some relief.

 

[beckmrk04]

Well, I have only had one pregnancy so far, so I'll have to wait and see if the theory holds true for me.


Interestingly enough, my mom had hyperemesis when she was pregnant with me (I was the first child), but NOT with my sister (2nd) or brother (3rd).

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Well, I have only had one pregnancy so far, so I'll have to wait and see if the theory holds true for me.


Interestingly enough, my mom had hyperemesis when she was pregnant with me (I was the first child), but NOT with my sister (2nd) or brother (3rd).

Well I hope that is somehow genetic so you have the same experience and have problem free pregnancies from now on.

 

[beckmrk04]

Let's hope. By the way- I think your Luke/Vader button is funny. I am married to a big Star Wars geek.

So much so, that my DD (18 months old), can identify pictures of and name Luke, Leia ("Incess"=princess), Vader, Han, Lando and Yoda. And, as far as DH is concerned, that's all she needs in life.