May saw us come together for International Hyperemesis Gravidarum Day, with the theme this year being HG Progress.
With several projects launching, and the delivery of new training, PSS are proud to have made our own HG Progress. Here’s a snapshot of the impact we’ve seen in Q2 of 2025.
Helpline and Support
As a team we have supported 484 people in Q2, with 97% of respondents rating the service as 10/10.
In April, we launched a new online initial contact form which gives our team a better understanding of a person’s individual situation, enabling us to work more effectively and efficiently. We also evolved our CRM system which means we can capture more specific sufferer data, including tracking user symptoms to help future research.
Q2 saw an additional 34 volunteers sign up for training, and we were able to create 112 peer support matches, which form an invaluable lifeline to many sufferers.
“[PSS] were literally my saving grace in one of the darkest times of my pregnancy and life for that matter. The support was incredible.”
Impact Campaigns and Driving Change
In April, we launched a petition calling on the UK Government to fund better physical and mental healthcare for HG sufferers, tackle treatment inequities, and guarantee mental health support within 2 weeks of referral. With just under 3 months left to run, we are almost half way to the 10,000 signatures we need to get a response from Government.
Throughout Q2, we disseminated a study to the HG community to understand the postcode lottery of Xonvea, the licensed for use medication for NVP, with final responses reaching close to 800 respondents. Our team are in communications with several Integrated Care Board’s (ICB’s) to support applications regarding the inclusion of Xonvea on the formulary. We hope that our support with this will reduce the postcode lottery around being prescribed this medication.
In May, we launched the RCGP’s first HG and pregnancy sickness screencast which explores diagnostic criteria, and the safety of antiemetics in the first trimester. With this now available online for all RCGP members, we hope that this short training video will encourage better first line treatments in primary care.
Partnerships and Training
This quarter has seen us partner with several charity organisations and businesses, to exchange knowledge within the maternal health community.
This has included receiving training on Pregnancy and Employment Law, ADHD and Neurodiversity, and Surrogacy with HG. We have similarly led multiple training sessions to other organisations to spread awareness of Hyperemesis Gravidarum.
Comms and engagement
Pregnancy Sickness Support delivered training to 130 medical professionals in Q2.
We also launched the new HG training for Counsellors, which has received 5/5 stars from attendees.
Our HG in Primary Care training workshop saw participants feel an increase in confidence with how to deal with sufferers, stating their knowledge of HG went from 6/10 prior to the session, up to 9/10 post workshop. This gives us great assurances that the work we’re doing will continue to make a difference to sufferers when attending the primary care setting.
Counselling
Our bank of counsellors delivered 144 counselling sessions in Q2, and from the feedback we received, 100% of respondents said that the sessions had been helpful and they’d recommend the service to others.
We also developed and launched a specialist Post Termination Therapeutic Support Group (PTTSG). This is a 6-week group for women and birthing people who have terminated pregnancies due to HG. The feedback so far is that this is a much-needed group, which allows sufferers to talk openly about their experiences without explanation or judgement.
Conclusion
This quarter has seen significant achievements and progress across all areas of our work, with the launch of new training and CRM systems further aiding the care we can offer.
Pregnancy Sickness Support remains dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by pregnancy sickness and Hyperemesis Gravidarum.
Thank you to all our supporters, volunteers and fundraisers who make this possible, and enable us to continue on our mission to provide “Empathy, Expertise & Support” for all those suffering with HG.
Charlotte Howden
CEO
Pregnancy Sickness Support
