For Emily, pregnancy was not a time of joy—it was a relentless battle against hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). She shares her experience in the hope that more people will understand the true impact of this debilitating condition.
My HG experience was the most horrendous and debilitating time of my life. Some of the darkest days I have ever known happened throughout those nine months, and the only light at the end of the tunnel was knowing I’d have my daughter to make it all worth it.
The day I found out I was pregnant was the same day I found out I had HG. I was in A&E alone for 10 hours due to Covid restrictions, spending the entire time in a bed, throwing up, with little to no help. Eventually, I was transferred to the gynae ward at my local hospital, where my treatment improved. It took a while to find the right anti-sickness medication for me, but eventually, we did. Even then, it was only a small help—it was never a cure.
HG affected both my physical and mental health massively. I was unable to eat for days at a time, sometimes unable to even tolerate a sip of water. I was either bedbound for long periods or admitted to hospital on multiple occasions to be put on a drip. My mental health was beyond shattered, and I had some of the darkest days of my life while pregnant. The mental and physical toll HG took on my body is unfathomable.
Some days, I would throw up every 30 seconds for 12 hours straight. That was when I was at my lowest. I was sick almost every day of my pregnancy, and even during my c-section, I had my head to one side in a bucket. Without my partner and my mum, I don’t know what would have happened to me. They were my lifeline throughout it all.
Unfortunately, I only discovered Pregnancy Sickness Support after giving birth, but their advice and support have been invaluable. HG is a life-changing, debilitating, and truly agonising disease that ruins every single day of pregnancy for most women who experience it. But despite everything, I wouldn’t change it for the world—because it brought my little best friend into my life.
Emily’s story is a reminder that HG is not “just sickness”—it is a relentless condition that impacts every aspect of a woman’s life. Better awareness, faster access to treatment, and proper support are essential to ensuring no one has to suffer alone.
Reach out to us if you need support.