My Experience with Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Welcome to my blog! While lately my blog is mostly consisting of my thoughts and revelations I stumble upon during my bible studies, I am also starting to write about my motherhood journey as I walk through it! Writing is a way of escape for me. A pretty common picture of my day off includes me grabbing my laptop, a great book to read, my journal and pen and then heading to a cute little coffee shop downtown. I'm currently at Selah Tea in Waterville, Maine, which is just about one of the cutest coffee shops you could visit. They have wonderful salads and a great icy, cold espresso drink served with cream and sugar right in a mason jar! It's definitely the place to stop in and write down your thoughts for an hour or two...
"Morning" Sickness
But anyways! Back to what I wanted to talk about today! I wanted to share my experience with Hyperemesis Gravidarum, which in a nutshell is extreme vomiting during pregnancy. Most women start to get "morning sickness" at around week nine of their pregnancy and it will fade away by week 16 to 18. This is great and perfectly normal, it's actually a sign of a healthy pregnancy! With cases of hyperemesis gravidarum, women can start feeling extreme nausea by week five or six and it can sometimes last their entire pregnancy. It's different with every woman; some experience such extreme cases that they have to be omitted to the hospital many times to stay hydrated and even medication won't stop vomiting at least once or twice a day. I was just chatting with a woman at a local coffee shop yesterday who told me I was lucky just to be able to go out for coffee because when she was pregnant she was severely sick the entire time and had lost so much weight and experienced so much fatigue that she was bed-ridden for her entire pregnancy.
Things Don't Always Go as Planned
I always thought that I was going to feel my best when I got pregnant. I'm not really sure where I got that idea, I just always assumed I would carry really well and have the same, if not more, energy and a huge smile spread across my face the entire time! Well this is pretty far from the truth. If I'm being honest, the first trimester especially, I really struggled with finding happiness even through all the excitement. I'll spare you all of the graphic details of the actual vomiting, but it was a daily battle with the morning sickness and it caused me to lose twelve pounds in just a couple weeks.
It Gets Rather Depressing, But Read on for Hope!
In the first trimester, I experienced a little depression. I didn't feel like myself at all and had a hard time grasping that I couldn't do all the things that I used to do. I was expecting to be able to keep all the same activities, but my body disagreed with me. This caused me to feel pretty blue, like a faded blue really; I remember one week in particular where I called my husband, crying because I was frustrated at myself for not being able to do normal every-day tasks without getting extremely sick and tired. The fatigue and upset tummy happened almost every single morning and sometimes would last all day. I had a few days where I couldn't even keep saltines and ginger ale down and would call the doctors, feeling very weak and helpless as I had to call out of work and pretty much could only lay down in one position. I was so fatigued I could barely hold a conversation with my husband and the toilet and I became far too acquainted.
Finally, at 20 weeks I had been having another "bad day" (the kind where my face blew up like a balloon and I had broken blood vessels all down my face and neck from puking so hard) and I called my doctor; this time she had an answer for me. She was able to prescribe a nausea medication that was safe to take now that I was halfway through my pregnancy. This little pill stopped the vomiting cycle that day and has helped any other day where I start to feel more than just an upset stomach.
The Battle Can Turn Into a Victory - It's Your Choice
Mornings can still carry their own battles, but I have learned to find joy through it. For example, having time to relax more at home has allowed me to do more reading and meditating. Also, I am able to gain weight at a normal pace and our baby is getting what she needs. Those thoughts I experienced in the first trimester are changed completely; I can see things more positively and can see that my little girl is going to make it all worth it. I accepted that my body is telling me to slow down and I am learning that I have to make sacrifices as a parent.
God uses challenges in our lives to make us grow and to grow closer to Him! I thank Him that this pregnancy hasn't been a coastal breeze, because it has made me lean on Him more and has given me so much empathy for people who are struggling with sicknesses and mental health, even outside of pregnancy. I am also very grateful that I am not in a worse state and that our baby is healthy and growing normally! If you are a woman who is struggling with severe sickness during pregnancy, just remember that God works all things out for good for those who trust in Him. He is using your story to help somebody else down the road or to teach you something about Himself! He is with you every step of the way and will give you so much to be joyous of.
"Morning" Sickness
But anyways! Back to what I wanted to talk about today! I wanted to share my experience with Hyperemesis Gravidarum, which in a nutshell is extreme vomiting during pregnancy. Most women start to get "morning sickness" at around week nine of their pregnancy and it will fade away by week 16 to 18. This is great and perfectly normal, it's actually a sign of a healthy pregnancy! With cases of hyperemesis gravidarum, women can start feeling extreme nausea by week five or six and it can sometimes last their entire pregnancy. It's different with every woman; some experience such extreme cases that they have to be omitted to the hospital many times to stay hydrated and even medication won't stop vomiting at least once or twice a day. I was just chatting with a woman at a local coffee shop yesterday who told me I was lucky just to be able to go out for coffee because when she was pregnant she was severely sick the entire time and had lost so much weight and experienced so much fatigue that she was bed-ridden for her entire pregnancy.
Things Don't Always Go as Planned
 |
| Photo From: pixabay.com |
It Gets Rather Depressing, But Read on for Hope!
In the first trimester, I experienced a little depression. I didn't feel like myself at all and had a hard time grasping that I couldn't do all the things that I used to do. I was expecting to be able to keep all the same activities, but my body disagreed with me. This caused me to feel pretty blue, like a faded blue really; I remember one week in particular where I called my husband, crying because I was frustrated at myself for not being able to do normal every-day tasks without getting extremely sick and tired. The fatigue and upset tummy happened almost every single morning and sometimes would last all day. I had a few days where I couldn't even keep saltines and ginger ale down and would call the doctors, feeling very weak and helpless as I had to call out of work and pretty much could only lay down in one position. I was so fatigued I could barely hold a conversation with my husband and the toilet and I became far too acquainted.
Finally, at 20 weeks I had been having another "bad day" (the kind where my face blew up like a balloon and I had broken blood vessels all down my face and neck from puking so hard) and I called my doctor; this time she had an answer for me. She was able to prescribe a nausea medication that was safe to take now that I was halfway through my pregnancy. This little pill stopped the vomiting cycle that day and has helped any other day where I start to feel more than just an upset stomach.
The Battle Can Turn Into a Victory - It's Your Choice
Mornings can still carry their own battles, but I have learned to find joy through it. For example, having time to relax more at home has allowed me to do more reading and meditating. Also, I am able to gain weight at a normal pace and our baby is getting what she needs. Those thoughts I experienced in the first trimester are changed completely; I can see things more positively and can see that my little girl is going to make it all worth it. I accepted that my body is telling me to slow down and I am learning that I have to make sacrifices as a parent.
God uses challenges in our lives to make us grow and to grow closer to Him! I thank Him that this pregnancy hasn't been a coastal breeze, because it has made me lean on Him more and has given me so much empathy for people who are struggling with sicknesses and mental health, even outside of pregnancy. I am also very grateful that I am not in a worse state and that our baby is healthy and growing normally! If you are a woman who is struggling with severe sickness during pregnancy, just remember that God works all things out for good for those who trust in Him. He is using your story to help somebody else down the road or to teach you something about Himself! He is with you every step of the way and will give you so much to be joyous of.
Comments
Post a Comment