It is hard for me to comprehend that today I am celebrating my third Hyperemesis Gravidarum Awareness Day.
I suffered from Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) when I was pregnant with Adam. HG is severe pregnancy sickness that affects 1% of pregnancies. It is a debilitating and potentially life threatening condition, which causes rapid weight loss, malnutrition and dehydration due to unrelenting nausea and/or vomiting. It can have a profound effect on the sufferer’s physical and mental health and well-being. You can read more about my own HG story here.
For the HG Awareness Day in 2012 I was fresh out of my HG hell. Adam was 13 days old.
We participated in the Her Foundation video (4 minutes 38 seconds) and a few weeks later found out about the Pregnancy Sickness Support charity in the UK.
Last year I produced the HG Awareness Day 2013 video which has been viewed over 3,000 times across the 3 versions.
This year we wanted the HG Awareness Day video to be centred around the theme of ‘isolation and friendship’. The video shows how isolating HG can be and how vital the support of others is. This theme ties in with the notion of The Big Brew fundraiser which is happening throughout this week.
HG sufferers and survivors have all felt the truly awful isolation that comes from suffering with severe pregnancy sickness. The misconception of the condition can make the physical symptoms harder to deal with. Pregnancy Sickness Support provides vital support to sufferers through its telephone helpline, online forum and volunteer supporter network. The video celebrates the friendship and community behind the charity’s strapline “you are not alone”.
This years HG Awareness Day video is particularly special to me for many reasons. It is my first year as a trustee of Pregnancy Sickness Support. I never imagined when I went to my first PSS conference when Adam was 7 weeks old that I would become so involved with the charity and enjoy it immensely. Secondly, it will soon be the anniversary of the launch of the PSS Support Forum which I administrate. As Spewing Mummy states “barr a cure for hyperemesis, an effective support network is probably the second most important development for HG sufferers.” It was my work with the Forum that led me to find HG friendly play activities suitable sufferers who have toddlers.
This video is also important to me because I have worked collaboratively with three amazing volunteers Katrina Wallbridge-Nichols, Amanda Shortman and Marilisa Valtazanou.
There is a special significance that Katrina has helped to arrange the video as Katrina and I went through our HG hell together. Our boys were born 3 weeks apart.
Katrina was the first person I spoke to who was suffering the same symptoms. There are two quotes that make me instantly think of Katrina:
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: “What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” ~C.S Lewis
“A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out.” ~ Grace Pulpit
Amanda, PSS volunteer coordinator, provided the statistics taken from a recent PSS study. Amanda is the first port of call for many sufferers and she does a fantastic job bringing help to so many people.
Marilisa kindly composed and recorded the instrumental music for the mobile device version of the video.
It is also a privilege that so many HG sufferers and survivors shared their photographs and HG stories with me. Some HG survivors participated in last years video and it is wonderful to see their HG babies grow. There are also survivors in the video who have recently been through HG again. They inspire me that one day I will be brave enough to through HG a second time.
So without further delay I am proud to share the 2014 Pregnancy Sickness Support HG Awareness Day video:
If you wish to view the video on a mobile device please watch this version:
“Nine Months Of…” campaign
Back in August 2013 PSS launched its first national “Nine Months Of…” campaign to raise awareness of the conditions it supports. The campaign started on 8th August and ends today (15th May 2014).
The ‘nine months of…’ fundraiser was made up of several people setting out to challenge themselves in a number of activities ranging from the physically demanding to the creatively difficult. All the participants in the campaign suffered the debilitating condition of HG and wish to support other sufferers.
Amanda has spent the past 9 months crocheting for at least 10 minutes every day. She has produced stunning handmade baby and toddler items – including blankets, cardigans, jumpers, hats and mittens.
All of her items, plus other handmade items donated by volunteers, are currently up for auction on eBay. Everything starts at 99p and the auction will end this Sunday. 100% of the total price of each item sold will go direct to PSS. Please check out the auction.
My own ‘Nine Months Of…’ challenge is to complete the Yorkshire Three Peaks – 3 peaks to represent 3 trimesters. It is a gruelling 25 mile hike up Pen-Y-Ghent (2273 ft/ 694m), Ingleborough (2373 ft/ 723m) and Whernside (2414 ft/ 736m) in less than 12 hours. For the past nine months I have been training for the walk and have recorded most of my training walks on this blog.
Back in August 2013 this is what I wrote about why I wanted to do the Yorkshire Three Peaks:
“So why I am putting myself through nine months of physical training and 12 hours of pain? The reason is because of two words – Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Those two little words that have changed me. Two words that took so much away from me but that has also given much in return.
For nine months I suffered from the debilitating condition called Hyperemesis Gravidarum whilst pregnant with my son. As dramatic as it sounds I truly believed I was going to die – and several days wished for nothing more. I was vomiting 40+ times a day and unable to look after myself. Each and every second of my pregnancy was pure hell. There was never any let up. Even when the medication eased the vomiting words still cannot describe the torture of suffering from relentless nausea 24 hours a day.
Nearly 15 months on and Hyperemesis Gravidarum still hasn’t left me. I no longer feel the physical symptoms but mentally I still suffer. In an instant I can be taken back to those darkest of days when all I could do was lay still and hope that time would go quickly. Those two words of Hyperemesis Gravidarum have been replaced by four words – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The challenge, for me, will require determination, endurance and stamina – much like suffering nine months of Hyperemesis Gravidarum!”
How true those words appear nine months on. Training has required determination, endurance and stamina. Getting up early to go for walks in the rain, pushing a toddler and a pushchair up hills (yes we managed to find hills even in flat Norfolk), being battered by the wind and walking when sleep deprived because your toddler thinks 4.30am is the best time to start the day.
However, despite all of that training my body has let me down at the last hurdle. In March I had bronchitis. I took a few weeks off from training and hoped my breathing would improve by easing back into our training schedule. Unfortunately in the middle of April I had another bout of bronchitis that left me bed bound for a week. I have had two weeks worth of steroids and several medical appointments. As a result my GP has advised me not to attempt the Yorkshire 3 Peaks on the 25th May as planned.
I can’t believe my body has let me down yet again. It wouldn’t let me have a normal pregnancy and it isn’t letting me complete my challenge…yet. However, I am not going to let it defeat me. We are still visiting the Yorkshire 3 Peaks at the end of May but we will be taking Adam with us. No doubt he will be able to go up at least one peak – running!
We have rescheduled our 3 Peak challenge to September 6th. Going through HG for nine months has taught me many things – including perseverance and determination. I will complete the Yorkshire 3 Peaks challenge!
You can sponsor my postponed Yorkshire 3 Peaks challenge and help Pregnancy Sickness Support by donating here:
The Pregnancy Sickness Support Charity is making huge changes to the way women are supported and treated during their pregnancies. It offers a peer support network and information about treatments through their website, leaflets, helpline, online forum and social media. All of this is done thanks to the donations of people like you as we receive no funding at present. Please help us help even more women.
Adventures of Adam has been shortlisted for a BiBs Award.
Please vote for Adventures of Adam in the Fresh Voice category.
Thank you for your support.
My goodness, what a moving and inspiring video you’ve created. No wonder you are proud! Well done to you and the rest of the team, it’s so important to raise awareness of conditions like these and brilliant to have a support network for people going through HG. Good luck with the 3 Peaks and thank you for linking to #loudnproud
Thank you. I am proud of the achievements the charity has made in such a short time. Without a team of dedicated volunteers we wouldn’t be able to make an impact to sufferers.
It’s great that you are trying to raise awareness. Sadly from my own experience there is still a lot of ignorance around HG.
We will change the future for our children so they do not have to suffer the misconceptions of the condition x
Wonderful post Emma, thank you for always thinking of us, we are always thinking of you too, you’re a dear friend and I’m so thankful that HG brought such a lovely friend into my life. You’ve done so well with your training and when you are ready for the Peaks in September you will do great climbing them. Really proud of you, lots of love xx
I will never forget that moment when you sent me that message when I was at my lowest point. I was laying on the sofa at my parents house because I could no longer look after myself. I hadn’t eaten for days, hadn’t kept any fluid down for just as long and felt utter despair. How could ‘morning sickness’ be this bad? But you shone a light on HG and for that I will always be grateful. HG may have taken 9 months of my love but it has given me so much in return including you x
Wow, that video really touched me. What an amazing post. And what amazing women you are to go through this. I had really bad SPD with my pregnancies and could hardly walk, it was so hard but I’d take that over 24-7 sickness anytime. You ladies are so so strong. Honoured to be standing alongside you in the BiBs2014. You’d be a worthy Fresh Voice winner. #loudnproud
Thank you so much. Your comments mean a lot to me. SPD is no walk in the park either! I only had slight twinges of it but as I was bed bound anyway I luckily didn’t feel the full pain. I can’t imagine having bad SPD with other children to look after. The things we go through to bring our children into the world! Honoured to be shortlisted with you in the BiBs2014 too x
What a great message to get across! It’s not always ‘just’ morning sickness!
Our voice is finally being heard. One day the message will get across!
Wonderful posy. I was pregnant with twins and thought I would get morning sickness, thankfully I didn’t, but I can’t stand being sick at the best of times, but whilst pregnant it must be awful. This sounds terrible. Thanks for linking up to the #binkylinky
Thank you. A twin pregnancy must have been difficult in itself! Despite being sick so many times unfortunately you don’t get used to it 🙁
You have achieved amazing things, I am truly in awe. My mum had HG when she was pregnant with me and was hospitalised with it, but i don’t think it lasted the whole nine months. I can’t begin to imagine the horror of 40 weeks of severe nausea and vomiting, absolutely amazing that you managed to get through it.
Thank you. It must have been extremely difficult for your Mum to go through HG as attitudes are only just changing and the medical help has improved immensely in the past few years. She must have gone through it with very little support either. I hope to be brave enough to go through it again one day.
What great work you are doing, I never suffered HG myself but became aware of it through others suffering, the word needs to get out more
Thank you. When I was in the throws of HG it was hard to imagine that any good would come from being ill for so long.
Emma your video has me in floods of tears! what a truly inspirational post!
I am honoured you have shared and linked with #MagicMoments xx
Thank you Jaime. The word is getting out there so women do not have to suffer in silence surrounded by the misconceptions of the condition.
Good luck with all your awareness raising. What a fab video and terrific post. #MagicMoments
Thank you. Each new person that understands the condition can help another sufferer.
A really well written and moving post, I’m glad through your horrid sickness has come a great friendship and a beautiful boy
Thank you – that means a lot. HG took away my life for nine months but I am a better person as a result.
I am reading a lot about HG but I dont think that I have enough knowlodege of it. This post gave me some more info & I got to know what it is about more. Thank you for sharing your experience. #MagicMoments
I am glad HG is becoming a more talked about condition. That means more people will be understanding of sufferers.
What an inspiring video you have created. Great to help get the info out there as many don’t know alot about it. And glad through it all a great great friendship was born. Fantastic moving post. Thank you so much for linking up to Share With Me. #sharewithme
Thank you. When I was going through HG I could never imagine anything positive could come out of being so ill. How wrong I was. Not only do I have my amazing son but I am closer to my family as a result, I have made some lifelong friendships and I am a stronger person.
Great cause, one of my best friends suffered with this terribly 16 years ago now. I can remember being so worried about her. Nice to know that there is more awareness and support these days #SSAA
I can only imagine what your friend went through 16 years ago. Slowly attitudes are changing and medical intervention is improving.
As you know, your video had me in tears. I have been suffering terribly for the last 10 weeks and have only been able to talk about how I’m feeling for the last 2. So for 2 months I have hidden away and been unable to tell anyone what is going on. My sickness is nowhere near as dreadful as some of the very brave ladies I have since read about and I am serious when I say that I am in awe of many HG sufferers. There have been times where I’ve really wondered whether it is worth it. This is my 4th pregnancy and only the second time I have been ill with it. But this time is unlike any other and I am at a loss as to why. I’m on medication but I’ve found that being really careful with what I eat and drink helps a lot too. Of course there are days where nothing helps, apart from sleep. It is not an existence I would wish on anyone but I know only too well that in 5 months time it will have all been worth it. Thanks so much for sharing your story
xx x
I am so sorry that you are suffering and have had to suffer alone for so long. HG takes away the joy of announcing your pregnancy. I am glad the video helped you connect with HG sufferers. Take each day as it comes and keep your mind on that end goal x
Well done on taking the time to raise awareness.
Thank you. Raising awareness and changing peoples views on pregnancy sickness is very important to me.
What a fantastic video, had me in tears. I never knew how bad Hyperemesis Gravidarum can be for mother and baby. I’m 31 weeks pregnant at the moment and it has been rough this time, I felt that we lost time between November and March because I didn’t want to/couldn’t move from the sofa. Even now I have to watch everything I eat to stop me feeling ill for the whole day. That is nothing compared to what you and all the other mums in your video have been through. I love how you are raising awareness. Good luck on your three peaks challenge.
Thanks for linking up with Small Steps Amazing Achievements :0)
x
Pregnancy can be a very tough time and those 9 months can feel like an eternity. I found those last few weeks seemed to drag – the end was so close yet so far away too. Food can become the enemy when you are suffering. I survived off Pringle crisps for some time – to the point we nicknamed Adam ‘Pringle’ until he was born!
Pregnancy certainly isn’t an easy time for a lot of people.