Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) is severe vomiting during pregnancy and while women have experienced it for years, it wasn’t until the Duchess of Cambridge suffered from it when she was pregnant with Prince George that it became well known.
Now it seems she is going through it again in her second pregnancy, but what exactly is it?
Fortunately, it’s not particularly common, and according to Pregnancy Sickness Support, it only affects 1% of women who suffer from morning sickness. It usually starts about the fourth week of pregnancy and is gone by the 16th week. However, while it should be over by the time you have reached your 20th week, for some mums-to-be it can continue throughout their entire pregnancy.
The difference between it and normal morning sickness is the fact that with HG, mothers can’t keep anything down and the vomiting is severe without subsiding.
The biggest risk of HG is becoming dehydrated, so it is important mums experiencing it try to keep their fluid intake up. If you can’t stomach anything, suck on ice cubes or an ice pop. In severe cases, some mums-to-be may need to be hospitalised in order to be given an intravenous drip.
This will help hydrate you and provide your body with essential nutrients and vitamins. In extreme cases mums-to-be may be fed via a tube or given medication to help ease the symptoms. Other treatments include bed rest, acupressure, and other nausea reducing remedies including taking ginger or peppermint.
While vomiting is one of the main symptoms, it's not the only one. Some mothers may suffer from weight loss, rapid heartbeat, anxiety, low blood pressure, jaundice, confusion and headaches. If you believe you have HG, you should always talk to your midwife or GP who will be able to help you.
