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Most women, when they decide to try to conceive or discover that they are pregnant, expect to suffer from a bout of morning sickness in the first trimester. Normal morning sickness symptoms usually alleviate around the twelfth or thirteenth week of pregnancy. For some women, however, morning sickness lasts throughout the pregnancy and gets worse with time. This is called hyperemesis gravidarum. A woman who suffers from hyperemesis gravidarum is usually diagnosed after losing 5-10% (sometimes as much as 20%) of their pre-pregnancy weight, having been confirmed with dehydration and ketosis (when your body uses fat for energy), difficulty with daily activities, and the obvious, excessive nausea and vomiting (especially after the twelfth or thirteenth week of pregnancy, sometimes as much as twenty to thirty times per day). Hyperemesis only affects 1-2% of pregnant women and lasts throughout the pregnancy for roughly 0.2% of pregnant women. Because of the complications that may arise, many women are hospitalized for this condition.

Having survived two pregnancies with hyperemesis, I can offer fellow hyperemesis sufferers some tips on surviving a hyperemesis pregnancy.

*SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ANY OF THE SYMPTOMS OF HYPEREMESIS. Don't be afraid to make an emergency appointment with your obstetrician or midwife. They are there to help you throughout your pregnancy. Also, since hyperemesis can have such drastic consequences

*ASK YOUR OBSTETRICIAN FOR ANTI-EMETICS. I know I could not have survived either pregnancies without the help of anti-emetic medication (Zofran, Reglan, and Phenergan). This helps to curb the nausea and vomiting, so long as you can keep the pills down. If necessary, you might receive an IV to inject yourself with the medications, bypassing the possible complication of vomiting the pills. With Zofran, Reglan, and Phenergan, I've noticed that my nausea is still present, though not as prominent as before, and my vomiting has decreased.

*EAT SIX SMALL MEALS A DAY. Giving your body less food more often, like the anti-emetics, helps to curb the nausea and vomiting as well as keeping you from becoming malnourished. Try to keep the food you eat as bland as possible until you know what you can tolorate.

*ASK FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR HELP. Hyperemesis can be vey draining. It can leave you with next to no energy. If you have other children, ask your friends and family for help taking care of them. From my personal experience, even just an hour of having your child taken care of by someone else helps.

*REST AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. As I said in the previous bullet point, hyperemesis can be very draining. If possible, take a nap or at least rest during the day. Even a nap as short as half an hour can provide great relief from the exhaustion, helping you get through the rest of your day.

*ELECTROLYTE-ENRICHED DRINKS (e.g. Powerade, Gatorade, and Smart Water) ARE YOUR FRIENDS. Since you can become dehydrated so quickly, it is important to keep yourself hydrated and to keep your electrolytes in balance. If possible, try to drink some sort of electrolyte-enriched drink during the day or after vomiting.

Learn more about this author, Catherine Nagy.
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