Morning sickness - (Woohoo, I'm going to be a dad again!)
Discussion
My OH is pregnant - it's currently the worst kept secret in the world so I thought I'd share it with t'interweb 
5th November is the current due date - early to be sharing, I know, but given that she's told just about everyone in existence, I feel I can share it with the other place where I spend most of my time (it should be work, but there you go!)....
However, she is suffering from morning sickness quite badly, whenever she eats, it "gets stuck in her throat" and stays there, usually to be thrown up later. So far every waking moment is spent feeling nauseous and post meals are spent waiting to be sick (which she often is).
She's extremely reluctant to see the doctor or seek any other advice (apart from to discuss it with the midwife) as she knows she'll be told that it's normal and, unless she's throwing up all the time, she'll be told that there's nothing that can be done and it's "normal".
I'm frustrated as I can see she's suffering and there's nothing I can do about it and I know we'll end up arguing about it as I hate that she sometimes won't try to help herself.
The pregnancy with our first was spent just like this - she barely ate for nearly 5 months, threw up just about the whole time and lost weight during most of the pregnancy - She's worried that this is how she'll be during this pregnancy and I have this horrible feeling she's right.
However, I can't find anything obvious that might help - ginger isn't working (ginger ale was thrown up at the weekend and ginger biscuits, etc have also met the porcelain God) - what other remedies can anyone suggest?
Mods - sorry for the blatant self-congratulations!
5th November is the current due date - early to be sharing, I know, but given that she's told just about everyone in existence, I feel I can share it with the other place where I spend most of my time (it should be work, but there you go!)....
However, she is suffering from morning sickness quite badly, whenever she eats, it "gets stuck in her throat" and stays there, usually to be thrown up later. So far every waking moment is spent feeling nauseous and post meals are spent waiting to be sick (which she often is).
She's extremely reluctant to see the doctor or seek any other advice (apart from to discuss it with the midwife) as she knows she'll be told that it's normal and, unless she's throwing up all the time, she'll be told that there's nothing that can be done and it's "normal".
I'm frustrated as I can see she's suffering and there's nothing I can do about it and I know we'll end up arguing about it as I hate that she sometimes won't try to help herself.
The pregnancy with our first was spent just like this - she barely ate for nearly 5 months, threw up just about the whole time and lost weight during most of the pregnancy - She's worried that this is how she'll be during this pregnancy and I have this horrible feeling she's right.
However, I can't find anything obvious that might help - ginger isn't working (ginger ale was thrown up at the weekend and ginger biscuits, etc have also met the porcelain God) - what other remedies can anyone suggest?
Mods - sorry for the blatant self-congratulations!
Has she tried travel sickness bands http://www.biobands.com/
Ginger tea tends to work http://www.brighthub.com/health/alternative-medici...
She could try a supplement of vitamin B6.
Ginger tea tends to work http://www.brighthub.com/health/alternative-medici...
She could try a supplement of vitamin B6.
Edited by Tumbler on Tuesday 22 March 13:35
Tumbler said:
Has she tried travel sickness bands http://www.biobands.com/
Ginger tea tends to work http://www.brighthub.com/health/alternative-medici...
She could try a supplement of vitamin B6.
Why B6?Ginger tea tends to work http://www.brighthub.com/health/alternative-medici...
She could try a supplement of vitamin B6.
on the news.As I understand it B6 helps our bodies metabolise certain amino acids and helps us to use and store energy from foods. It also fosters the growth of red blood cells. There have been various studies linking it to helping morning sickness, Google will probably give you more information than I can.
Firstly, Congratulations!
As I understand it, low blood sugar makes it worse (hence why it tends to happen in the morning). If she is avoiding eating because she is worried that she'll feel sick afterwards, she's actually just making it worse and ensuring that she will when she eventually does. Obviously actually getting to the stage of throwing up makes this worse again, as she loses all the value of the food she has just eaten.
What she actually needs to do is rather than having meals, is nibble snacks pretty much constantly to keep her sugar levels up. This should calm the nausea making it easier to keep snacking and thus breaking the cycle.
As I understand it, low blood sugar makes it worse (hence why it tends to happen in the morning). If she is avoiding eating because she is worried that she'll feel sick afterwards, she's actually just making it worse and ensuring that she will when she eventually does. Obviously actually getting to the stage of throwing up makes this worse again, as she loses all the value of the food she has just eaten.
What she actually needs to do is rather than having meals, is nibble snacks pretty much constantly to keep her sugar levels up. This should calm the nausea making it easier to keep snacking and thus breaking the cycle.
Mr Will said:
Firstly, Congratulations!
As I understand it, low blood sugar makes it worse (hence why it tends to happen in the morning). If she is avoiding eating because she is worried that she'll feel sick afterwards, she's actually just making it worse and ensuring that she will when she eventually does. Obviously actually getting to the stage of throwing up makes this worse again, as she loses all the value of the food she has just eaten.
What she actually needs to do is rather than having meals, is nibble snacks pretty much constantly to keep her sugar levels up. This should calm the nausea making it easier to keep snacking and thus breaking the cycle.
Thanks - That's exactly what's happening, but it's breaking that cycle and mentality that needs to be cracked... Nibbling and regular small meals helped, but then she threw up and it spiralled from there.As I understand it, low blood sugar makes it worse (hence why it tends to happen in the morning). If she is avoiding eating because she is worried that she'll feel sick afterwards, she's actually just making it worse and ensuring that she will when she eventually does. Obviously actually getting to the stage of throwing up makes this worse again, as she loses all the value of the food she has just eaten.
What she actually needs to do is rather than having meals, is nibble snacks pretty much constantly to keep her sugar levels up. This should calm the nausea making it easier to keep snacking and thus breaking the cycle.
I'll try to help bring it back on track, but it's getting her to see this that could be the problem...
Tumbler said:
As I understand it B6 helps our bodies metabolise certain amino acids and helps us to use and store energy from foods. It also fosters the growth of red blood cells. There have been various studies linking it to helping morning sickness, Google will probably give you more information than I can.
I've looked in to it (online) and it's something that can't hurt to try...
If she's got morning sickeness for five months it sounds like she has Hyperemesis Gravidarum which my wife had with both our kids.....it's truly,truly awful. She ended up in hospital on an IV drip to rehydrate her a couple of times. It can be treated with anti-emitic drugs...trouble is if they are taken orally they don't work that well as obviously that part of her system is the one that's in trouble....so she can either take suppositories or take the drugs IV.
GP's are generally rubbish about treating it...we ended up going to see a consultant/specialist.
GP's are generally rubbish about treating it...we ended up going to see a consultant/specialist.
AB and Ron said:
Stuff above
Predictable, but cheers Beardy10 said:
If she's got morning sickeness for five months it sounds like she has Hyperemesis Gravidarum which my wife had with both our kids.....it's truly,truly awful. She ended up in hospital on an IV drip to rehydrate her a couple of times. It can be treated with anti-emitic drugs...trouble is if they are taken orally they don't work that well as obviously that part of her system is the one that's in trouble....so she can either take suppositories or take the drugs IV.
GP's are generally rubbish about treating it...we ended up going to see a consultant/specialist.
I've not heard of that before, but the symptoms (from this and the last pregnancy) all read the same.GP's are generally rubbish about treating it...we ended up going to see a consultant/specialist.
One to read up some more up on - thanks
Is she taking iron tablets? When I got pregnant with my first it was a case of congrats and here's your script for iron tablets. I then proceeded to start throwing up everything I ate, within minutes of eating, it got to a point that I just gave up eating.
Went for my first scan, mentioned it at the hospital (my weight loss was noticed) and was told to stop taking them, and within around a week, I was eating normally and starting to put some weight back on, seems I was ok with the iron levels and the tablets were 'overdosing' me
Went for my first scan, mentioned it at the hospital (my weight loss was noticed) and was told to stop taking them, and within around a week, I was eating normally and starting to put some weight back on, seems I was ok with the iron levels and the tablets were 'overdosing' me
speedchick said:
Is she taking iron tablets? When I got pregnant with my first it was a case of congrats and here's your script for iron tablets. I then proceeded to start throwing up everything I ate, within minutes of eating, it got to a point that I just gave up eating.
Went for my first scan, mentioned it at the hospital (my weight loss was noticed) and was told to stop taking them, and within around a week, I was eating normally and starting to put some weight back on, seems I was ok with the iron levels and the tablets were 'overdosing' me
She's taking those Pregnacare tablets which, having looked, have 121% RDA of iron - but she's not really eating (or keeping anything down) so I don't think her intake could be a real problem (I think)Went for my first scan, mentioned it at the hospital (my weight loss was noticed) and was told to stop taking them, and within around a week, I was eating normally and starting to put some weight back on, seems I was ok with the iron levels and the tablets were 'overdosing' me
speedchick said:
I didn't think that I was taking anything in, even water came back up, but it seems the iron stayed put, coming off them was the best thing I did, might be worth having a chat with the doctor or the midwife?
Worth a shot - finding out about Hyperemesis Gravidarum above might at least encourage her to seek help instead of trying to tough it out as not much is staying down at all and it's really sad to see 
My biggest concern was that because I was throwing everything straight back up, and I mean within seconds of eating, that the baby wasn't getting anything. I know I probably panicked cos it was my first one, and I had no idea what morning sickness could be like, but that was what was worrying me, that I wasn't taking anything in, and so was in effect starving not only myself but the baby.
Maybe something along those lines, without scaring the bejesus out of her, make out that you want her to do it cos you are worried about her or something like that?
Maybe something along those lines, without scaring the bejesus out of her, make out that you want her to do it cos you are worried about her or something like that?
speedchick said:
My biggest concern was that because I was throwing everything straight back up, and I mean within seconds of eating, that the baby wasn't getting anything. I know I probably panicked cos it was my first one, and I had no idea what morning sickness could be like, but that was what was worrying me, that I wasn't taking anything in, and so was in effect starving not only myself but the baby.
Maybe something along those lines, without scaring the bejesus out of her, make out that you want her to do it cos you are worried about her or something like that?
I'm taking her this afternoon if I can get in - the problem is that I can't call to make an appointment for this afternoon until, well, this afternoon... Grrrrr.Maybe something along those lines, without scaring the bejesus out of her, make out that you want her to do it cos you are worried about her or something like that?
I ended up trying all sorts of anti emitic drugs for sickness in pregnancy. I had it quiet badly at the start (only in the third pregnancy) but for me it was worse post 26 weeks. I had to go into hospital every week from 28 weeks for a drip (they test your sample and mine was always full of rubbish Ketones, blood, protein, nitrates the lot). The only two things that worked were a bag of yellow stuff (mainly vitamin B I think) that I had as a drip. It nearly stopped me feeling sick within an hour and ondansetron. I spent the last two months of prgenancy 3 using ondansetron. I would have spent those two months in hospital had it not been for that. I understand they dont' like to give it pre 12 weeks! However it is commonly used in the US from the start of pregnancy - there is a specific hyperemersis forum where I found this information out.
If you really want your wife to get help - look at that forum. without wishing to worry you becasue it is very rare - there does seem to be a higher pregnancy loss rate especially post 12 weeks for ladies who have severe hyperemisis - according to some US statistics (no idea if they are good or not). And I eneded up having my daughter at 34 weeks (which is a record for me) due to a massive drop in blood pressure attributed too not having eating anything for the last 6 weeks that stayed down. Having said that I think there were so mnay other complicating factors it would oversimplify it to say it was the sickness!
If you really want your wife to get help - look at that forum. without wishing to worry you becasue it is very rare - there does seem to be a higher pregnancy loss rate especially post 12 weeks for ladies who have severe hyperemisis - according to some US statistics (no idea if they are good or not). And I eneded up having my daughter at 34 weeks (which is a record for me) due to a massive drop in blood pressure attributed too not having eating anything for the last 6 weeks that stayed down. Having said that I think there were so mnay other complicating factors it would oversimplify it to say it was the sickness!
Beardy10 said:
If she's got morning sickeness for five months it sounds like she has Hyperemesis Gravidarum which my wife had with both our kids.....it's truly,truly awful. She ended up in hospital on an IV drip to rehydrate her a couple of times. It can be treated with anti-emitic drugs...trouble is if they are taken orally they don't work that well as obviously that part of her system is the one that's in trouble....so she can either take suppositories or take the drugs IV.
GP's are generally rubbish about treating it...we ended up going to see a consultant/specialist.
What my wife currently has with our twin pregancy - 17 weeks in now.GP's are generally rubbish about treating it...we ended up going to see a consultant/specialist.
It has been a fecking nightmare - been in hospital once already on IV and since been living at the in-laws as she can't really be left alone.
Ginger - nope
Travel bands - nope
Lots of little meals - nope
Anti-sickness drugs orally - nope
Nothing works!!
It is very stressful - congrats to you JT, all I can advise is just be there and support her if it carries on. You will feel very helpless but try not to get frustrated (like I did on the weekend). It hard for her but also for you.
Good luck!
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