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Trying Again; Preparation
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‘I couldn’t believe it when I found out that there was a charity that deals with HG. I actually broke down, at last what I had seemed valid.’ - a hyperemesis gravidarum sufferer

Support is Vital

"The support I received over the past 6 weeks helped get me through what has been the toughest time of my life. Having someone who really who really understood the condition give advice helped us through and crucially, at times, gave me really useful information I didn't get from my own medical practitioners. In my experience, HG is such a debilitating and lonely struggle, the more support you get the better chance you have of surviving it" - Lisa, from London.

Preparing for Pregnancy

Although for many each pregnancy is very different and having pregnancy sickness in one pregnancy does not necessarily mean you will get it again, unfortunately for many women with severe nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and hyperemesis gravidarum the chances of it reoccurring are high. For many women the experience of their first pregnancies were so awful that they can't even contemplate going through it again. There is a number of ways in which you can prepare for an 'HG' pregnancy and in particular it is important you speak to your doctor about pre-emptive medication.

There is good evidence that the early, pre-emptive, use of a B6 (pyridoxine) Supplement and antihistamine (such as Promethazine or Cyclizine) is effective for preventing the deterioration which results in hospital admission. Speak to your GP about using this treatment if you have suffered Hyperemesis Gravidarum in the past.

Other tips for preparing for a difficult pregnancy:

  • Childcare is crucial! Whether it is through friends and family or formal childcare with a nursery, child-minder or nanny it is important that you are able to rest and concentrate on staying hydrated and nourished as much as possible.
  • Prepare meals for the freezer. Whilst planning your pregnancy get as many meals in the freezer as possible so that your family can cope without you preparing a meal every day.
  • Stock up on drinks/foods you like and were able to tolerate last time. 
  • Get support! contact our support network in advance so that we are ready to support you when the time comes.
  • Get in shape; although it may be helpful to have a little 'extra' to lose when the sickness strikes, it is also important that you are fit and ready to deal with the rigours of a difficult pregnancy.
  • Contact your GP, Midwife and any other professionals that will be involved. Explain that you want a plan in advance, discuss what worked and didn't work last time, give permission for husband/relatives to discuss care if applicable and get a baseline weight documented.

If you would like to speak to someone who has been through an HG pregnancy more than once then please contact us. For more information on preparing for pregnancy see our conference paper Preparation for the hyperemesis pregnancy