Sunday, April 29, 2012

Because it Matters

One of my hyperemesis gravidarum shirts

In honor of awareness day quickly approaching and today most likely being the last day to get hg t shirts or wristbands in time for awareness day, I will not be posting any of my current projects and will instead be providing links to other hg blogs and videos so that people can separate the myth vs truths in their heads and see that although this is a "rare" disease, OVER 50,000 women are hospitalized every year- and that is not counting the ones who do not have knowledge that there is help for their condition. HG can effect any woman, any pregnancy- although it often runs in families , it can start with any woman. There is no known cause and there is no cure other than delivery. Please consider taking the time to read or watch one of these links if you are still unsure if these women are " really that sick" or overreacting to be dramatic. 

 HG does not just only affect the suffering hg woman, if they have older children they do not have a attentive mother for quite some time, relationships with spouses can be strained due to added pressure on husbands and them not being able to fully comprehend how the wife is feeling. Many women will get through this time and have a healthy baby thanks to EARLY medical help( iv fluids, nausea meds, and bedrest) but often time they do not seek that care because no one is urging them to and is instead saying in nice and not so nice ways " everyone has morning sickness, your fine dont be a baby". If you know of a woman loosing more than 5% body weight and not keeping fluids or food down for 24 hours or days in a row, i beg you to encourage her to get help. A sweet friend of mine told me that I would feel so much better if i just got fluids and that theres no way i could drink as much as they would give- because she urged me, I called the dr and they told me to go to the er right away, which may have saved my baby's life and saved me from more suffering and depression. So share these posts, put a " i support hg awareness" badge on your  facebook profile picture until may 15th, and pray for these women. Nobody chooses hg, after surviving once you pray(as everyone hopes and tries to convince) you will not relive it if you have another, they choose to have baby and are often shocked when the excitement and glowing never comes until hg ends.

the basics spoken exactly the way hg sufferers feel

Ashli McCall interview- writer of "beyond morning sickness"

"baby, your making me sick blog"

Shedding hope on hyperemesis-blog post

Marlena's HG study video  ( I have talked to this woman on the phone and she is very kind:-))

A hyperemesis video story

Info for friends and families from HER foundation



How does awareness of hyperemesis help? 

- Doctors and nurses hear about it more (even though they may not see it often) and provide more support and intervention(in a good way) quicker, leading to less abortions, miscarriages and depression.


- Families urged women to get help earlier, and do not downplay due to ignorance.

- Women have more support on the web(often the only place for support as they are too sick to go anywhere).

- More financial support of hg research, leading to healthier moms and babies.

- More information on the web for husbands and families who want to help their loved one struggling.

 - Less isolation of hg women-better emotionally/mentally.

- Insurance companies will allow and cover cost of medicines like zofran.Chemotherapy  meds are often the only medicine that help. It is your lifeline.

- More social understanding so myths and hurtful things said out of lack of compassion and ignorance will not be said to struggling women (aka. Just tell yourself your not going to puke- mind over matter. Are you sure you want this pregnancy, maybe your body is trying to get rid of it because its not meant to be? At least its not cancer,its ok if you do what you have to do God will forgive you)..yes these have all been said to these women.

- More people willing to join in research and funding- leading to finding the cause, better medicine and possible cure of HG. 

- More hospitals will allow women in labor and delivery for hg care so they do not have to wait puking in the ER for 4+ hours sometimes once  or twice a week.

HG awareness WILL save lives- and I will forever believe that every single baby should be given the best chance to survive and thrive- and every mother should be given the best chance to hold their babies alive and healthy.


If you are a mother of at least 2 children with which you have never had morning sickness/lost more than a couple pounds  and would like to be involved in the hyperemesis study which is hoped to be ended this year(2012) which has already conducted 11 studies off of the research please email me at itsybitsylittleblessings@gmail.com or write a comment below. Because of this current study they are doing they have already found that there seem to be long term effects on hyperemesis babies who survive and are"healthy" including behavioral issues/mental health as adults. Study involves- saliva sample and multiple choice survey on pregnancies.


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