All in HG Heros
Okay well you know I'm not one to beat around the bush and it's recently come to light that this is a topic that needs rapid addressing for my audience! I conducted a quick survey on a “survivors” group on Facebook to get a gist of the key issues couples are facing in the bedroom post hyperemesis gravidarum to cover the subject in the book. Goodness me! I was almost in tears reading some of the problems women and their partners are facing.
It's long passed due for another HG Hero post to recognise all those people, doctors, midwives, partners, employers, parents and friends who go above and beyond to help hyperemesis sufferers suffer a little less. These people set an example to others of how a little bit of compassion, understanding and care goes such a long way for people feeling isolated, scared and misunderstood. Many HG Heroes claim they have done nothing extraordinary or remarkable and have simply done as they would always do. What they don’t' realise is that although their care isn't entirely unique, it is sadly rare – although hopefully not for much longer. By highlighting their achievements I hope it will normalise it and make poorer treatment and ignorant care less acceptable.
In the third of my series about how you can make a difference to hyperemesis sufferers now and of the future I will talk about peer support systems for hyperemesis gravidarum.
A common question I get asked is how on earth do hyperemesis sufferers look after and pass the time with their toddler when pregnant again. It's a commonly cited reason for not having another hyperemesis pregnancy. I believe strongly that the key to surviving subsequent hyperemesis pregnancies is in the planning and preparation and the planning for your children is just as important as planning your medication and treatment. So let me introduce my friend and colleague, hyperemesis survivor Emma Edwards who has developed an incredible resource for women suffering with toddlers at home...
In your darkest moments take heed the words of a wise man. Here is the story of my journey with hyperemesis gravidarum as told by Nelson Mandela 1918-2013
When my fiancée told me at 05.26am on the 7th May 2013 that she was pregnant I firstly didn't know what to do - whether to jump up and scream, shout “OK honey” and go back to sleep, hug her and pat her on the back or grab my 'men's department' and shout they work and congratulate them!! I opted for the hug her and the typical male line “are you sure?”
Woop woop! Check out my new logo and look... it's taken a while to get to this point. Well, "Spewing Mummy" as a concept isn't the easiest thing to summarise in a logo so kudos to Paul at Revival Design.
Last week I attended the Annual Conference for the Royal College of Midwives. It was incredible. I met literally hundreds of midwives and student midwives, gave out hundreds of leaflets and posters and made valuable contacts with other organisations. The profile of hyperemesis gravidarum is on the increase!
What an honour! Representing the voice of women with Hyperemesis Gravidarum from across the UK at the RCM Conference.
I saw a post on Parentdish this morning about what not to say while your parent is in labour. My husband was great during labour and I was lucky to have really lovely home birth experiences for all three. However, having clocked up over 2,000 vomits across three pregnancies Mr Spewing Mummy was bound to say the odd faux pas every now and again while I had my head down the loo. To be fair, he didn't say all of these... just a few!
HG veteran Natalie Farrell has nominated Dr Stephen Granier, the GP that cared for her during her last pregnancy four years ago. Having been through two previous hyperemesis pregnancies in London and Bristol, of Dr Granier's care Natalie says “He just blew me away with his care – I thought it was outstanding.
Completely independently both the HER foundation and I started our HG Hero awards – when we realised there was an amusing flurry of emails. “Oh no, please don't think I copied your idea!” came from both sides and we decided that great minds think alike and that both series should continue simultaneously as all HG Heroes around the world should be shouted about and bigged up.
Rachel Johnson from South East London has nominated her husband to be recognised as an HG Hero. They have been together for nearly six years after meeting through work in France and got married two and a half years ago. Al has supported Rachel through two hyperemesis pregnancies, never wavering in his support or questioning her random requests for frozen peach squash or skull crush candy.
The Hyperemesis Education and ResearchFoundation (HER) are celebrating their 10th Birthday this week. To say I am grateful to them is an understatement of the highest degree.
How could I do a series of HG Heroes without profiling one of my top heroes, Dr Tony Barnie-Adshead! This handsome octogenarian has dedicated years of his professional life to researching the cause of pregnancy sickness and is a founding trustee of Pregnancy Sickness Support. He now provides daily support and hope to women at their most desperate moments.
For those of us working entirely immersed in the hyperemesis gravidarum world, (namely myself and Karen Lodge in the Pregnancy Sickness Support office working alongside each other, her answering the helpline and my engaging in research activity and education for healthcare professions) there can be periods of time where we really feel the impact of the work we are doing and we go home at the end of the day knowing that so many women in the UK are getting really great care and support for their HG, in part thanks to the work that we’re doing from our little office in Cornwall.
In recognition of the fact that HG doesn't just affect the pregnant woman but often her partner, previous children and anyone else caring for her, I'm going to do a series of HG Heroes. Starting with my own I will be posting pictures and stories of all the wonderful people who have helped women through their worst moments. I also hope it will offer strength and support to those suffering at the moment.
Those of you who have followed my blog from day one, or those who have looked back through the archive to my first post will see that the first link I made in this blog was to the HER Foundation website, www.helpher.orgThat's because before the relaunch of the PSS website our UK charity had very little web presence and I had suffered through two HG pregnancies without knowledge of any support in the UK at all, despite the fact that both organisations were launched around the same time, 10 years ago!
