Talking pants with Carol Smillie

Talking pants with Carol Smillie

Caitlin Dean
Caitlin Dean, PSS Volunteers

When I was pregnant I wet myself almost every time I spewed up, which was A LOT... there I've said it, on the internet for all to see. And quite frankly, after pushing three kids out of my vagina, my day to day continence isn't what it once was regardless of the hyperemesis. So, imagine my delight when I saw Carol Smillie's pants last year... they are made for women like me. But over to Carol the Knicker Queen to tell you about her own run in with pregnancy sickness and her fabulous undies for leaky ladies... 

A week on the ground

A week on the ground

Caitlin Dean
HG Heros, Research Projects

As you know I’m the Chairperson for the National Hyperemesis Gravidarum charity Pregnancy Sickness Support which runs a helpline and a national support network of volunteers which I set up nearly 5 years ago. The network started as a small group of trustees each with a spreadsheet of three or four volunteers in their geographical region who they’ll have spoken on the phone to at some point.

Welcome Green Top Guidelines

Welcome Green Top Guidelines

Caitlin Dean
Caitlin Dean

In a sea of puke, pain and suffering comes a beacon of hope for women with Hyperemesis Gravidarum. The launch of the first ever Green Top Guidelines by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is here today. These guidelines will provide a comprehensive and evidence based treatment plan for women who present with pregnancy sickness which is worse than the regular old morning version. 

A Research Survey

A Research Survey

Caitlin Dean
Research Projects

This blog post is going to sound rather formal compared to my normal tone but that’s because it’s had to pass through the Plymouth University Ethics proccess and my research supervisor (yes, even this sentence!)… but the good news is my research survey is now ready for women to take part in if they want to!

How can I help my friend with HG?

How can I help my friend with HG?

Caitlin Dean
Sufferers stories

Here is a commonly asked question, particularly on mediums like Facebook:

"My sister/friend/cousin/partner is suffering hyperemesis gravidarum. She had it in her last pregnancy and was in and out of hospital, on medication and so on. She’s already tried *insert any number of alternative therapies here* without success and I’m wondering what else I can suggest to her. Her mental health is suffering and I want to help."

 

The Death of Ginger!

The Death of Ginger!

Caitlin Dean
Caitlin Dean

The results from the ginger survey I did at the start of the year have no been published in a peer reviewed midwifery journal for all to see. This means that whenever a healthcare professional looks up treatment for hyperemesis or does a literature review to see what treatments do and don’t have evidence for being safe and effective this piece of research will appear and blows the nonsense “ginger might help” papers out of the water. Yes it has flaws, it was an online survey of self selected participants and covered a long time period (in research terms). But it was over 500 participants who had all been admitted to hospital for HG and the results were close to unanimous… STOP SUGGESTING GINGER FOR HYPEREMESIS GRAVIDARUM

Christmas, Keep it in perspective!

Christmas, Keep it in perspective!

Caitlin Dean
Caitlin Dean

Christmas is a particularly tough time of year for women suffering hyperemesis gravidarum, especially if they already have little children. Guilt can be increased almost exponentially as visions of happy memories being created for Christmas craft activities with kiddies and songs around the Christmas tree are replaced with the grim reality of vomit bowls, consent nausea, pissy pants and general misery.

Have your say on Greentop Guidelines

Have your say on Greentop Guidelines

Caitlin Dean
Research Projects

For the last two years my colleagues at Pregnancy Sickness Support (PSS) have been working with the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RCOG) on Green Top Guidelines for the treatment of Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy (NVP) and Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG). A vast amount of work has gone into these guidelines and once out they will be widely considered the gold standard of HG treatment in the UK and doctors will have to have a good reason to not follow them. So they’re really very important!

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