Vomiting thirty times a day during pregnancy, and actually feeling nauseous when you have to swallow. This is hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), a very serious form of morning sickness. Miriam van Dijk (46) And Eva Schippers Croming (39) They both got it and found each other during this difficult period.
Eva: “I had gone through it during my previous pregnancy and I knew it right away: HG had struck again. I knew the coming months were going to be very difficult. From that moment on, everything became too much for me. The sunlight, the sounds of children playing outside These were all triggers that made me suddenly start vomiting thirty times a day.
Mariam: “It’s very special! At the time of my first pregnancy, I had never heard of HG. Fortunately, I have a general practitioner who heard my complaints and immediately sent me to the emergency room, after which I was hospitalized for a week. However, at the hospital I noticed that no There is still a lot of ignorance about the situation, and the nurse, for example, says: “You have to take these medications. She stood in front of me with a glass of water and did not understand that just seeing that glass of water made me spit up, which is exactly why I tried to explain it, but I still did.” That feeling of having made the bed wrong when I was feeling so bad, that’s exactly why Eva and I wanted to tell our story, and we want pregnant women to recognize what they have and find a way to help.
“I have gone from a kind and honest woman to a greedy monster in the past two years. I am deeply ashamed of this conclusion.”
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So happy but so sick
Mariam“When a friend said to me: ‘I know someone else who’s dealing with this.’ At first I thought: yes, definitely! You don’t hear it very often but when I heard the stories about Eva, I decided to text her my thoughts. Very strange, but also cute!
Eva: “I really enjoyed calling Miriam. It made me not feel so alone anymore. It’s a strange situation: on the one hand, your biggest dream has come true and you’re so happy that you’re pregnant. On the other hand, you feel very ill. Everyone around you is trying their best to understand you, But of course no one can really feel what you’re going through. I didn’t have to explain to Mary what parts we thought the other person might have. When we had difficulty, we sent each other warnings: “Be careful, there’s something coming you might not like.” The other person can easily respond by saying, “I’ll listen to it later. I just went to the hospital and need to recover first.”
Mariam: “Actually I can only describe my entire pregnancy as terrible. Because that’s what it was like to lie in bed upstairs in the attic day after day and not be able to take anything. When I think about it again, I still I’m emotional. I work at an ad agency and I’m a workaholic from day to day. I couldn’t even look at my phone or when my husband Lucas would sweetly ask me how I was doing. When the kids – and I’m a bonus mom – came home from tennis, I thought they had a smell “Tennis,” while now I could no longer tell you what it smelled like, as if I couldn’t stand any lights, no sounds, no screens, not even the smell of detergent or the refrigerator. It was my only trip to the hospital, and a spit on my lap.
Lonely roller coaster
Eva: “A new life is growing inside you, but at the same time you have a feeling that you can no longer participate. The world literally passed me by, while I was lying on the hospital bed in the living room. I simply could not do anything, thanks to the examinations of the gynecologist.” , a medicinal cocktail has been found that helps with spitting up. I knew beforehand that I would have to spend days in bed, but it was worth it, and I felt lonely clinging to the foot of the bed: as a reminder of what I had done for her. I was daydreaming about what it would be like once she was born, and I filled A box full of cards with all kinds of fun things we could start doing after pregnancy to the pool, baking cookies, an indoor dance party. It helped me keep perspective.”
EMDR therapy
Mariam: “HG is really an attack on your life. I understand that some women can no longer carry on with their desired pregnancy or sometimes even in their lives. It is very intense. I still remember a moment when I had to go to For a few days in a row, because my values were not always good. After a few days I wanted to skip a day, because I really wanted to go home with the kids for a while. The doctor in the room did not agree to this, but fortunately he understood me one evening That same Sunday, my therapist called to check on me, she knows what HG can do to you and wanted to make sure I was okay before.”
Eva: “I started experiencing symptoms of depression and didn’t see any bright spots anymore. In fact, my daughter is now six months old, but I’m still different than I was before – mentally and physically. I deal with the problems with EMDR therapy, among other things.” Other things, pregnancy, and doing the daily things I build quietly When I was born, I thought: Great, at least we’re back after giving birth to our oldest, but this time I still feel nauseous with each ovulation, including occasional spitting, and my energy level is barely coming back. “His energy.”
Mariam“Thankfully, the postpartum nausea went away. I had a very nice maternity period, with great maternity care. My bed was downstairs and I was able to get out for a while every now and then. I’m also healthy physically and mentally. It’s not the old me yet, My daughter was born by caesarean section and I immediately thought: Yes, I could do it again but my body had radically set me back. Christmas with a group of friends and family, but when I was getting ready, I actually felt it was a bad idea and I canceled everyone. Fortunately, my work is lenient They give me time to recover, but if it were up to me I would have started again a long time ago.
More and more knowledge
Eva: “With a normal pregnancy they say: ‘On nine months on and off nine months.’ Unfortunately, with HG it can take much longer. We think it’s very important to share our story to help other women who are struggling or end up in the same boat as a pregnancy to offer encouragement.” During my first pregnancy, HG was rarely recognized or recognized, but now I notice that more and more knowledge is being gained about it, so you can get better help.
Mariam: “At first I was told: ‘You’re pregnant,’ and nausea is just part of it. But with HG it’s really different.”
Eva: “Sure! Fortunately, the midwife noticed the connection with HG quickly this time, but if you feel like your midwife or other health care provider doesn’t understand you properly, sometimes it’s best to look for someone who takes you more seriously.”
This article originally appeared in Marie Claire 02 2024.
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