“Are you brushing your teeth again!?” why yes, yes I am, because as it happens the taste of my own stomach acid really doesn’t do it for me!

As someone who has suffered the torture of Hyperemesis with both of my pregnancies, I thought I would compile a list of things I learnt the hard way the first time around that helped me in the second pregnancy.

1.   Eat and Drink

The thought of it is horrible, you will probably throw up, and it won’t make you feel any better. Not eating and drinking however WILL make you feel worse. Even if it’s just so you have something to throw up. Dehydration is now the enemy and dry retching and throwing up stomach acid is painful.

2.   Don’t feel guilty about what/how much you eat

Your baby is just fine in there, it’s you that is suffering! Don’t worry about that woman at work who is taking all her pregnancy vitamins, twelve portions of fruit and veg and drinking a green smoothie every day. Bloody hooray for her. You just eat whatever you can think of that doesn’t completely repulse you, whatever it is, eat it, eat it now, even if it’s just one bite.

3.   Sleep

Sometimes sleep is your only escape. Day or night. When you are exhausted from lack of food and constant throwing up you need to rest, Physically and mentally.

4.   Talk to someone

Hyperemesis can be a dark, shitty, soul destroying hole at times. You are allowed to wish yourself dead, you are allowed to HATE being pregnant. Talk about how crap and unfair it is, don’t let it consume you.

5.   Go to your Doctor

This is more important than anything else. I cannot stress this enough. If you have hyperemesis you will almost certainly need to be medicated. No amount of ginger and peppermint tea is going to help. It can take a while and the odd hospital visit to find the meds that work for you so get help sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, some doctors will still try and brush off “morning sickness,” don’t let them!