hyperemesis
Morning sickness is one of the most well-known and joked-about pregnancy symptoms, second only to particular food cravings. Although unpleasant, it can often be alleviated to some extent with simple foods, plenty of fluids, perhaps ginger, your typical nausea remedies. And usually, it goes away on its own after 20 weeks. habitually.
But sometimes that’s not the case. Sometimes mothers suffer from stomach pain and vomiting, until the baby is born, on a much more serious level.
Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) isn’t as widely talked about as typical morning sickness, but those who suffer from it may never forget it. Persistent and extreme nausea and vomiting lead to other symptoms like dehydration, fainting, low blood pressure, and even jaundice, to name a few.
Emily Boazman, a mother who had HG while pregnant with her third child, showed how big of an impact it can have on a viral TikTok.
The video, which now has 6.6 million views, shows multiple instances of Boazman hunched over and exhausted, completely unable to care for her other children or keep her home from falling into disarray. It is a brutal and miserable spectacle.
Boazman’s video quickly received a flood of comments from other mothers who had gone through similar experiences. Many felt that it robbed them of the joys of pregnancy and prevented them from getting pregnant again.
“Hyperemesis gravidarum completely destroyed me. I couldn’t function. It took such a beautiful thing and turned it into my nightmare 😔,” one person wrote.
“Hyperemesis is the reason I won’t have any more kids…I almost died with my last…it’s such a dangerous thing and people don’t understand it,” wrote one other.
Although there is no cure for hyperemesis gravidarum, certain treatments can help. According to WebMD, doctors might recommend lifestyle changes (such as smaller, more frequent meals and drinking through a straw), or supplements like ginger, vitamin B6, thiamin, or an electrolyte drink. In some cases, certain medications or even hospitalization are necessary.
As for Boazman, having passed through HG does not prevent her from wanting to get pregnant again. In a subsequent TikTok, she shared her goal of having five children. Fingers crossed for smooth sailing over the next two rounds.
