HG Awareness Day Idea....Advice Wanted.

[KarenJ]

I have been pondering what to do to celebrate awareness day (aside from wearing my shirt to work, LOL)...well a few weeks ago I noticed a new pregnancy crisis center two blocks down the street from where I work that seems to gear mainly towards teenagers. My thought was that I would make a trip there on the 15th, take some HER brochures, and hope to speak to the director about HG. I don't want to assume that the counselor(s) there do not know that HG exists, but I want to make sure they are aware of the subject. I am already having some anxiety about the decision to present the information. I want to come off as an accurate and knowledgeable representative of HG, but I am scared to death I am going to clam up and forget the facts related to HG! Any advice here on how to handle myself would be great! I am scared to death I am going to walk in there, and assumed to be a sales person and sent away..LOL.

So also after making this decision I started wondering about how many teenage members are here on the site or on any of the FB forums I belong to. I was only 19 when I had my first HG pregnancy, and one thing is for sure....I felt the adults in my life and the doctors thought I was exaggerating and really no one listened to me when I kept trying to explain how sick I was. But I was intimidated by them so eventually I quit trying to express myself. I know that if I had some peers with HG to associate with during my pregnancy it would have made a world of difference. So I was wondering if the admins here at HER have ever entertained adding a forum section just teens/young adults? I just think it would be easier to guide some of those individuals knowing that they may need some extra attention because of their maturity level. I am probably way late to the game in this idea, and maybe teenagres do not find their way here. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks Ladies!
Karen J

[eliana1300]

There are two places in my area that are similar to what you saw, and I have thought to do the same thing. I actually want to make an appointment with the director/staff. Both places that I know of are religion-based, and I want to share how important my faith was for me to survive. I just need to get the gumption up to call and make an appointment. I feel it would be slightly presumptuous at these specific places to just show up and request they see me. Plus I want to go in and see what help they need, and if there is a place I can help in.

Personally, I already have thought through what I want to say to these people. I want them to understand that it isn't exaggerating and how to treat HGers and even those that have more difficult morning sickness with compassion. Since they are religious-based, I also want to share how difficult it was for me to have the abortion and miscarriage thoughts I had, the guilt I suffered from those thoughts, and that I truly believe that God understands why I thought those things. I want to share with them that those thoughts are okay, it's the actions that are what matter.

Anyway, that's my idea. Take it and run with it, or leave it if it doesn't help you.