I am 35 years old and pregnant for the 7th time. I am in VA. I do not know
how I survived HG in my earlier pregnancies, since I could not get Drs. to
help me. I didn't even know it had a name. One told me it was all in my head
and was my body's way of rejecting a baby I truly did not want. I asked him
why I was nauseas and vomiting BEFORE I knew I was pregnant...when I thought
I was infertile and unable to have a child (as I had been told). He had
nothing to say.
My third pregnancy nearly killed me and to be honest, I really didn't mind
if I died at the time. I woke up one morning and just cried & cried (very
atypical of me) because I did not know how I would make it through the day.
I could not bathe without help (while sitting in a chair), was unable to
take more than a few steps without resting and had to rely on my 7 year old
for nearly everything. I told God in a very sincere and humble manner that
if He was going to kill me with HG, then I was fine with it, but asked Him
to please do it soon because I was so tired of the battle. Those were long,
rough days. It took me nearly 2 years to gain my strength back and correct
the nutritional deficiencies caused by that pregnancy.
We become fed up with the Drs. attitudes towards HG. So, dh and I started
searching for answers. I didn't want to treat the symptoms (vomiting), but
find the exact cause and correct it. I contacted some Drs. in Canada that
had compiled a book on NVP (Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy) with some HG
information in it. She made reference to the fact that since I was "just a
mother" she doubted I could understand the medical terminology. I somehow
convinced her I was intelligent and could handle it, so she let me buy a
copy.
Through the extensive research my husband and I have done, we have found a
treatment that is working well for me. It has cut out the continuous
vomiting (which lasted the entire pregnancy 8 weeks to birth). I have only
vomited 3 times so far this pregnancy (A MIRACLE-PTL!!!), but I have to be
very aggressive & consistent in treating it.
I am convinced that in me, the higher levels of pregnancy hormones cause my
liver to slow down. So,I am treating myself for improved liver function and
it is making a very noticeable difference. I am taking 1000 mg of Milk
Thistle for improved liver function, 500-1000 mg Dandelion Root for improved
liver function and walking 3-5 times a day to help with digestion and liver
function. These are the only things I am doing different from other
pregnancies...so something in here is helping me.
I also take:
Rainbow Light Complete Prenatal System Vitamins (vitamins, minerals,
enzymes, herbs, super foods)
Calcium & Magnesium, B complex, B6
25 mg Unisom (to control nausea) 1-4 times a day, as needed, if needed
Digestive Enzymes (to support digestion) as needed after meals, if needed
Tums (to control acid) as needed, if needed
Simethicone based gas pills (to control gas) as needed, if needed
I also want to share one thing that helped me quite a bit. You can get into
a vomit cycle when you are dehydrated. The dehydration itself can cause you
to vomit. If you can break this cycle by aggressively treating yourself for
dehydration, you may be able to get a rest. A friend with a PA for a husband
told me to keep sipping, no matter what. Even if I threw up again, I would
still be absorbing some of it before I got sick. I have to admit it is hard
to do when you are feeling awful, but it did help me stay hydrated better. I
have also used Pedialyte enemas.
HG has not been all bad for me. I see myself in a new light. I am a strong
woman who is not easily defeated. I go the distance even when things are
difficult because my strength does not lie in myself, but in the Grace I
receive through Jesus Christ. I have climbed a tall and difficult mountain
for each of my children and they are worth every minute of my suffering. I
would do it all again for each of them. I believe I am better able to love
them because of what I went through to bring them into this world.
HG led me to learn about herbal medicine, which has been a big blessing for
our family. My family has greater compassion for those who are sick. HG also
made us question the medical community's standards, practices and beliefs.
We now think "outside of the box" and are open to other forms of medicine.
Please note, I am not a medical Dr. I am a mother just sharing what has
helped me. I hope that someone on this list can use something I have shared
to help themselves or to find encouragement. Our family is still cleaning up
and repairing from the extensive damage to our home caused by the flooding
from Hurricane Isabel, so I can not post often. If you need a one on one
friend, drop me a line at my e-mail ourgang at inna dot net. My prayers go
out to all of you who suffer from this condition. May you find the answers
and help you need to feel better.
Blessings,
Wendy Asbell
Wife to an outstanding man, Clint
Mother to the children God has graciously given us: Brandon, Amanda,
Blessing (in Heaven), Joshua (Hurricane Baby #1(Floyd), Caleb, Bethany
(Hurricane Baby #2 (Isabel) and Baby due around 2/25/2005 (Winter Storm
Baby??).