Rebecca from Oakland -- new to forum

[Gracie]

Rebecca,

Welcome to the site, I'm glad you have found us. HG in any form is difficult; thankfully you have the meds now though.

You don't need to feel guilty about not sharing the baby news... that is for you and your husband to decide. I can understand your wanting to keep it to yourself for the moment...

I know that there are lots of California ladies here... just pm Pamela the moderator and she can link you up.

[PamelaRose]

Welcome, Rebecca, and congratulations on your pregnancy! I'm glad you're getting serious treatment for HG now, though I admit that I'm still shuddering at the mention of Emetrol (nasty experience for me with #2). It sounds like right now you're holding your own thanks to the rehydration, but if you don't take the meds religiously, you'll soon begin spiraling back down to where you were when you headed for the ER. The prescriptions always say "as needed" because dosages can change depending on severity of illness, but Zofran and all other drugs work best when taken regularly. If you note nausea returning, don't hesitate to start that Zofran asap and take it around the clock, regardless if you're feeling sick or not at that time. It really will help head off the worst.

As for sharing the baby news, I sure do remember that. We were planning to wait with the first pregnancy until I got to the end of the first trimester just in case something happened, and that meant spending endless, lonely hours in bed because no one knew how sick I was or that it was more than a little stomach virus. I was miserable, and I have never felt so isolated in my life. And then, just when we shared the big news with everyone, I did miscarry at 12 weeks. After that, I decided that it was far easier to face the possibility of having to break the news of a loss than it was to deal with HG alone, and we always told friends and family with an official call from the hospital at about 7-8 weeks when I was in for rehydration. I know it made things much easier for us to deal with from an HG-standpoint, but it was also very disappointing to miss out of the cutesy announcements that my non-HG friends got to surprise everyone with. It's just another of HG's cruel impacts on the pregnancy experience, but at least here you have a community of women who know what you're going through. If you'd like a buddy in your area to get in touch, let me know!

[PamelaRose]

Ah, Emetrol! In my first, miscarried, pregnancy, I mentioned "really bad morning sickness" to my doctor at my 7-week initial appointment, and after brushing it off and telling me it was mind over matter, he did conceded that I could take Emetrol since it was intended for children and would be safe in pregnancy. I had my husband buy it that day, but I was too sick to even bother trying for the remainder of the pregnancy. I pulled out that bottle of cherry Emetrol when I got pregnant for the second time, and I spent one miserable day chugging the bottle, trying desperately to hold off the start of the vomiting at work. That was the last day I was at work for months, and the memory of choking down that nasty, syrupy stuff is enough to make me want to vomit again years later! LOL Nothing really bad about it, and it's certainly not going to hurt to try, but think of me if it sends you sprinting for the puke bucket!

[Amber K.]

Hi, I'm so glad that you found the site! I'm right in your neck of the woods so to speak (Concord) and am currently 22 wks pregnant. It sounds like you're getting good care, at least as of last month when you posted, so that's wonderful. How is it going now? Have you been able to maintain your weight? I don't know if you have or need home health care, but if you do, there is a group out of Emeryville that is just wonderful with HG, and they work the entire bay area.

I'd be happy to chat sometime, even on the phone, so if you're interested, let me know and I'll send my phone number. I'd be happy to listen to your story, and will offer you all the sympathy possible.

Hope you're doing well,
Amber