Hyperemesis Gravidarum Support and Research Forums

This is a poll to find out how long women couldn't eat very well. If you couldn't eat anything at all for a prolonged period of time, that would be helpful to know, too.

Andy

Combining the days I couldn't keep anything down and the days I just couldn't eat at all . . . I was unable to eat for 9 days during my worst pg. I probably got off lucky.

Andy

I was the worst during months 3 and 4 -- didn't eat any food for almost 7 weeks - within that timeframe there was a week where I couldn't hold down any fluids. At 5 months, I started to eat a bit but didn't get to the point of eatting a small meal until 6 months.

I put in 6 months, because I did eat a little bit (probably like 3 snacks/day) until about 9 weeks, then I delivered at 35 weeks and except for about 1 week on the peak doses of steroids where I was eating the 3 snacks/day again, they would all count - 25 weeks of not eating. Looking a my diary, weeks 15-35 I ate a grand total of 5 small cookies and a few bites of a cinnamon roll (all between 28-33 weeks).

During my first pg, there was about a 5 week period where not even a drop of food or drink passed my lips. With Aaron's I'm not sure how long that period lasted, because I would rinse my mouth and spit, then gradually moved up to where I could take a few sips, then maybe about 2-6 ounces/day of water.

Hard to believe if I didn't know it was true.

5+ months

I couldn't keep anything down for the first 4 months, although I did try to eat. The last 2 days of week 9 I didn't eat anything, I was bed bound and DP was at work and I couldn't heave myself out of bed. The first day of week 10 was when I was admitted to hospital for rehydration. My first full meal that stayed down was the second week of month 5.

In my pregnancy with Madison- my most severe carried to term (as my 2nd was worse, but ended at 8 weeks), it was 5 plus months before I was able to start snacking and keep anything down. Prior to that, NOTHNG would stay down- not ice pops, any type of food, nor liquid.

Robin

In my previous pregnancies I was not able to eat anything at all, ever.
This one I'm probably doing the 3 snacks bit, still, I haven't been able to have a full meal stay down as of yet, so I put down 4+ months.

For my first pregnancy it was about 6 1/2 months before I started eating again, more than just nibbles that wouldn't come back up (not to mention fluids). Then it got a little better, then worse at the end of the pregnancy. #2 followed a similar pattern BUT wasn't quite as intense b/cuz my dehydration was much better controlled w/the PICC/home hydration.

With my full-term pregnancies, I was able to eat again at the start of the 4th month. During the worst, I usually went for 5 weeks with a bite or two to eat daily and a sip or two of liquid. I frequently went for days and days with no food or drink and still vomiting 20+ times a day. And that was with meds.

I put in 5+ months as I am just up to 2 snacks a day, sometimes 3 but normally not.

With first pg I could not eat a full meal until almost done with the pregnancy. I don't remember exactly how many weeks, probably 30-35. This pg, still prettyhard but can force food down w/ zofran.

I didn't eat for about 6 months and no fluids except water to wet my lips for about 4 months. I was on both TPN and a feeding tube! After I had my son they removed the feeding tube but I still wasn't eating and they wanted to put the tube back in. It was very difficult but I had to really force myself to eat.