Just put me down now

[Anonymous]

Unisom and Benadryl are both diphenhydramine. Same thing. Now you know why Benadryl makes you so tired!

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you so much everyone for the good advice. I will try some of these methods and ask my doctor about the other medicines.

Full Time Nanny, you are absolutely too sweet to offer that to me. I can't possibly take you up on that because it is just too generous considering your weekly job. But I really appreciate the offer.

My parents came last week, my inlaws drove up today to help. At this point, I am accepting any help from anyone. Today was a good day because a friend came by and I actually ate a salad, which it has been weeks since I could eat that. Distraction is the only way I can eat, in front of a t.v. or talking to someone or anything to trick myself into food.

I appreciate all the help and ideas. I am definitely taking it day by day, really hour by hour. I feel ungrateful because I am not focusing on the joy of being pregnant but the misery of the sickness. Whoever named this morning sickness should be shot, seriously.

[Anonymous]

OP, obviously talk to your OB and do everything you can to try to get in enough calories and fluids, but in case it makes you feel any better: I threw up ALL THE TIME for about 2/3 of my pregnancy, if not longer (both in the beginning and end). I was sick all morning, all day, and all night. I spent most of my evenings camped out in the bathroom barfing. My car had streaks of vomit streaming out from the driver's side window the entire pregnancy. I had at least four barf buckets - one in the car, one in the office, one near my bed, and one that I carried around with me. I must have eaten something at some point, but not much - the thought of food made me want to die. And with my OB's permission, I stopped taking pre-natals after the first trimester because they just made me so sick. I gave birth to a 9 pound 15 ounce baby. Your body knows which of the two of you is important, and takes care of it.

[Anonymous]

I found sucking on lifesavers helped, too bad I found this out in the last couple weeks of morning (or all day) sickness

[Anonymous]

With #1, I was on Zofran, Phenegran and Reglan all at the same time. I even did IV therapy at home, but still ended up hospitalized for about 2 weeks with discussions of a feeding tube if I did not start eating enough food soon. Surprising to believe that I went on to have more children…

With #3, I was on Zofran and Phenegran. I did eventually get a Zofran pump to have the medicine delivered 24/7. I also did end up doing some IV therapy at home and was only hospitalized for 3 days.

All of my children have been healthy children despite what I went through – in fact their sizes were 9lbs 4oz, 9lbs 13oz, and 8lbs 5 oz. My OB kept telling me that the baby will take what it needs from me and be fine, but that I was the one being robbed of the nutrients. Try not to worry about the baby….

As for things that worked for me:
1. I work part-time and my children go to a daycare center on my working days. My situation lasts a month or two and we did not really have anyone that could help us that long. When I was sick, I stopped working and explained the situation to the daycare director and the children went full-time for a month or two until I was able to take care of them. Try to look into some childcare options to help you get through this. Maybe a temporary sitter, nanny, or even a daycare center. If you are not up to looking for care, ask your DH to help you with this.

2. Discuss your situation with your doctor. There are other medicines (Phenegran, Reglan) and there are other things that the doctor can order to help you – pump for the Zofran and IV therapy – if you need it. When I was on the pump, I was assigned to a Home Health Care agency – Matria. They deal exclusively with pregnant patients. It was covered 100% by insurance (they want to keep you out of the hospital). They are awesome!!!! They check in on you everyday and have you test your urine for dehydration. By the way, the pump is like a fanny pack and you can move around and do your normal activities with it. (It really is an insulin pump that you fill with Zofran syringes).

3. Try to avoid dehydration at whatever it takes. The more dehyrdrated you are the less the medicines work. Try Italian ice, popsicles, etc. What really worked best for me was slurpees. Target had a cheap slurpee blender and syrup that summer for like $20. It was a lifesaver. Don’t think I have had a slurpee since though.

4. Matria (the home health care agency) recommended that I try to eat SuperPretzels. They are the frozen soft pretzels in the grocery store. Believe it or not, they contain protein – who knew, but check the box if you don’t believe me – since you probably are not eating a lot of protein these days. Since I craved salty things and bread type things were not that upsetting, they worked well for me.
Hope this helps! Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Great advice above. I hope the second trimester is coming soon and that it brings you major relief!

Hugs!

[Anonymous]

Been there, done that. I'm sorry. I didn't throw up but I had the unrelenting, horrendous nausea.

I just received a script for 60 zofran with 4 refills, B6, and a game plan for IV fluids and whatever else is needed. We're not starting to even try to get pg until January but I can't deal once pg due to the horrendous MS that I get while pg, so I got all my ducks in a row *way* ahead of time. I don't know how much zofran you're taking or how often, but it's my understanding that taking it 4x/day so that you have a constant level in your blood is the way to go. Easier said than done, I know, and getting IV fluids with zofran then going from there might be a good starting point.

Big huge help to me was the hyperemesis gravidarum website. I felt *so* much better to know that I wasn't alone. At the same time I feel awful that so many women are so damned sick for no discernible reason:

http://www.hyperemesis.org/

Go get IV fluids. Just go to the ER and get some- ASAP. Then talk to your health care provider about a system to get fluids on a regular basis. Don't think about it, just tell DH to take you. I can't express to you how much better you'll feel when you're not dehydrated. Your fuzzy-thinking head is not normal, and there's nothing wrong with going to the ER to get fluids, you're not weak, you're sick.

Avoid water like the plague. Drink things with flavor- crystal ice, gatorade/straight or mixed with water (try lots of flavors), kool aid, wtfever. Popsicles. Forget food. Get DH to get you a slushie machine. Eat if you can, whatever remotely sounds good, otherwise just focus on liquids, food isn't that important. Set liquids goals for yourself- small ones. One tablespoon of liquid every 30 mins, or once an hour, anything. Make it attainable, don't set a glass in front of yourself and say "I have to drink this and keep it down". I haven't tried it but my dr said she did it when she had HG, and that sounded like a decent idea to me so I think I'll try it when I get pg again.

Don't worry about being the perfect mom- you're squeaking by and that's just fabulous for now. Stick DS in front of the tv, drop him off at any place that you can remotely trust, do whatever it takes to get by during this very temporary situation. Hire anyone you can to help out- maids, childcare, wahtever. Or let the house get filthy, who cares. You won't feel like this for forever. At worst, it's nine months long....possibly nine months of unrelenting hell where you frankly may not even care that you're pregnant, but just get through each day. You'll make it. GL.

[Anonymous]

21:49 -great post - but I must point out:

I don't know how much zofran you're taking or how often, but it's my understanding that taking it 4x/day so that you have a constant level in your blood is the way to go.

If you take it too much you get wicked constipation. I had never even had constipation (no kidding) until I took Zofran. I cut up my pills after that and tried to find a good balance.

Phenergren works but knocks you out completely! So only at night...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:21:49 -great post - but I must point out:

I don't know how much zofran you're taking or how often, but it's my understanding that taking it 4x/day so that you have a constant level in your blood is the way to go.

If you take it too much you get wicked constipation. I had never even had constipation (no kidding) until I took Zofran. I cut up my pills after that and tried to find a good balance.

Phenergren works but knocks you out completely! So only at night...

I wasn't eating, so no constipation, and I think everybody's body reacts differently to the meds anyway. Phenergan made me so uncomfortable and have such restless legs and body that I couldn't tolerate it. After my HG stopped at around month 5 and I could eat again, *then* I got the most horrendous constipation- we're talking pebbles. I wasn't taking any meds at the time, I think my entire digestive system just went wacko the sec I got pg. By the end of my pregnancy I was taking 3 glasses of metamucil every day and I don't even know how many colaces, and still I was lucky if I could get through a poop without my eyes watering. Good times.