I am running to raise money for the charity Pregnancy Sickness Support as my wife suffered with severe Hyperemesis Gravidarum during her pregnancy with our daughter, Sevi  

Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) is not regular morning sickness and can only be treated with aggressive anti-sickness medication in order to allow the woman to eat/drink. It is a genetic illness that affects 1% of pregnant women. Even with medication feelings of nausea, smell/food aversions and dry retching are often overwhelming. Before IV therapy (fluids and medication) HG was the leading cause of death in pregnancy, due to severe dehydration and malnutrition. 

During my wife’s HG experience she was admitted to hospital multiple  times to receive IV fluids and IV anti sickness medications as well as taking 3 types of antisickness medications every day for the whole pregnancy. Despite this, during the frequent episodes she was regularly vomiting up to 30 times a day, sometimes not even able to take sips of water. The longest time that she went without vomiting during the whole pregnancy was 2 weeks. It lasted the whole 8.5 months that she was pregnant and although there were some days there was slight relief, the symptoms persisted for the duration of the pregnancy  

We discovered the charity a few months into the pregnancy and they provided us with a peer supporter, someone who had also been through an HG pregnancy. They also provided us with lots of information around medications, treatments and coping mechanisms for the illness. The feelings that Nathalie had about not being able to continue with the pregnancy due to being so unwell were validated by the charity and they helped us get through it together. 

I am doing this ultimately to spread awareness of this pregnancy illness and show my thanks to the charity for helping us so much.  We know it’s rare and many people don’t understand the severity of the illness, often mistaking it for morning sickness, so please have a look at the charity website or do a quick Google of the condition to see what it’s all about. 

Tips for talking to someone with HG  

- Don’t recommend ginger. Ever. 

- Try not to suggest something that may help, apart from going to the GP or the hospital. (This is a potentially life threatening illness that requires medical treatment, although you want to help, it is not regular morning sickness and any other suggestion may do more harm than good) 

- If someone is suffering with HG and keeps retching or drooling/having to spit, just ignore it and grab some tissues. 

- Don’t eat smelly food around them. 

- Don’t say anything about Ginger...

- Don’t suggest it will get better, because it might not. Just reassure them that they can get through it one day at a time. 

- NO, GINGER BISCUITS DON’T WORK!!

So with all that said, help out if you can because it’s a great cause that really helps women who are in a seriously horrible situation and your contribution could save lives! 

Wish me luck 🏃‍♂️