This post discusses Hyperemesis Gravidarum, a severe pregnancy complication. If you’re in it right now I see you. And if you’re supporting someone who is thank you.
Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) is not just “bad morning sickness.” It’s a cruel, relentless, and often misunderstood condition that strips the joy out of pregnancy. For me, HG wasn’t just nausea, it was hospital admissions, IV drips, isolation, and a level of physical and emotional pain I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
If you’re in the thick of it right now, or loving someone who is, here are 5 survival hacks I clung to like a lifeline.
1. Know That You’re Not Weak, You’re Fighting a War Inside Your Own Body
Most days I’d feel guilty, broken, like I was failing at pregnancy. But HG isn’t something you can push through, it demands medical intervention. It’s okay to need help. Medication. Hospitalisation. Rest. You are not less of a mother because your pregnancy is hard. You are surviving and that is more than enough.
My tip: Join the Hyperemesis Australia Facebook support group. It’s one of the only places I felt truly understood.
2. Create a ‘sick zone’ that makes survival a little easier.
For me, this meant a bucket by the bed or in the bathroom, an ice cold water bottle full of Hydramama, my meds, plain snacks, a pillow, a towel, a phone charger, a change of clothes, wet wipes and even my toddler’s iPad when I needed to distract him while I lay there. Set up your space to reduce the energy you need to get through the day.
3. You Can’t Do This Alone, and You’re Not Meant To
Let people help you. No, really, let them. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but practical support can change everything.
Here’s what actually helped:
• Friends messaging just to say “I’m thinking of you, no need to reply”
• Someone dropping off kids’ meals, even if I couldn’t eat
• A meal delivery voucher
• Offers to do a load of washing
• Driving me to appointments or picking up meds when I couldn’t leave the house
Support doesn’t need to be grand, it needs to be consistent. Gentle check-ins, practical help, and a whole lot of grace.
4. HG Doesn’t Magically End at Birth
People assume the trauma ends the second the baby arrives. For some of us, the postpartum period is just as brutal. Recovery, physically, mentally, emotionally, is a slow process.
It took me time (and it is still very much a work in progress) to trust my body again. To grieve the pregnancy I didn’t get to enjoy. To feel safe.
So, if you’re supporting someone: keep showing up after the baby is born. Offer meals. Check in on their mental health. Let them talk about it, or not. Just be there.
5. Your Story Matters: Even If It’s Messy and Unfinished
I used to stay silent about how dark things got. I felt ashamed. But now I know: talking about HG isn’t complaining. It’s healing. And it’s necessary. Because someone else out there is right where you were, scared, sick, and searching for hope.
If that’s you reading this: you will survive this. You are not alone.
And if you’re the friend wondering what to do, just keep showing up. You don’t need to fix it. You just need to love them through it.
6. Connect with others who truly get it.
HG can feel isolating, like no one understands what you’re going through. But you are not alone.
Join the Hyperemesis Australia Facebook Group and post your story. Follow other incredible HG support pages to help make you feel less alone. You’ll be surprised by how many incredible humans are there, ready to hold space for you, empathy, and solidarity. Sharing is part of healing, for you and for others who need to hear it.
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