Raise Your Voice: Athena
I felt so isolated during my pregnancy and didn’t know other women were suffering from the same illness (HG). When I was diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum during my first trimester, little did I know it was so much more than just “morning sickness.” I struggled physically, emotionally and mentally. I experienced sickness during all my pregnancies, but this last pregnancy was…
We Are HER: Shazmin
I struggled with PTSD and Postpartum Anxiety following my first HG pregnancy, and it took years of therapy and communicating with other HG survivors to find the courage and resources–like the HER Foundation–to try for a second. My second HG pregnancy was much worse; I was vomiting at 4 weeks and admitted to the hospital…
How HG Strengthened My Marriage
There exists in California, and other parts of the world regularly inundated by wildfire, a variety of plants called fire followers. The growth and bloom of these species are triggered by different aspects of fire. Some bloom due to the choking smoke. Others, the unbearable heat, but all require the devastation of all consuming flame…
Four Years Post Hyperemesis- A Message of Hope During a Difficult Time
My daughter turned four years old on April 15, which means it has been four years since I have had hyperemesis. When I look around and take in the global health crisis that surrounds us, I find myself having a lot of thoughts, and a lot to say, to the point of wanting to yell…
We Are HER: Jayde
Knuckling my HG experiences down to a few words is really hard. The first thing that comes to mind is how angry, withdrawn, and frustrated I was. Weeks and weeks of vomiting from 15-30+ times a day really took its toll on not only my physical well-being but my mental and spiritual health as well.…
Believe in HER: Jaimi-lee
I have had hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) five times and have two beautiful little boys. The first pregnancy was the hardest, most confusing time of my life. A week after I got the positive pregnancy test, the sickness started. At first it was manageable, but every single day I woke up even worse than the last…
Come Home to HER: Mariane!
Most people celebrate finding out they are pregnant but I was terrified. I so badly wanted another baby, but I didn’t want to go through hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) again. I woke feeling strange that Friday. I had a Mother’s Day morning tea for my son’s preschool, but I felt nauseous and off. I suspected I could be…
When What Seems Like A Mess Becomes Your Mission
The HER Foundation began after my first pregnancy. I started having increasing nausea and vomiting a few weeks after our honeymoon that I thought was due to a stomach ulcer or the flu. I was absolutely shocked when the doctors said I was pregnant. While I was not ready to be pregnant because I had…
Come Home to HER: Eliana
I was sitting on the floor at the foot of my bed. I kind of knew how I got there, but it was a bit fuzzy. Each time I tried to stand up, my strength wasn’t enough. I needed my husband’s help to get up and to walk to the car. It was around 2…
Come Home to HER: Suzanne
It was January 1999, and I was 13 weeks pregnant sitting in the Emergency Room hooked to an IV. Since violently vomiting Thanksgiving dinner, I had barely kept anything down. The ER doctors looked at my blood work, and I have never seen a team move so fast. This was my introduction to medical professionals that understood how…
