In honor of HG awareness day, Blisslets is donating 10% of its proceeds through the end of the week (May 19) to the HER Foundation and offering a 10% discount with coupon code HGAWARE.
What, you might ask, is HG? Our friend Ellen Toner, a current HG sufferer herself, shares what it's like to suffer from this severe condition that afflicts some expecting mothers:
What is HG?
Hyperemesis Gravidarum, literally translated as “excessive throwing up of pregnant women,” is a rare but dangerous pregnancy complication that can be fatal if left untreated. Affecting only about 1 percent of pregnant women, it became better known in recent years when the Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Kate, revealed that she was struggling with it through her pregnancies. The nausea and exhaustion that HG brings is severe and easily made worse by anything that stimulates the senses (bright lights, loud noises, the smell of an open refrigerator, even gentle motion), leading to dehydration, malnutrition, rapid weight loss and deterioration of mental health due to the persistent and overwhelming nature of the problem. In the most severe cases, women may experience organ failure, require constant hospitalization, and need to receive all of their nutrition and hydration through feeding tubes and IVs.
Ellen's Story
I remember when, at 17 weeks with my first baby, I was able to go to the grocery store for the first time in months. The lights, the smells, the bright colors, and, let’s face it, the lack of comfortable seating, had made it impossible for me up till that point. And I only made it 10 minutes before I had to check out and fall back into the passenger seat, but I was elated! We’re expecting our second baby now; because of some really great support groups that I didn’t know about last time, and because of getting better educated on what works for me, it’s been a little easier this time around. I still take about 10 doses of anti-nausea meds every day, still started out by losing almost 15 pounds, and still, even though I’m almost halfway through and things have gotten easier, I find that I need to either sleep or at least be lying down for about 15 of every 24 hours. And, every day, every night, I wear my wristbands, because even with all those medications and extra care, I feel noticeably worse without acupressure helping me through the day!
Support the HER Foundation & Join the Cause
One of my favorite organizations out there, one that has helped both me and my family to understand and cope with HG, is the HER Foundation. They are the leaders in HG research and treatment, providing information on a network of doctors who specialize in treating it (sadly, because of its rarity, there are a lot of Ob/Gyns who don’t know what to do with it), educating on the best medications and other treatment methods, and funding and conducting research to try to figure the cause of what some people have called this “allergic reaction” to pregnancy. The HER Foundation also has helpful charts and articles that explain in clear and concise language the difference between HG and normal pregnancy nausea, which can be illuminating for well-wishers of HG sufferers who might be prone to suggest that HG is psychosomatic affliction that can be cured with the right combination of crackers, ginger, and a good attitude.
We are incredibly grateful to Blisslets for their generous offer to direct 10% of their online sales proceeds this week to this amazing foundation that has done so much for us, and for so many mothers and babies out there! If you need Blisslets for your summer road trips, days fishing out on the boat, or because you have your own little one on the way, now is a great time to stock up on a few pairs and so support a truly incredible endeavor!