Today I ranted a little about my pet peeves about how we sometimes talk about HG.

The baby gets everything it needs from you, so don't worry.

While true, the only time there's no negative effects of that is when Mom is fully stocked with baby making products (i.e. minerals, amino acids, vitamins and fat.) It's hard to do when you're not eating, starting out at a deficit and running on empty. That's when the body goes after the reserves in the bones, teeth and tissues. And that's when compromises happen, whether for the baby or more so for the Mom.

This is not to make you feel guilty, because I know you're doing everything possible to get through it. It's more a rant at how seriously doctors should take the malnutrition that happens during an HG pregnancy. We can't say that folate matters and women need to eat healthy and then turn around and tell Moms it's fine to throw up every day of their pregnancy and lose weight and everything will be fine. You may both survive it, but it's not ideal. And there are things we can do about it. Doctors and nurses: Act like it is the crisis that it is!

I took XYZ and my baby was fine, so yours will be too. This one is harder because I know that it comes from a place that wants to reassure the Mom that she is doing everything she can and it's going to be alright. And there is a place for that. And when you're just surviving, not vomiting is the top priority and then the next one is to actually consume food and drink.

But it's actually means nothing that one person took something and nothing bad happened. Just because someone says something is safe doesn't actually mean it's safe for you or your baby. I mentioned the germline exposures. Here's a podcast episode to get a taste of it. Genetics is obviously individual and can cause different results in different people. It's something to pay attention and know about yourself. I didn't mention this in the podcast but this is why vaccines can be harmful to one person and not to another. At the same time, epigenetics means that it's not a static system. We can effect change in our bodies by changing the environmental and food exposures to our bodies.

We are shaped by our mother's mother's mother, so we can't be blamed for that. But we do have the responsibility of what we do today.

My body has betrayed me. My body is stupid/broken and hates me.

I know that's how it feels. I know that we feel like we're dying and no one is saving us. But in fact, symptoms are a sign that the body is protecting itself. Organs shutting down is actually the very last ditch effort the body is making to preserve you. It's thrown out every sign/symptom/cry for help it could find to get your attention. Your body would never betray you. It's always on your side. Just because it doesn't make sense, doesn't mean there's no reason for it. Our problem is we haven't figured out why it's happening. But we will.

This is why I say that we must pay attention to what is happening when you're not pregnant. All symptoms are signs we need to pay attention to. If you start there, you make a huge difference.

Which brings me to the last one: There's nothing I can do. This is me. Nothing can change. There's no hope.

There is always hope! There is always something we can do. The body is always trying to heal, it just doesn't always have all the raw material that it needs. Don't give up. Don't accept less than a long and happy life. Recovery and healing takes time but it can happen. Believe that it's possible. And then set about making it happen.Ultimately, as crazy at it sounds, I see getting Hyperemesis Gravidarum as the best motivator to pursue a healthier life than anything that's ever happened to me. Sometimes bad stuff saves us from something worse.

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