A brave mum has opened up about her traumatic pregnancy which saw her vomit 40 times a day. Jessica Craner suffered 14 weeks of 24-hour sickness while carrying her daughter Anna.
She describes the ordeal as "torturous" and like a "sickness bug that never goes". While pregnant the mother felt constantly dizzy and weak.
Jessica was diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), which the NHS defines as very bad nausea and vomiting. The condition means mums-to-be can be sick many times a day and be unable to keep food or drink down.
It's thought around 1 to 3 women in every 100 can suffer from HG. Some women may feel anxious or isolated when suffering with the condition.
Speaking to Yorkshire Live, Jessica said: "The mental trauma was so shocking and will stay with me forever. I was on four different meds, and nothing really seemed to work. I felt desperate.
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"From 6 weeks to 20 weeks I had constant, 24-hour intense nausea and vomiting up to 40 times a day. I felt dizzy and weak. It was like a sickness bug never goes. It felt torturous but public perception was quite dismissive, which makes you feel much worse and ‘weak’. It wasn’t until I gave birth that the vomiting stopped.
"When I contacted Pregnancy Sickness Support (PSS), I then felt listened to and was given immediate support and in touch with a peer supporter who was amazing. The difference she made to my pregnancy; I will always be grateful to her."
Pregnancy Sickness Support is a charity that helps women deal with HG. It has a helpline for support and also Whatsapp for those who prefer texting over phone calls.
Having used this service herself, Jessica now offers her time as a volunteer. She said: "I am now a peer supporter and the women I supported over the years are so grateful. It means the world to them like it did for me. To help keep Pregnancy Sickness Support running to support the women and babies is paramount. It is lifesaving."
The cost of supporting one person experiencing HG throughout their pregnancy is £150. Jessica is aiming to raise £600 to support four HG sufferers of the future, in their time of need. The mum will be running over 80 miles in 40 days in a bid to raise awareness and fundraise.
The 40-Day challenge is Pregnancy Sickness Supports annual fundraiser which starts on April 6 and finishes on May 15, on International HG Awareness Day. The 40 days represents the 40 weeks of pregnancy, for some sufferers that can be 40 weeks of relentless sickness. The challenge is designed to raise awareness of this little-known condition whilst raising vital funds for our PSS.
Faye Jepson, Fundraising coordinator, Pregnancy Sickness Support, said: "We are a small charity that receives no government funding, meaning we rely on fundraising from people who have experienced HG. We don’t charge sufferers for the intensive support that we provide and as HG is such an underappreciated condition it can be hard to find the money to keep our work going. Jessica’s fundraising will help us to provide support for people who are affected by this life-changing condition, during pregnancy and beyond."
