OUR HYPEREMESIS JOUNEY – by Davison

My wife of two years and I were pregnant for the first time and we were so happy to share the news with family and friends. We were just three weeks pregnant and we had decided to throw a party to share the wonderful news with everyone. We had prepared for the huge baby party announcement for the 5th of June the following week. However 3 days into party preps my wife was hit hard – really really hard with a sudden wave of extensive vomiting, and nausea.

At first we thought it must have been something she ate the day before and so she spent the Wednesday with a small basin near the bed – just continuously puking. The next day she woke up feeling worse. She couldn’t eat , drink or do anything. She was both bedroom and bathroom ridden. All she did was cry. Her mum and I took her to see our gynae and she was diagnosed with HYPEREMESIS GRAVADIUM. She was given a lot of drugs to try and stop the vomiting and nausea but nothing seemed to help. She was literally losing weight as I watched her.

She was soon admitted in Clay Bank Hospital – Gweru for twelve weeks due to severe dehydration. We both wanted this baby so much- I wanted this baby so so much – but at the same time I just couldn’t watch her suffer like that. My wife became so depressed & no comforting words could help her and in the community we were raised in no one had seen or heard of her case, some actually thought she was bewitched or just merely childish. For the whole of the nine months she was in and out of hospital for dehydration.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum stole joyous pregnancy moments from my wife and I. We were separated for months whilst she sought medical help where my parents in grace(law) lived in a different city. I didn’t feel my daughters first kick. I didn’t get to hold my wife and rub her tummy in most ultrasound visits.  I couldn’t concentrate at work.

The brighter side is that she delivered a beautiful and healthy baby girl – who is now growing up so fast.  My sincerest wish is that by the time my own daughter is ready to start her family, there will be more than a few medications to help remedy the severity of Hyperemesis Gravidarum – that there will be a cure. No woman should suffer from severe morning sickness and nausea.