Understanding Hypermesis and wanting it to stop.....NOW!

Having to watch my only child nauseous on a daily basis is so hard to look at. In a perfect world, I wish mothers-in-waiting would not have to deal with changes in their bodies or disruptions of their mental state. There would be fewer stories about the mother killing their own children or the notion that 'they are going crazy' only if they were given attention. Fortunately, my daughter has a very strong support system all around her to help her through such troubled times. Although she will Locket Grampa Joe and Grandma Cheryl got mommyhave to experience these things, she has a strong family that will always be there in her time of need. I hope she remembers that. On our last visit to the OBGYN, we were told that she has been dealing with Hypermesis Gravidarum, or simple 'Morning Sickness'. This is not so simple to deal with. Although my daughter has actually gained a few pounds in her pregnancy

(only 8 lbs due to the morning sickness since the beginning), she has been put on anti-nausea medicine and has been on bed-rest for the duration of her pregnancy. She has been able to eat a lot more and exercises frequently which I am glad and my stress-level has lowered a bit. Much of the population does not understand how severe this Hypermesis Gravidarum can be to an expectant mother and her unborn child. Not only is this severe form of nausea and vomiting during a period (or like my daughter's case) throughout the pregnancy term, but it has been described as preventing the adequate intake of the important foods and fluids that the mother and child need. If it is not treaded in a timely fashion, dehydration and nutritional deficiencies may happen, metabolic imbalances and difficulty with the daily activities can occur. Although HG is not fully understood and severely under examined, new theories and findings are emerging with every year. The finding are complex and it is thought to be a physiological disease caused by many factors. As the symptoms of the HG bring on other new symptoms, repeated vomiting and severe nausea rears its ugly head for a whole new set of other problems we have to worry about. Common complications can include debilitating fatigue, gastric irritation, ketosis and malnutrition. That, my friends is scary. Scary of not knowing what is going on inside my daughter's metabolism, scary to know this could potentially harm my grand daughter and scary to know there is little that I can do to combat it. How do you prevent this potentially life-threatening complications? As a mother, I want to take this pain and suffering that she is enduring...and experience it for myself so she doesn't have to. This is not over... For more in-depth information about Hypermesis Gravidarum or Morning Sickness, please visit: http://www.helpher.org/hyperemesis-gravidarum/ http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/hyperemesisgravidarum.html http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a1018905/hyperemesis-gravidarum

Be wise! Protect the eyes! (Especially while pregnant!)

Pregnant women have to deal with a lot of things with the change of their bodies. They have to worry about having morning sickness to back pain....and everything in between. Attach vision problems to that long list of things to 'look out for'. Hormones (boy, I know how bad it is in the receiving end!), the changes in the metabolism, fluid retention and blood circulation are all the changes that affect the eyes during pregnancy. These changes can affect the thickness of the cornea by increasing slightly even though the changes are very small. This change can affect how you wear your glasses or contacts on a daily basis.

My daughter had an eye doctor appointment last week. The doctor explained to us that during pregnancy, these changes can affect your prescription. He told us on how more pregnant women report that they feel a bit more nearsighted now than they were before they became pregnant. Although this wasn't a very good time to get a new prescription, the rule of thumb is that these changes are going to be temporary and typically reverse themselves within a month to several month after the delivery. After being asked, he advised that getting laser surgery while pregnant isn't a very good idea; rather, they do not allow it with most insurance companies.There are many different irritants that can happen to a pregnant woman during this time of her life. It

also can happen during breastfeeding. The eyes can become drier along with other subtle changes in the shape and thickness of the cornea. For better or for worse, this can also bring about other changes during pregnancy. If one has diabetes, one should get screened for damage within the blood vessels in the retina. As this might worsen during pregnancy, there is a name for it. It is called Diabetic Retinopathy. Frequent eye exams before and during each pregnancy would be a real good idea to keep tabs on the damage, (if it were to occur).

Some women that have to deal with Glaucoma usually find that their eyesight improves during pregnancy which is a real good thing. Keep in mind that the medication needs to be adjusted as soon as possible. Lessening the baby's exposure to the medications is a good thing for Glaucoma patients who would like to plan a pregnancy.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_vision-changes-during-pregnancy_1456567.bc