Hyperemesis Baby Survivor

Recently I have been reminded of just how lucky I am that my little baby made it through our battle of Hyperemesis. There are many that aren't so lucky. For those of you who don't know much about hyperemesis I would encourage you to explore the following website: www.helpher.org
It saved my sanity during my pregnancy, and being able to share my experience with other women who were also suffering at the same time made everything much more bearable. Here is a short synopsis:
We found out we were pregnant in May and by week 6 I was dealing with much more than "morning sickness". It was the kind of morning sickness that just didn't go away. Unrelenting. Nothing stayed down, not even water. By week 7 my doctor took me out of work and put me on disability. Which was a God send because I was barely functioning. The nausea persisted and the migraines from vomiting 7 times a day and starvation my body was going through were really taking a toll on me. I lost 5 lbs in 6 days. Over the next several weeks we visited numerous ER's and IV centers for IV therapy. This was life saver. After each IV therapy session I felt like a normal human being for about 2-4 hours. Then it started all over again.
Many people believe this should end at 12 weeks, or the end of the first trimester. Let me tell you, they are wrong. Morning sickness does generally end at this time, but Hyperemesis is a whole different beast. It plagues many women until the day of delivery.
Fast forward a few months of constant puking and trying to sleep the days away- by 20 weeks gestation I was able to return to work. My doctor had found the right medication for me, and our insurance was finally paying for it on a regular basis. Guess they finally figured it was less expensive than IV therapy. (After a month of both me and my doctor fighting them) As much of a pain insurance is, I am so grateful to possess it. This little miracle drug of mine cost a whopping $1200 per bottle! But my wonderful coverage only made me incur a cost of $5!!
At each doctor visit we had to yet again revisit the idea of PICC line. A catheter that is inserted in your left arm that leads into your heart. The reason for this was that despite functioning better I was still dropping weight and throwing up on a daily basis. By this time I had lost 20 lbs.
I can't tell you how many times I heard, "if you lose one more pound....."
Thankfully we avoided the PICC line successfully.
By the time I delivered at 37 weeks 4 days I was still 5 lbs under my pre-pregnancy weight. I had fears about if the baby would be healthy, if she would be small, and what effect 9 months of malnutrition and starvation would have on her. But she was born at a healthy 7 lbs and despite having some eating problems herself, was in very good health.
What I've learned from this experience:
*That I can overcome anything with the support of my family and my friends.
*That while the sickness for me did not end until delivery, it did end. And that is the important thing.
*That I can now empathize with those who are ill better than I ever could before.
*And most importantly that my little baby girl was worth every miserable moment.

I can't imagine fighting this disease and not having a baby at the end of it to remind you of why you endured it. So many women lose the battle and my heart truly breaks for them. I am so grateful for my little babies (one not so little anymore) and can truly understand what a sacrifice it was to bring them into this world.