"Maternity day assessment unit"

I am 10 and a half weeks’ pregnant and have suffered with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) since 5 weeks’ pregnant. 

HG is at the most sever end of pregnancy sickness. It is NOT ‘morning sickness’. It is an extremely debilitating condition that holds you hostage for weeks and months. Vomiting excessively every day, 24/7 nausea and an inability to keep any food and fluids down. You lose all ability to do anything for yourself; bed bound for months on end. You lose weight and you’re likely to need acute hospital intervention throughout, especially during early pregnancy. You feel scared, isolated and extremely desperate. 

During the 5 and a half weeks of suffering with HG, I have needed emergency care on three occasions due to severe dehydration, severe constipation and an allergic reaction to medication. There is a huge lack of understanding of HG and how to treat it, both by medical professionals and by society more widely, meaning accessing the right care and support is often a real battle. A battle that is near impossible to fight while suffering HG as you’re so unwell and weak. It saddens me to say that the health care I have received so far has been very disappointing, both in the community and within hospital settings.

That is until my partner spoke to a lovely midwife at Treliske’s maternity day assessment unit. Beth listened. Beth was compassionate. Beth was going to do everything she could to ensure I was properly assessed and given the care I desperately needed. 

I was invited to attend the day assessment unit the same day however I was so severely unwell I couldn’t manage leaving my bed let alone consider the 50 minute drive to Treliske. 

The next morning I found the last bit of strength I had left to get out of bed, throw some clothes on, and my partner managed to get me to the unit. 

Sick bowl in hand, I was greeted by wonderful midwife Olga. Olga cared deeply too. Olga was equally as compassionate as Beth had been on the phone the day before. Olga was going to help me. 

You cannot underestimate what this meant to me. I’ve spent weeks feeling like I was falling through the cracks. Not being heard. The severity of my illness not being taken as seriously as it should be. I cried when I spoke to both Beth and Olga because I knew they were listening to me. 

My experience of care at the unit from here continued to be wonderful. 

I was so severely dehydrated that my veins had collapsed meaning two midwives and a doctor were unable to insert a cannula into my arm to administer vital fluids I desperately needed. After numerous failed attempts and painful blown veins an anaesthetist was called but as it was the weekend it was taking a while. Thankfully, another doctor was called to try to assist, and she managed to access a vein in my right arm. Thank you Dr.

I was given 2 bags of fluid over 4 hours, anti-sickness medication, as well as various other meds and vitamins to help rebuild my strength. Thank you Olga for administering the anti-sickness slowly and waiting with me to make sure I didn’t have a reaction. I have been taking this same medication for several weeks now but when it is administered straight into the vein there is a risk of a different / stronger reaction, so I was very grateful to Olga for her care. 

Thank you to the most wonderful doctor who led my care at the unit for your compassion throughout. Dr Askaroff, thank you for believing me when I told you I had eaten no more than 4 slices of toast in the same amount of days and had drank very little, all while vomiting in between. Thank you for paying attention to how weak I was, my dry-cracked lips, ghost-like pale complexion and insisting I receive fluids regardless of ketone and blood pressure readings. Despite being rushed off your feet caring for other ladies during a busy weekend, you continually visited me to see how I was and how I was responding to treatment. Thank you for taking the time to talk me through different medication options that are safe for both me and my baby and giving me the confidence to try different things that might help with my nausea and vomiting. I very much appreciated this as previous severe reactions to other anti-sickness medications has left me very nervous when trying anything new. 

I had arrived at the unit around 9am. After the fluids and medication, and managing to keep down a slice of wholemeal toast and a biscuit or two (this is a real improvement when you have HG), I had passed the stable enough to go home test. I left the unit by around 7.30pm feeling more hydrated. 

The staff at the unit have written a letter to my GP detailing the medications I should be prescribed. I am now able to access the unit for IV fluids and anti-sickness whenever I feel I am becoming dehydrated again, meaning I don’t need to go through the trauma of seeing a GP first or through the emergency department. When you have HG it is almost impossible to leave your bed let alone attend numerous appointments before getting access to vital fluids to rehydrate you. So this is such a huge relief and further testimony to the wonderful care I received. Why I wasn’t referred to this unit before now I do not know, however. It is very disappointing. 

To the lovely staff who cared for me at the unit; from the bottom of my heart, on behalf of myself, my partner and our baby, thank you so much for everything. I’ll never forget any of you during what has been and continues to be an extremely difficult time x