Families Baby News
SICK – The Battle Against HG SICK is the untold story of women who experience Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG), a severe and debilitating pregnancy sickness that has affected an estimated 3 million women across the world. Depicting the struggle of tens of thousands of women who are denied treatment in the UK, SICK shows the startling reality of women having to come to terms with the fact that terminating their longed-for pregnancy is their only means of escape from their torment and 9 months of hell. The documentary will give an insight into how these potentially lethal pregnancies cause women to suffer weight and nutritional damage, mental health breakdown, hospitalization and, tragically, force around 1000 UK abortions every year, abandoning precious hopes for future children. “Pregnancy sickness is a spectrum with Hyperemesis Gravidarum being at the extreme end of that spectrum. Whilst 80% of pregnant women will suffer with nausea and vomiting in pregnancy at the mild – moderate end of the spectrum, Hyperemesis affects 1-2% of pregnant women. Hyperemesis itself will differ from woman to woman despite being at the end of the pregnancy sickness spectrum, some women will have milder symptoms whilst some will be severe. Symptoms include continual vomiting throughout the day (there is no such thing as just morning sickness!), and/or extreme and crippling nausea which is unrelenting, excessive saliva which cause some women to have to continually spit, sensitivity to noise, light and smells (not just bad smells anything can trigger a woman with hyperemesis). These triggers will exacerbate her symptoms making her vomit more and feel more sick. Whether mild or severe what is very important is that a woman contacts her Doctor or her Midwife to get help. If you are losing weight, finding it difficult to go to the toilet and crucially if you are no longer able to keep food or water down, then you must get help. Some women do not reach out for help because they have not experienced pregnancy before and are lead to believe that this is normal, other women might think that they are not being sick enough or that because they don’t have all the symptoms they can’t ask for help. If you cannot continue with normal life because of your symptoms it is
likely that you are suffering from something more than usual pregnancy sickness. Your health is the most important thing when it comes to Hyperemesis and your mental health can also not be ignored. Isolation, the physical feeling of being sick and not being able to go about your life as usual can all have negative affects on your mental wellbeing. Your baby is also at risk of things like low birth weight, pre term labour and small for gestational age, but don’t be alarmed; there are many safe antiemetics and treatments like IV fluid rehydration that can help manage your symptoms and your doctor will be able to prescribe these for you. It is very important to talk to other people who have suffered and there are numerous support groups on social media and the national Pregnancy Sickness Support Charity have a helpline number you can call as well as a peer support network. Details of the social media support groups can be found on the Sick website www.thesickfilm.co.uk. Available on Prime Video
The Nest Best Thing!
Scandinavian brand Voksi® have created a premium baby nest offering families. Quality, comfort and breathability for their little ones while sleeping. The nest creates a safe, cosy, and comfortable environment for your baby to lie in. Its egg-shape simulates the feeling of being in the mother's womb and provides a sense of protection and warmth, great for newborns and when easing babies into a cot for the first time. Suitable from birth onwards, RRP £99.00
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NEW Stylish leopard print teether
This stylish leopard print teething ring which has been designed to support visual development in babies from around 5 months onwards, is also great to sooth those first teeth as they start to make an appearance. 5+ month plus, priced at £18.50 www.ettaloves.com/collections familiesonline.co.uk
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Bottle preparation in your sleep!
The time efficient Babybrezza Formula Pro Advanced is easy to use and works with virtually all brands of formula and bottles to create formula at the perfect temperature, in an instant. The must have parenting gadget also boasts a sleek design, to ensure it seamlessly fits into any family kitchen. It’s certainly no surprise that it is the number one best-selling formula prep appliance worldwide. The unique patented mixing technology built into the Babybrezza® Formula Pro Advanced, automatically combines formula with water to prepare the perfect consistency for little one’s mealtimes. Saving parents up to 30 minutes a day, the digital controls and LCD screen keep it simple and straight forward – no complicated manual adjustments, the perfect temperature formula will be created at a click of a button. RRP: £199 www. cheekyrascals.co.uk Families Cambridgeshire 7
