Young mum was driven to the brink of abortion with severe morning sickness – that made her vomit 90 times a DAY
Carys was kept in hospital for the majority of her pregnancy and fed through a feeding tube to keep her alive
A YOUNG mum was driven to the brink of opting to abort her baby, after suffering morning sickness so severe she vomited 90 times a day.
Carys Grant, 23, was diagnosed with the extreme sickness hyperemesis gravidarum - the same condition Kate Middleton suffered during both her pregnancies.
Carys was so severly ill she couldn't eat for seven months and lost 7st 7lbs.
With her life at risk, she was put on an IV drip and fed through a tube while remaining in hospital throughout her pregnancy.
At her darkest point, devastated Carys, from Cardiff, wished her pregnancy would end.
But the brave mum pulled through and gave birth to her son Ieuan, now two.
Now she hopes to raise awarness of the poorly-understood condition that affects one in 200 pregnancies.
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Carys, a full time mum, said: "My whole life changed. I couldn't do anything. When I wasn't sleeping I was being sick.
"I was in and out of hospital because I had no fluid intake.
"I would be discharged and then 12 hours later I would be back in. It was very isolating.
"It's very raw, but I was ready to terminate the pregnancy.
"I was so weak I couldn't speak but wrote it down on a paper 'I need this baby out'."
On top of suffering horrendous morning sickness, the joy of being pregnant was taken away from Carys even further as she cannot remember what it was like to be pregnant or the first time the baby kicked.
She added: "I can't remember my pregnancy at all because of the medicines.
"I was in and out of it the whole eight months.
"It's just a blank, I don't even remember the first time the baby kicked.
"My mum and my partner tell me things and when I look back at the photos I look so ill."
Carys and her partner Stephen James met through friends nine years ago.
They decided to try for a baby after moving house in October 2013 and were delighted when they conceived in March 2014.
However, by the fifth week, the sickness was so bad, Carys was unable to do anything and was forced to leave her job as a carer assistant.
Initially her condition baffled doctors and it wasn't until she was 12 weeks pregnant that Carys was diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum.
Unable to eat, Carys was put on a feeding tube for seven months.
WHAT IS HYPEREMESIS GRAVIDARUM?
Sickness in pregnancy is common.
Around 7 out of every 10 pregnant women experience nausea and/or vomiting, and this doesn't just occur in the morning.
For most women, this improves or disappears completely by around week 14, although for some women it can last longer.
But some women experience excessive nausea and vomiting, known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).
Exactly how many pregnant women get HG is not known as some cases may go unreported, but it's thought to be around 1 in every 100.
Symptoms:
HG is much worse than the normal morning sickness experienced during pregnancy.
Unlike regular pregnancy sickness, HG may not get better by 14 weeks.
It may not clear up completely until the baby is born, although some symptoms may improve at around 20 weeks.
Symptoms include:
- prolonged and severe nausea and vomiting – some women report being sick up to 50 times a day
- dehydration – if you're drinking less than 500ml a day, you need to seek help
- ketosis – a serious condition that results in the build-up of acidic chemicals in the blood and urine
- weight loss
- low blood pressure when standing
Treatment:
There are medications that can be used in pregnancy, including the first 12 weeks, to help improve the symptoms of HG.
These include anti-sickness drugs, vitamins B6 and B12 and steroids, or combinations of these.
The earlier you start treatment, the more effective it will likely be.
If your nausea and vomiting cannot be controlled, you may need to be admitted to hospital, where doctors can monitor your condition.
Source: NHS Choices
Dad, Stephen said: "It was so hard to see the person I love so vulnerable and unable to do anything for herself and lying so helplessly in a hospital bed.
"Carys was so outgoing and happy, then she became a body unable to function for daily activities.
"What should have been such an amazing experience was heart-breaking.
"I was often told along with Carys' mam, my mother in law, that they think Carys isn't going to survive the pregnancy or the baby."
Carys was given IV drugs - cyclizine and ondansetron - as well as cortisone injections twice a day in case of blood clots.
She recalled: "At my worst I was being sick 80 to 90 times a day.
"I had a drip in my neck. My hair was falling out.
"I had kidney failure during the pregnancy and I had to have my gall bladder removed afterwards.
"I had a complete bald patch at the side of the head which is only now started to grow back.
"I had anaemia and was collapsing a lot."
At 36 weeks, Carys had a quick labour and gave birth to her son in November 2014.
Baby Ieuan spent 10 days in a special care baby unit before Carys was finally able to take him home.
However, the physical and mental trauma from her pregnancy ordeal returned home with her too.
She said: "After, I had really bad post-natal depression. I had to adjust to going outside again.
"After all that time doing nothing, I couldn't look after myself.
"I couldn't wash or dress myself, I was sent into this spiralling depression.
";Once I had Ieaun, I soon felt better and I gradually put on weight.
"But I still get anxiety over certain foods that I think might make me sick.”
Although Stephen is hoping for another child, Carys admits she is too scared to try again.
She said: "I felt so close to death, I don't want to risk it again."
Instead, Carys hopes medics gain a better understanding of the condition and provide better help to sufferers.
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