The Hyperemesis Files

This is the fifth episode of the Hyperemesis Files. A podcast presented by Hyperemesis Campaigner Charlotte Howden. Each episode Charlotte talks to HG survivors about their personal story with Hyperemesis. In this episode, Charlotte talks to Claudia, a mum of 2 (nearly) from the UK. Claudia is currently 34 weeks pregnant with her second child and talks us through her HG pregnancies and the differences between the milder side of HG and the severe! Claudia is also a Clinical Psychologist who specialises in Trauma and PTSD which certainly puts a spin on her experience. Topics include living with HG (or not), having HG during a global pandemic, dealing with intrusive thought and getting help for your mental health and looking after a child when you have hyperemesis.

This is the seventh episode of the Hyperemesis Files. A podcast presented by Hyperemesis Campaigner Charlotte Howden. Each episode Charlotte talks to HG survivors about their personal story with Hyperemesis. In this episode, Charlotte talks to Petra, a Swedish Londoner mother of 2 girls, who suffered with Hyperemesis in both her pregnancies. Her second daughter was born just 6 weeks ago so her experience is obviously still very raw. Petra is a freelance producer and writer and has spent the last 10 years of her career delivering live broadcasts, campaigns, and factual programming. Petra talks openly about her battle to get access to medication, intrusive thoughts about termination and also how a trip to Los Angeles is how she finally got a diagnosis of HG!!!!! Given her profession, Petra and Charlotte also take this opportunity to discuss how pregnant women are portrayed in Film & TV and how the back story of most pregnant characters is often misrepresenting the real experience of pregnancy. Petra also talks about how she managed to cope (or not) during a pandemic/lockdown and giving birth in her car!

The final episode in Series 1 of the Hyperemesis Files Podcast (although there is a cheeky bonus one next week) A podcast presented by Hyperemesis Campaigner Charlotte Howden. Each episode Charlotte talks to HG survivors about their personal story with Hyperemesis. In this episode, Charlotte talks to Ashleigh, a mum of 2 from the US. Ashleigh has had a really tough time of it. Not only did she suffer with infertility problems, a cancer scare and a diagnosis of a rare for of endometriosis, she of course also suffered with Hyperemesis, twice! Ashleigh talks to me about her early struggles to get pregnant and how that went on to effect her experience with HG. We also talk about struggling to cope with a toddler, having the right support system in place, awful treatment from healthcare professionals, and some good! She also talks about her treatment and medications and what finally worked for her and a very scary moment with Valium.

This is a bonus episode of the Hyperemesis Files Podcast. I was lucky enough to interview for social media the wonderful Michelle Nicholson MBACP (Snr Accred) BACP Registered and Senior Accredited Counsellor. Michelle us the only HG Counsellor in the UK and offers specialist counselling support by telephone to anyone living with or recovering from pregnancy sickness. This episode is the audio file from the social media video interview I recorded with her. Michelle has suffered with Hyperemesis twice, hence her need to do something and to help women through the mental health challenges of this disease. Michelle and I talk openly about intrusive thoughts, why we do get so depressed and can go on to suffer with anxiety and post partum depression. She also speaks openly about the ways in which she addresses these struggles and give a run down on the current treatments available to HG sufferers and survivors.

In 2018 Charlotte interviewed Dr Marlena Fejzo for the Sick - The Battle Against HG Documentary. Marlena is a faculty researcher with joint appointments in the department of Medicine at UCLA and the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at USC. Her primary focus is in improving women’s health. She has published papers on her genetic studies of many diseases of women including ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and multiple sclerosis and she discovered the first genes linked to nausea and vomiting of pregnancy and Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Here is her full interview.