What exactly happened to Kate? Is there any chance it will happen to you as well?
In early December 2012, Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge and the wife of Prince William, was hospitalized due to severe morning sickness. She has been vomiting for many hours and felt extremely weak and ill. Luckily, she was hospitalized shortly after the symptoms started, and since then she recovered.
Hypermesis Gravidarum: Not an Ordinary Morning Sickness
Up to 70% of all pregnant women suffer from morning sickness. Although it is unpleasant, on most cases morning sickness is not dangerous, and it usually passes after the first trimester. More than that, many times your pregnancy diet can help overcoming morning sickness. However, Kate did not experience ordinary morning sickness. It seems that she suffers from a rare condition called Hypermesis Gravidarum, which affects 0.2-2% of all pregnant women (1out of 200). Just like Kate experienced, Hypermesis Gravidarum (HG) might cause prolong nausea, severe vomiting, weakness, dehydration and other symptoms which can be considered as harsh case of morning sickness. But although HG resembles morning sickness, it is a medical condition of its own. The women who have it feel terrible and can’t function. They might even hurt themselves by fracturing their rib cage, blow out their eardrum, rip their vocal cord, and more. More than that, if left untreated HG might lead to some pregnancy and labor complications, such as premature labor and low birth weight.What to do if you have Kate’s Condition?
The main symptoms which might suggest you have HG are:- Prolonged, severe vomiting and nausea
- Signs of dehydration (dizziness, dryness, decreased urine output)
- Fainting
- Strong stomach and uterus pain or contractions
- Inability to eat or drink for 8 hours or more
- Losing 5% body weight (or more) during pregnancy
