Latest news with #PregnancySicknessSupport
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Health
- Scotsman
Tragic loss inspires fundraiser for Pregnancy Sickness Support
A determined fundraiser is set to take on The Edinburgh Kiltwalk's Mighty Stride in aid of Pregnancy Sickness Support, a charity dedicated to helping those suffering from severe pregnancy sickness and hyperemesis gravidarum. The challenge, scheduled for the 14th of September 2025, aims to raise vital funds and awareness for those experiencing debilitating sickness during pregnancy. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... 'HG is not just morning sickness. It is a misunderstood and under-recognised condition that leaves sufferers fighting not only for care but often for their lives. Many healthcare professionals have little or no training in HG, and as a result, too many women are left to advocate for themselves while being critically unwell. I know this all too well. Having had three HG pregnancies and losing all three to this devastating condition. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad During my pregnancies I was bedbound, vomiting over 50 times a day, and completely unable to eat or drink. Oral medications wouldn't stay down, and I was repeatedly hospitalised, often for weeks at a time. I was given five intramuscular injections every day just to try to manage the relentless nausea. These injections left me black and blue with bruises, and often in so much pain that I couldn't sit down without crying. I was also on the maximum dose of IV steroids, just to keep me stable. Every time I was discharged and sent home with oral medication, I would rapidly deteriorate, and within 24 hours I was usually back in hospital, severely dehydrated, too weak to stand, and uncontrollably vomiting. Lauren, alongside her fundraiser, is giving back to the charity that saved her life by volunteering as a peer supporter, supporting others facing HG. This condition didn't just affect me, it also devastated my partner, Kieran. He watched helplessly as I suffered, often having to carry me to the car, help me shower, he would wash and dry my hair, and do basic things I couldn't manage alone. We were terrified. We genuinely both thought I was going to die.' Lauren went on to receive peer support through Pregnancy Sickness Support, a person who had been through HG herself. 'I could text her whenever I needed, and she truly understood what I was going through. After my pregnancy ended, the charity provided me with counselling sessions, which I hand on heart believe saved my life. At a time when I felt completely isolated, suicidal, and heartbroken, those sessions gave me hope and a path forward. My counsellor was so patient with me, she let me sit in silence, she let me cry, she just let me be what I needed to be in that moment, and after eight weeks I began to see a light at the end of the tunnel.' Unfortunately, Lauren's story isn't an isolated incident. "Pregnancy sickness is often misunderstood, and we hear from sufferers every day, almost 3000 in 2024, reporting similar experiences. We hope this challenge will not only raise much-needed funds but also increase awareness of the impact it has on those affected"said Jasmine Ross, Support & Fundraising Coordinator at Pregnancy Sickness Support. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Lauren hopes to raise £1000 through donations and sponsorships, all of which will go directly to Pregnancy Sickness Support to aid their crucial work. This sum could provide 3 HG sufferers with the specialist counselling Lauren received in the weeks after her pregnancy.
Edinburgh Reporter
3 days ago
- Health
- Edinburgh Reporter
Fundraiser inspired by personal loss
A determined fundraiser is set to take on The Edinburgh Kiltwalk's Mighty Stride in aid of Pregnancy Sickness Support, a charity dedicated to helping those suffering from severe pregnancy sickness and hyperemesis gravidarum. The challenge, scheduled for the 14th of September 2025, aims to raise vital funds and awareness for those experiencing debilitating sickness during pregnancy. Pregnancy Sickness Support provides essential services, including a helpline, peer support network, and medical guidance for those suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), a condition that affects around 1-3% of pregnant women and can lead to severe dehydration, weight loss, and hospitalisation. Lauren said: 'HG is not just morning sickness. It is a misunderstood and under-recognised condition that leaves sufferers fighting not only for care but often for their lives. Many healthcare professionals have little or no training in HG, and as a result, too many women are left to advocate for themselves while being critically unwell. 'I know this all too well. Having had three HG pregnancies and losing all three to this devastating condition. 'During my pregnancies I was bedbound, vomiting over 50 times a day, and completely unable to eat or drink. Oral medications wouldn't stay down, and I was repeatedly hospitalised, often for weeks at a time. I was given five intramuscular injections every day just to try to manage the relentless nausea. These injections left me black and blue with bruises, and often in so much pain that I couldn't sit down without crying. I was also on the maximum dose of IV steroids, just to keep me stable. Every time I was discharged and sent home with oral medication, I would rapidly deteriorate, and within 24 hours I was usually back in hospital, severely dehydrated, too weak to stand, and uncontrollably vomiting. 'This condition didn't just affect me, it also devastated my partner, Kieran. He watched helplessly as I suffered, often having to carry me to the car, help me shower, he would wash and dry my hair, and do basic things I couldn't manage alone. We were terrified. We genuinely both thought I was going to die.' Lauren went on to receive peer support through Pregnancy Sickness Support, from someone who had been through HG herself. 'I could text her whenever I needed, and she truly understood what I was going through. After my pregnancy ended, the charity provided me with counselling sessions, which I hand on heart believe saved my life. At a time when I felt completely isolated, suicidal, and heartbroken, those sessions gave me hope and a path forward. My counsellor was so patient with me, she let me sit in silence, she let me cry, she just let me be what I needed to be in that moment, and after eight weeks I began to see a light at the end of the tunnel.' Unfortunately, Lauren explains hers is not an uncommon story. Jasmine Ross, Support and Fundraising Coordinator at Pregnancy Sickness Support. 'Pregnancy sickness is often misunderstood, and we hear from sufferers every day, almost 3000 in 2024, reporting similar experiences. We hope this challenge will not only raise much-needed funds but also increase awareness of the impact it has on those affected.' Lauren hopes to raise £1,000 through donations and sponsorships, all of which will go directly to Pregnancy Sickness Support to aid their crucial work. This sum could provide three HG sufferers with the specialist counselling Lauren received in the weeks after her pregnancy. Supporters can donate or learn more about the challenge by visiting: Pregnancy Sickness Support: Lauren's Fundraiser – Help Me Support Women Suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum Like this: Like Related
Sky News
18-07-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Starmer to address postcode lottery for only drug available for debilitating pregnancy sickness condition
Sir Keir Starmer has promised to address a postcode lottery for the only drug approved for a debilitating pregnancy sickness condition. The prime minister was asked in the Commons on Wednesday by Liberal Democrat MP James MacCleary if he would work with the Department of Health to end the "scandal". Xonvea is the only drug approved in the UK to treat the extreme vomiting and nausea caused by hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), which affects thousands of woman, about 3% of pregnancies, each year. Some women have it for several weeks, some their entire pregnancy, and it can lead to dehydration, weight loss, and serious physical and emotional distress, with some so ill they are terminating wanted pregnancies. Sir Keir said he would make sure Mr MacCleary has a meeting with a minister "to see what more can be done to get this treatment to patients who need it". The Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital with HG during all three of her pregnancies. An inquest last year found a failure to provide adequate care to HG sufferer Jessica Cronshaw, who was 28 weeks pregnant when she took her own life, "contributed to her mental health deterioration". The charity Pregnancy Sickness Support has found it is a postcode lottery to get Xonvea on the NHS, despite 84% of 800 sufferers surveyed by the charity reporting it to be effective. Different NHS trusts and GPs have different rules on prescribing the drug, which costs the NHS about £28 for a 10-day supply - but £90 if bought privately. Woman terminated pregnancy after Xonvea denied Sarah Spooner, 32, terminated a pregnancy at 13 weeks in April after being denied Xonvea, which was first licensed for use in the UK in 2018, by her GP. The 32-year-old optometrist, who had HG for 40 weeks with her first child, had to take a 50-mile round trip to a hospital to get a two-week supply. After the second hospital trip, the prescription did not have a date so the pharmacy would not give her the drugs and she was feeling so much more ill than her first pregnancy she did not feel she could go on. She twice booked a termination but could not go through with it before eventually deciding it was the only option. A month later, her pharmacy told her it had an old prescription from her GP for Xonvea - the same GP who had said she could not have it. "It just felt like my whole body was saying 'this isn't happening'," she told Sky News. "When I went for the second attempt at a termination I was so upset they said they couldn't do it, and I said 'I don't really want it, to be honest'. "I remember the woman saying to me 'worst case scenario you've only got another seven months of this' and I was thinking another seven months of this is going to kill me." Mrs Spooner ran out of Xonvea the day before her third termination booking in Cardiff and was vomiting "non-stop" from 1am. "Going in to pick up antidepressants - because of everything - from the pharmacy a month later and being handed the bag of Xonvea was just the most horrific moment of my whole life," she added. She said the GP surgery investigated the incident, apologised, and has been very helpful since then, with her doctor pushing to get the health board to allow them to prescribe Xonvea at an early stage. Mrs Spooner's GP said they could not comment due to patient confidentiality. A spokesperson for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said: "We're very sorry to hear of Mrs Spooner's experience. We do not underestimate how distressing this must have been for her and her family. "After the family contacted us via our Putting Things Right process, we have been liaising with them and are in the process of conducting an investigation into their concerns. "Our thoughts and sincere condolences remain with Mrs Spooner and her family at this very difficult time." The Welsh government told Sky News: "We rely on the expert advice of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the guidance of the All-Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG). "The AWMSG published advice in 2019 which confirms that Xonvea is not recommended for use within NHS Wales, and NICE has published guidance on the management of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and concluded that the evidence supporting the use of Xonvea is very old, of low quality and does not show a convincing effect on symptom improvement." 1:23 'End this postcode lottery' Charlotte Howden, who leads Pregnancy Sickness Support, told Sky News: "We welcome the mention of Xonvea and the postcode lottery at PMQs - it's a vital step forward for the thousands of pregnant women and people suffering from nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. "We've long called for urgent action on this issue. It remains an ongoing battle." She added: "Xonvea is the only medication licensed in the UK for pregnancy sickness, yet access still depends entirely on where you live. Many local formularies continue to reject it based on cost, even though a week's supply is cheaper than a single GP appointment and vastly less than a hospital admission, which is all too common for those who become severely dehydrated. "This isn't just poor care, it's a false economy. If the government is serious about prevention, long-term thinking, and equity, it must act to end this postcode lottery. "A meeting with the responsible minister must now follow - and we are ready to share our evidence and experience to help drive meaningful change." 'Women deserve better' Mr MacCleary told Sky News: "My own partner suffered with HG, so I know just how brutal and traumatic this condition can be. I first saw its devastating impact through her experience. "Sadly, some women have even felt forced into terminations or have taken their own lives because they couldn't get the treatment they needed - and this is entirely preventable. "That's why I asked the prime minister to urgently tackle this postcode lottery and meet with me and campaigners who've have been tirelessly working on this for years. Women deserve better - something must change." Sarah Smith, MP for Accrington where Ms Cronshaw lived, said her death "brings into sharp focus the devastating impact HG can have". She added: "Her story is heartbreaking and it underlines the urgent need to ensure fair access to treatments like Xonvea, wherever women live. I welcome the prime minister's commitment to working with ministers on this issue and will support efforts to end the postcode lottery for women facing this condition." Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@ in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.
