The Difference Between Nausea and Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG)

Hello, Readers 💛

First, I want to say a huge thank you for the outpouring of love and support this blog has received. The kind messages from fellow HG survivors and the encouragement in general mean so much to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart — I don’t take it for granted.

I’ve also been thinking about a nickname for our little community here. If you have any suggestions, drop them in the comment section — let’s make it ours together.

Now, let’s talk about why you’re really here.

I want to share the difference between regular pregnancy nausea and Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) — and how I came to realize what I was experiencing was far beyond “morning sickness.”

When most people think of pregnancy, they imagine glowing skin, cravings, and a few weeks of nausea — nothing a little ginger tea can’t fix right? Well that’s what I expected too.

But what I got was something else entirely.

On May 16, 2020 — in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic — I found out I was pregnant. My husband and I were thrilled. We shared the news with close family, full of joy and anticipation. At five weeks, I didn’t feel much — no nausea, no cravings, no fatigue. I even wondered, “When will I feel pregnant?”

Then came week six.

It started with nausea — not unbearable, but enough to notice. I remembered my mom’s stories and thought, if this is morning sickness mommy talks about, I’ve got this. Little did I know, I was just getting started.

Still at week 6, my husband had to travel, so I moved in with my parents. I left my home… and didn’t return until I traveled back to the U.S. months later. Because that’s when everything fell apart.

My nausea escalated very fast — I was vomiting over 30 times a day. Each time brought up blood or bile. I couldn’t eat. My throat was hurting. I lost weight rapidly. I was dehydrated, dizzy, and hated light, sound, even the sun.

Sometimes I’d gag and dry heave for hours, with nothing left in me to come out.

Ginger and lemon tea became my closest allies… until even they stopped helping. And then came the excessive spitting — ptyalism gravidarum — which was the most disgusting, draining symptom I’d ever experienced. I couldn’t stop. I hated it. I hated myself.

I cried constantly. Just thinking about what I went through is giving me PTSD. I was angry. Angry that I got pregnant. Angry that no one warned me about this. I felt like I was falling apart. I was ashamed. And I felt alone.

But through it all, my parents — my angels — stood by me. They were the real MVPs during that season.

People often say nausea is just part of pregnancy. You rest, sip some tea, wait for the second trimester glow. But HG doesn’t care about your glow or your timeline.

HG is not morning sickness. It is a monster.

It’s relentless. Debilitating. Cruel.

Imagine waking up every single day for nine months, already on the verge of throwing up. Imagine vomiting until you’re too weak to stand. Until your spirit breaks.

That was my reality.

I wasn’t just “sick.” I was hospitalized. Dehydrated. Malnourished. Barely holding on. The mental and emotional toll? Unimaginable. I remember lying in bed, wondering how much more my body could endure. Wondering if I would survive.

People told me, “Every pregnancy is different.” But no one told me about this kind of different.

So yes — there is a difference between nausea and HG.

And that difference almost broke me.

If you’re going through HG right now, please know: I see you. I hear you. You are not weak. You are not overreacting. You are surviving something few understand.

You are a warrior.

If no one else will talk about it, I will. Let’s break the silence — together.

💌 If you have a story to share, please email me at frombed.birth@gmail.com. You never know who needs to hear your truth.

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