Here is the plain text result:
A woman who was placed in an induced coma after experiencing severe pregnancy sickness has described waking to find her baby had been born.
Atlanta McIntyre, 29, from Llantrisant in Rhondda Cynon Taf, had excessive nausea and vomiting during her pregnancy, known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). During one episode of vomiting, Ms McIntyre choked and had to be put into an induced coma by doctors.
When she regained consciousness, she discovered that her daughter had been delivered by caesarean section. “I was very shocked and in disbelief,” said Ms McIntyre.
People kept telling me ‘It’ll get better after the first trimester’ so, after 12 weeks, it’ll get better. I hit around 14 weeks, and it was still weirdly severe to the point that I couldn’t keep liquids down.
In February 2024, during her 29th week of pregnancy, Ms McIntyre started being sick while eating. “I basically choked on [the vomit] and it went straight onto my lungs,” said Ms McIntyre.
The baby was transferred to Singleton Hospital in Swansea to be cared for. When Ms McIntyre awoke from her coma three days later, she described feeling terrified. “It was terrifying – not knowing whether [Poppy] was OK,” said Ms McIntyre.
Ms McIntyre hopes that by speaking about her experience of HG, she can encourage other pregnant women experiencing the condition to seek help. “I would say to other women – it’s not normal to feel like this,” she said.
“Don’t be pushed aside and be told it’s just morning sickness… I was pretty much like the walking dead. I was dizzy, I was lethargic, I couldn’t lift my head up, I had constant headaches, I was constantly dehydrated.
“I couldn’t keep liquids down. Anything I smelt would set me off. I couldn’t eat greasy foods or anything like that. I could only eat bland food – rice, bread, ginger nut biscuits. That’s when it got really bad, when I couldn’t even keep that down.
I did lose a lot of weight during my pregnancy. The fact that she was born three pounds amazes me.
Now, at 10 months old, Poppy is living at home and doing well.
Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is different from morning sickness, which affects about 80% of pregnant women. Morning sickness causes nausea and vomiting which usually improves by the 16th or 20th week of pregnancy. By contrast, women with HG can vomit more than 50 times a day and feel constantly and severely nauseous, significantly interfering with their daily lives.
Complications of HG can include serious vitamin deficiency from the excessive vomiting, significant weight loss, dehydration and malnutrition, putting the health of both mother and baby at risk.
Source link
