Extreme Sickness, Intrusive Thoughts - Hyperemesis, Hallucinations and Healing: Sarah Edge (Part 2)

BLUE MUMDAYS

In the follow-up to Episode 35 (Part 1), perinatal psychotherapist Sarah Edge shares her contrasting experience with her second pregnancy. Her debilitating experience with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG or extreme sickness) took a significant toll on Sarah’s mental health. Sarah developed postnatal depression and terrible anxiety after the birth, leading to intrusive thoughts and hallucinations. The experience was terrifying. Now recovered, Sarah talks about how she has used it to inform her own therapeutic practice. She provides practical advice for others suffering from similar conditions and highlights the importance of seeking help early.

*Trigger Warning* Extreme vomiting, feelings of suicide.

In This Episode We Discuss:

[00:00] Teaser quote

[01:53] Introduction to Sarah

[03:49] Understanding Hyperemesis Gravidarum (H.G.)

[06:25] How H.G. contributed to Sarah’s difficulty bonding with her daughter

[08:09] Getting support and medication – the importance of being taken seriously

[12:46] Advice for mums experiencing sickness in pregnancy. How Pregnancy Sickness Support helped Sarah

[16:00] Much needed support from Sarah’s husband and her work

[19:58] Her second birth – no immediate ‘rush of love’

[22:39] Feeling ‘high’ then a crushing low – severe anxiety, intrusive thoughts and hallucinations

[29:30] A desperate visit to Accident and Emergency (A+E)

[35:47] Starting medication

[38:13] Building a bond with her daughter

[42:52] Turning personal struggles into a professional passion – the importance of shared experiences

[50:10] Matrescence

Key Takeaways:

1. Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) is a severe form of pregnancy sickness, affecting around 1-3% of pregnancies and causing incredibly debilitating symptoms.

2. A 2020 study by Imperial College, London found that “women with HG are around 8 times more likely to suffer antenatal depression and 4 times more likely to have postnatal depression”.

3. For help with HG, go to Pregnancy Sickness Support. They are a charity dedicated to alleviating the suffering of all those affected by pregnancy sickness. They offer peer support and a helpline, 0800 055 4361.

4. The HER Foundation is another great organisation, dedicated to helping those suffering hyperemesis and those who have survived it. Providing education, research, support and advocacy globally, to improve the management of HG.

5. Listen to Episode 18 with Dr. Andy Mayers ‘Bonding, Guilt and Pyschosis: An Expert View’, to learn more about mother and baby units.

6. You can learn more about Sarah’s therapeutic process through her Instagram page, MaternalMentalHealthWellbeing.

7. Sarah has a Maternal Mental Health Journal, which can be purchased through Amazon.co.uk. It’s a guide designed to support mental health during pregnancy and in the postnatal period.

8. Matrescence is “the process of becoming a mother. Those physical, psychological and emotional changes you go through after the birth of your child.” (Cambridge Dictionary)

If you enjoyed this episode, please share, rate and subscribe. It really does make the difference in helping others find it – which means helping more parents in need.

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Next Episode:

Next time I speak to Kavita Trevena, founder of ‘The Unlikely Mummy’, a non-profit organisation and community supporting parents and families. Kavita talks movingly about her own experience of postnatal depression and post-traumatic stress disorder following the births of her two children, and how she has used this experience to help others.

You are not alone and will not feel this way forever.

We hope these support services are helpful (please note we do not check or monitor them individually).

Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP)

Moderated Forum, click here to find out more.

Email: [e-mail] / Tel: [phone]

AIMS for better birthing.

Email: [e-mail]

This email will go to a group of AIMS volunteers and someone will respond as soon as possible. / Telephone: [phone] (leave message)

Andy's Man Club

A non-judgemental talking group for men

https://andysmanclub.co.uk/club-information/clubs/ [e-mail]

Association of Postnatal Illness

Helpline: 10am – 2pm – 0207 386 0868 / Email: [e-mail] (Live chat online facility)

Best Beginnings

Free NHS-accredited Baby Buddy app offering 24/7 App support for new parents

Birth Trauma Association

Email: [e-mail]

CALM

Contact CALM on their national helpline: 0800 58 58 58 (5pm-midnight)

Cedar House Support Group

Email: [e-mail] (Liz Wise) / Mobile: [phone]

Contact: for families with disabled children

Support, advice and information for parents with disabled children.

• helpline: 0808 808 3555
• website: https://contact.org.uk/

Contact a Family

www.cafamily.org.uk

Contact a Family offer support for all childhood conditions, are also able to put families in touch. Featuring a directory of conditions and rare disorders online.

Helpline: 0808 808 3555 (lines open Monday – Friday 9.30am – 5pm)

Dad Matters

Support dads to have successful relationships with their families, with mental health and accessing services through peer support and signposting.

[e-mail]

0161 344 0669

DadsNet

Offers support and knowledge through a community of dads on practical parenting and fatherhood.

Dope Black Dads

A digital safe space for fathers who wish to discuss their experiences of being black, a parent and masculinity in the modern world. [e-mail]

Family Lives

An organisation providing immediate help from volunteer parent support workers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Helpline: 0808 800 2222 / www.familylives.org.uk

Family Rights Group

Support for parents and other family members whose children are involved with or need social care services. Helpline: 0808 801 0366 / www.frg.org.uk

Link for information on Fathers Reaching Out

Run by paternal mental health pioneer Mark Williams, offering support to dads.

Link to Fatherhood Solutions

Scott Mair is a consultant in paternal mental health and parent education, Peer support trainer. Dad, Husband, Army veteran.

FiveXMore

A grassroots organisation committed to changing Black women and birthing people’s maternal health outcomes in the UK. Email: [e-mail]

Gingerbread

Single parents, equal families. Help and advice on the issues that matter to lone parents. Helpline 0808 802 0925 / www.gingerbread.org.uk

The Hub of Hope - A directory of mental health support around the UK.

Link for the Lactation Consultants of Great Britain – for support with breastfeeding.

LGBT Mummies

Supporting LGBT+ women & people globally on the path to motherhood or parenthood.

Email: [e-mail]

Make Birth Better (Birth Trauma Support)

Email: [e-mail]

Maternal OCD

Peer support available, email [e-mail] to arrange

Mayah's Legacy

Supporting and empowering anyone who has experienced pregnancy loss to advocate for themselves. Email: [e-mail] / 0300 102 1596

The Motherhood Group

Dedicated to sharing and supporting the black maternal experience through peer support, projects and advocacy. [e-mail]

Motivational Mums Club

Offering Trauma, Mindfulness and Meditation sessions for Mothers and Mums to be with an NHS Mental Health Specialist, who’s also a Mother. [e-mail]

Music Football Fatherhood - [e-mail]

Open conversations around fatherhood, including blogs, peer support and podcasts.

Muslim Women’s Network

Helpline: 0800 999 5786, open Mon-Fri 10am–4pm with support offered in English, Urdu, Punjabi, Mirpuri, Putwari, Hindko and Bengali. Email: [e-mail]

Online chat: www.mwnhelpline.co.uk / Text: 07415 206 936

National Autistic Society www.autism.org.uk

Support and advice for parents and carers of autistic children, including support to develop a greater understanding of their child’s needs and accessing services that meet the family's needs.

Netmums

Netmums offer peer support via their Maternal Mental Health Drop-InClinic.

NHS Services for Mental Health Issues

Contact your local GP surgery. Call the NHS on 111 and press 2 for Mental Health Team

or contact a local NHS urgent mental health helpline

If you are in crisis, visit Accident & Emergency at your nearest hospital.

PANDAS

Helpline open from 9am-8pm every day – 0843 2898 401

Email support available – [e-mail]

Perinatal Wellbeing Ontario

PRENATAL, PREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM SUPPORT & CONNECTION in Canada

[e-mail]

Petals Baby Loss Charity - click for information

Petals offers free-of-charge specialist counselling to anyone who has experienced pregnancy or baby loss. Tel: [phone]

Web: petalscharity.org/counsellingcontact/ Email: [e-mail]

Click for information on The Samaritans

Tel: 116 123 (this is a free telephone number and will not appear on the phone bill)

Web: www.samaritans.org / Email: [e-mail]

Sands Charity information link

Emotional and practical support for anyone affected by the death of a baby.

0808 164 3332 /Email: [e-mail]

Shout

Text SHOUT to 85258 to start a confidential conversation with a trained Shout volunteer.

Twins Trust

Twinline is Twins Trust’s listening service for parents of twins, triplets and more. All

0800 138 0509 / email [e-mail].

Web: twinstrust.org/let-us-help/support/twinline.html

Tommy’s

Tommy’s has a team of in-house midwives who offer free support and information for women and their families at any stage of pregnancy and after the birth.

Web: www.tommys.org

Email: [e-mail]

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