Hyperemesis Gravidarum is the New Black

Sorry, that title isn't right. I know I shouldn't make light of the condition and see it as trivial when, according to a lot of women who have gone through Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG), it's a hundred times worse than a pregnant woman's usual morning sickness.

But the media is abuzz with HG these days, ever since the royal announcement was made to the world that Princess Kate is pregnant with the future King (or Queen) of England. But the announcement also said that she needed hospital stay at this stage in her pregnancy because she is suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum.

The news report from the BBC

Apparently, some women who've dealt with HG especially, are not too happy the media is calling this "acute", when HG can be very debilitating. Apart from the nausea and morning sickness that normally comes with pregnancy, the mother could suffer from malnutrition and HG could pose serious complications for both her and the baby. The condition can even last the whole pregnancy.

Kate Middleton

I didn't know about HG till this Kate Middleton report.  I didn't know a lot of pregnant women suffer from it, that there's actually a foundation to help them deal with the condition.

You think morning sickness is just what it is, with the intensity varying from one mother to another. I had normal episodes, thankfully. And I don't know anyone who's been through HG.

But for moms-to-be who've suffered through it, the experience is described as hellish, never "acute", and thus not something to be taken lightly.

Read more about Hyperemesis Gravidarum here. Novelist Charlotte Bronte was said to have died as a result of having HG.

I wonder how many pregnant Filipino women go through HG and if many Filipino families understand that this is not normal. Is our health care system reliable when it comes to treating moms with HG?