Here at biglittlethings we donate 5% of our profits to HG Australia, a charity that provides support & raises awareness surrounding Hyperemesis Gravidarum an illness suffered by 2% of pregnant women.
To shine light on the mama's that are going through it & the one's who have survived it - we put out a call for HG mama's to contact us to tell their story.
The response was overwhelming.
We chose 7 stories to count us down to 15th May for HG Awareness Day & we hope they bring some hope, love, awareness, & that you don't feel alone.
To all the HG mama's, we see you, we believe you & we are here for you.
To start this very special series we spoke with Haddas who at the time was pregnant with her third baby & has since given birth to her beautiful baby & third son.
Biglittlethings. | tell us a bit about yourself & who you’re a mama to.
Haddas | My name is Haddas but everyone calls me Dahs and I’m a mama to two boys (aged 5 and 3) and a new baby on the way!
B | You’re currently patiently waiting for your little babe to arrive, so exciting! How has this pregnancy been for you?
H | I don’t know if I could say I’m patiently waiting anymore haha because I’m so
tired of being pregnant! This pregnancy has been pretty difficult from start to finish. I had HG from 4 weeks until 23 weeks and boy was that hard.
B | tell us about your HG pregnancies & how they differed from each other.
H | Well, in my first pregnancy I had HG pretty much from 3 weeks pregnant until I
was 26 weeks. It was awful and I spent almost every night dreading the next day so I tried to sleep as much as I could.
This time around was different because I just couldn’t sleep, I had two kids to look
after and rest wasn’t really an option. I lost a lot of weight and was hospitalised many times because of how malnourished I was. Fainting became normal for me because I was just that sick.
B | what are some things you wish you knew before you went through a HG
pregnancy?
H | something I wish I knew the first time is that HG is not normal morning sickness
and then maybe I wouldn’t have felt the guilt that sometimes was put on me by
others who didn’t understand what I was going through. I also wish I knew just how
debilitating it could be when you have kids, so that I could’ve had better support in
place through it.
B | where did you find support?
H | my husband was great support, tending to me as much as he could. My mom
who had also experienced HG was very supportive too, she understood how to keep triggering smells and sights away from me and how to help me quickly in the brief moments I was able to eat or drink anything.
B | how have you handled going through a HG pregnancy with two little kids? How did you explain HG to them or how have you managed being so sick whilst also being a mama to two others?
H | it’s been very hard to handle with little kids, being sick all the time is hard enough when you only have yourself to take care of, let alone when you’re looking after others! They’ve been very understanding though and don’t mind all the screen time or independent play. My eldest would even bring me water and ice chips when he noticed I was struggling.
B | what would you say to a mama currently suffering from HG?
H | I would say, you’re not being dramatic! What you’re dealing with is extremely
hard and if all you can do is focus on surviving then you’re still doing enough.
B | what have been the biglittle moments for you as a mama?
H | when my son comes into my room for a cuddle after a bad dream or when his
older brother puts his hand on my knee while we watch a movie together. Those are
the little things that are so big to me!
B | what/who inspires you as a mama?
H | I am inspired by the mothers all around me, my own mother, my sister and best
friend. The way their differences all shine and make them strong in their own ways.
It’s inspiring to see that we can all do this differently and still be absolutely incredible mothers!
B | And lastly, a very important questions, what are your Top 3 favourite
biglittlethings?
H |oh that’s so hard to choose, there’s such a wonderful range of things!
My number one would have to be a Chekoh baby wrap, they are one thing I couldn’t imagine having a baby without anymore.
Number two would be the Só Luxury Coconut & Oat Milk Bath, it does wonders on my little boys skin!
Then number three would probably be The Lullaby Club sets for little ones or mamas, it does wonders to feel good in what you’re wearing even when you’re just spending the day at home!
you can follow Haddas on instagram @dahs
