Severe Hyperemesis Gravidarum

I am already in my third trimester, so it feels a bit late to be writing this, but I think I honestly underestimated morning sickness—or perhaps I was just under-informed—and because it was such an unimaginably intense experience, I decided to write it down as a record.
This is incredibly long. Also, based on my own research and talking to various people, I would appreciate it if you could keep in mind that this is a fairly severe and somewhat rare case.

The one thing I really want to convey is this:“Morning sickness is not an illness. That is precisely why it can be more painful than an actual illness.”Please bear with me until the end.

Background

33 years old (at the time), first pregnancy. Pregnancy confirmed around February 2026.
I learned later that my own mother also had severe morning sickness and was hospitalized for about a week when she was pregnant with her second child (me). Since my mother and I have quite similar constitutions and health profiles, it is possible there was a genetic factor involved.

5–6 Weeks Pregnant: Early Signs of Morning Sickness

Because my periods were already somewhat irregular, I didn't immediately suspect pregnancy just because my period was a little late. However, I felt strangely sleepy and started experiencing symptoms like mild stomach upset, so I went to an OB-GYN just in case. The gestational sac was confirmed via ultrasound, and I was prescribed herbal medicine for nausea.
To be honest, the herbal medicine felt like a placebo; I couldn't really tell if it was working, and it didn't lead to any dramatic improvement in my nausea.
Around this time, I went on a drive that had been planned for a while and ate ramen for lunch, which made me feel suddenly ill. I think that was the moment I clearly realized, 'This is morning sickness.'

Entering the 6th week, symptoms of 'eating morning sickness' (nausea relieved by eating) became the main issue.
I was in a state where I felt sick unless I had something in my mouth, so I started snacking on small crackers and cookies frequently. I felt nauseous, but I was still able to go about my daily life and handle all household chores, including cooking.

7–8 Weeks Pregnant: The Rise of Olfactory Morning Sickness

As I approached the third month, my condition deteriorated rapidly. Until then, I had been working at my desk in my home office, but sitting in a chair became too difficult, so I started bringing my PC to bed to work.
Around this time, symptoms of olfactory morning sickness (sensitivity to smells) began to emerge. It started with being unable to tolerate the smell of the rice cooker, followed by the smell of cooking meat or fish, the air conditioner, the humidifier, the refrigerator, and even the steam from the bath. I couldn't even stand the smell of my husband sleeping next to me, so I had to ask him to sleep in a separate room, which made me feel terrible.
It was still cold, but because the steam became unbearable, I couldn't eat anything warm at all. I clearly remember curling up in my futon and crying from the pain and guilt when I couldn't eat the somen noodles my husband had kindly made for me because the smell of the steam and the dashi broth was too much.

At 7 weeks, I could still manage to eat jelly drinks and tofu, but by the 8th week, I couldn't even keep those down, leading to a triple combo of vomiting, nausea, and eating-related sickness. I felt sick if I didn't eat, but I would vomit almost unconditionally if I did. It was a grueling period where I had to choose what to eat based on how 'easy' it would be to throw up. The taste of everything I put in my mouth felt amplified tenfold, and even drinking Pocari Sweat became difficult. I heard that Green Dakara had a slightly milder taste than Pocari Sweat, so I had my husband buy it in bulk.
During this time, the only thing I could eat without stress was apples. My husband would cut them up every night and pack them into a container for me.

The olfactory sensitivity was truly unbearable, so from this point on, my husband's meals were all store-bought or takeout, and he slept in the guest room I had prepared for him.
Even so, he never complained, took over all the housework, tried various foods to see what I might be able to eat, and every night, while being mindful of my sensitivity to smells, he would sit by my bedside and diligently press acupressure points to help ease my nausea.

9 Weeks to Early 10 Weeks: And Then, Hospitalization

At the clinic I was attending, they always told me, 'It's okay if you can't eat, just make sure to drink fluids and take your folic acid supplements,' but eventually, I couldn't even keep fluids down. I stopped being able to tolerate apples and Green Dakara, and I ended up in a strange state where I was vomiting constantly despite having nothing in my stomach.

I went in for IV drips a few times during this period, but the small OB-GYN clinic I was visiting had a lot of people coming and going, which was a direct hit to my olfactory sensitivity. I ended up in a counterproductive situation where I was vomiting while receiving an IV drip meant to stop the vomiting. This became a trauma, and I even became afraid to go in for the drips.
The anti-nausea medication was changed from herbal to pills, but since I couldn't drink water, I couldn't take the pills either. Even when I could, I didn't feel they were very effective. A life of vomiting every 30 minutes, day and night, began. I couldn't sleep at night, just wandering back and forth between the bed and the toilet. I decided it was impossible, got a medical certificate, and submitted a request for leave.

Taking time off work didn't make my body feel any better, and my condition continued to worsen. I couldn't eat or drink, and even though there was nothing left to vomit, the nausea kept coming in waves. By the 10th week, I started vomiting black, lump-like substances along with stomach acid. When I told my husband, he said, 'That must be bile; it's the kind of thing that happens sometimes when you have a hangover.'
I would find out later that these lumps weren't bile, but blood. And this was the harbinger of the terrifying situation that would follow.

The bad luck was that these symptoms intensified on a Friday night. I couldn't rush to my regular clinic and had no choice but to wait until the week began while vomiting. However, my husband, seeing my condition, decided he 'couldn't wait until Monday,' consulted 7119, and took me to the emergency room. Unfortunately, there was no OB-GYN on duty, so they just gave me an IV drip with anti-nausea medication, but it was like trying to put out a fire with a cup of water. My symptoms did not improve.

Then, at one point, the burning throat pain exploded, surpassing the intensity of the nausea. I would writhe in pain, tears streaming down my face, run to the toilet to vomit, and then suffer again from the burning in my throat. The black blood I thought was bile was evidence of damage to my esophagus and stomach.
I lost my voice, and even the ability to complain about my suffering was taken away. The word 'hell' wasn't enough; I genuinely thought it would be better to just die.

On Monday, my husband carried me back to my regular clinic, where they wrote a referral letter to a general hospital. My urine ketone level was +3, and I had lost 10kg since the start of my pregnancy. Hospitalization was decided immediately.
Anticipating that I would be hospitalized, my husband had packed my bags the day before and taken care of all the paperwork, so I was put in a wheelchair and taken straight to the ward. I vaguely remember midwives coming by one after another, all of them wrapping my hands in theirs and saying, 'This is dehydration, you must be suffering.'

The relief of being admitted was short-lived; the initial tests confirmed a fever and high blood pressure, and on top of that, there was significant vaginal bleeding, which only added to my anxiety. Since the priority was to deal with the dehydration, a 24-hour IV drip regimen began.

Because of my natural constitution and the fact that my whole body was dried out from extreme dehydration, they couldn't find a vein for the needle, and the IV treatment started with my arms covered in bruises. In addition to the rehydration fluid with anti-nausea medication, they added a potassium drip because my mineral balance had collapsed. It tasted strangely salty, which made my throat and nose sting and felt unpleasant. My olfactory sensitivity was still there, so when meals were served, I had them push my wheelchair away from the ward area.
Unfortunately, there were no private rooms available, but they were very considerate and managed to keep me in a smaller room as much as possible, which I was extremely grateful for.

Late 10th week of pregnancy: Salivary morning sickness begins

Around the fourth day of hospitalization, my consciousness began to return little by little. The doctors, midwives, and even the cleaning staff kept telling me, 'Your eyes are focusing now, that's good,' which meant a lot to me. My husband, who had arranged things with his company at the same time I was admitted and came to visit me frequently, also seemed relieved to see me looking a bit more recovered.

This was when the salivary morning sickness started. My mouth just felt disgusting. Saliva kept pouring out, and the discomfort grew.
It was painful to lie completely flat because the nausea would rise to my throat, so I spent 24 hours with my upper body slightly elevated. However, when I would doze off, saliva would fall into my throat, causing me to choke and wake up. I became unable to get any consolidated sleep, even more so than before. Putting tissues in my mouth or spitting frequently didn't seem to help much, and since I couldn't eat or drink, I couldn't distract myself with food or beverages either. A different kind of discomfort from nausea continued for 24 hours a day.
The vaginal bleeding stopped within a few days, but the fever and high blood pressure didn't improve easily, and I remained lethargic for several days even after regaining consciousness.

11th week of pregnancy: Somehow discharged from the hospital

As the fever and high blood pressure symptoms settled down, the smell-related morning sickness eased slightly. The nutritionist prepared jelly and packaged drinks to see if I could eat anything by mouth, but unfortunately, I couldn't keep them down.
When they suggested, 'Would you like to try the hospital convenience store?', my husband pushed my wheelchair, and among the various things we bought, the only thing that was a hit was yokan (sweet red bean jelly). When I finished eating a small piece of yokan very, very slowly, my husband and I held hands and rejoiced.
Thinking, 'Maybe I can handle red bean paste,' my husband bought me dorayaki at his next visit, and I managed to finish that too, taking my time. Little by little, I began to remember how to 'eat'.

The doctor suggested reducing the IV drip and trying to eat rice porridge, so I started being served one bowl of plain rice porridge at every meal. Plain rice porridge without flavor is quite tough, so I had them add nori tsukudani (seaweed simmered in soy sauce), and it was so delicious I could have cried. At first, I felt like my stomach was turning over about an hour after eating and I threw up a few times, but I patiently got my body used to it.

Being able to eat even small amounts brought back the bowel movements that had stopped before hospitalization. I had been prescribed medication since the beginning of my hospital stay, but since I wasn't eating, there was nothing to pass in the first place.
Since many people tend to get constipated during pregnancy, the pharmacist gave me specific advice: 'Please consider it ideal to have a slightly loose bowel movement at least once every two days.' I think this became a fairly important guideline for my life after discharge.

By the time I could manage to eat one bowl of rice porridge, perhaps because the IV drip had been reduced, I started to feel hungry more easily, and I began keeping small pieces of bread or manju (steamed buns) at hand. My recovery from there was fast, and as a result, I was happily discharged five days after starting the rice porridge challenge.

12th to 13th week of pregnancy: Still painful days

Although I returned home, the morning sickness symptoms hadn't completely subsided, so I had no choice but to rest. The main symptoms were eating-related morning sickness and smell-related morning sickness. Unlike the well-managed hospital ward, at home, I was still bothered by smells. While the nausea kept coming back, I poured down retort-pouch rice porridge seasoned with yukari (shiso seasoning) or pickled plums. I tried various things like salad chicken, vegetables, and eggs, hoping to get some nutrition, but my body wouldn't accept anything other than rice porridge.

I returned to work a few days after being discharged, but my physical strength had declined to an unbelievable degree, and I couldn't sit at my desk. I had no choice but to bring my PC to the living room and live on the sofa. I started being hit by sudden sleepiness during the day, and occasionally I would abandon my PC to take a nap.

During this period, because it was the change of seasons, I think my physical condition was often swayed by the weather. On days with bad weather or chilly days, my condition worsened noticeably. Especially on days when I felt cold, the nausea and headaches became severe, and there were times I couldn't move. Also, I would have random bouts of salivary morning sickness at night, so the days of not being able to get consolidated sleep continued even after discharge.

14th week of pregnancy onwards: Gradually returning to normal life

My digestive system recovered, and I began to be able to eat soups and vegetables little by little. I really wanted to consume animal protein for my physical strength, but I couldn't eat meat or fish because of the smell, so after much deliberation, I decided to eat instant egg soup as a snack.
Nevertheless, just being able to eat more things has a significant effect; right after discharge, I would be out of breath just walking to the local supermarket and back, but by this time, I had recovered enough to manage housework like cleaning and laundry.

Around the time I entered the 15th week, I gathered the courage to press the switch on the rice cooker. I was terrified that I would be knocked down by the smell again, but I managed to endure it, and this led me to resume cooking for myself.
Because I had been fasting, my sense of taste had become hypersensitive, and everything I made turned out extremely bland, but my husband ate it without losing his smile, saying, 'I'll adjust the seasoning myself, so it's fine.'

From there, there wasn't much change in my physical condition until I entered the second trimester, and I continued a life of eating small amounts frequently while occasionally taking anti-nausea tablets. It was still difficult to finish one bowl of white rice, so I stocked up on small rice balls and nibbled on rice crackers.
Around the time I entered the 20th week, I was finally able to eat reasonably well, and now it's a battle with weight gain. Since I'm carrying a 10kg deficit from morning sickness, it's hard to adjust. I want to work on recovering my physical strength, so I think I have no choice but to eat well and move well.

Morning sickness is not an illness. In some cases, it's more painful than an illness

I had hardly seen anyone around me who suffered from morning sickness, so I had underestimated it, thinking, 'Even if it's tough, I'll be able to manage my life.' It was truly unexpected, a grueling experience.
In reality, it is said that only 0.5 to 2% of people experience severe hyperemesis gravidarum at a hospitalization level, so a case like mine is by no means common. However, since nearly 80% of pregnant women experience morning sickness itself, when I think that most people are carrying some kind of suffering even if it's not at this level, I feel from the bottom of my heart that I want this pain to be understood more! Everyone came to the office with a nonchalant face, but I can't help but wonder if they were enduring it tremendously and going through a lot of hardship.

People say, 'Morning sickness is not an illness,' but that doesn't mean, 'It's not an illness, so you can manage, don't be spoiled,' but rather, 'Because it's not an illness, you can't easily take medication, and you have no choice but to endure it. If you're not careful, it's much more painful than an illness' is what I think it means. It's a period with high risks, so I want a system where people can rest properly without pushing themselves. But perhaps there are too many individual differences in symptoms, and it's not something where rules can be decided uniformly.
It seems there are countries overseas where drugs to alleviate morning sickness symptoms are approved. I hope that research and introduction will proceed in Japan as soon as possible.

And, to those who have a partner who is pregnant.
Just because you read about a severe case like mine, 'Our case isn't this bad, so it must be on the easier side,' please never think that.
As I wrote at the beginning, people who reach the hospitalization level are very rare, and just because it's not this bad doesn't mean your partner isn't suffering. Rather, I think that there are overwhelmingly more people who are pushing themselves because they can move, unlike people like me who were forced to rest without question because it became severe, and those are the very people who are hiding their pain and enduring it . Please, regardless of the severity of the symptoms, care about your partner's condition and treat them with the utmost consideration.
There is a saying, 'Resentment from before and after childbirth lasts a lifetime,' but I think that the gratitude from this period is also lifelong, enough to overcome any resentment. In fact, I am deeply grateful from the bottom of my heart to my husband who supported me with all his might during these hellish months and overcame it with me, and I sincerely want to repay this kindness for the rest of my life.

I may have written something that scares those who are thinking about having children in the future...
Please do not underestimate morning sickness, and please do not push yourself; I hope you will rely on whatever support is available to get through it.
And I sincerely hope that society's understanding of morning sickness will progress, such as through the approval of medications and greater consideration for those who are pregnant.