How to Help Someone with HG

You are not overreacting, and neither is she. This is what Hyperemesis Gravidarum asks of the person closest to her — and the specific, practical things that genuinely help.

For: PartnersRead: 8 minutesFormat: Letter · print or read on screen

What you need to know first

Hyperemesis Gravidarum is not severe morning sickness. It is a distinct medical condition involving persistent vomiting, dehydration, weight loss, and an inability to keep food or fluids down. Current research understands it as biologically driven — it is not caused by attitude, stress, anxiety, or anything she is doing wrong. She cannot push through it, and asking her to try will make her feel more alone.

Most of what she needs from you is not medical. It is logistical, protective, and emotional — and it is substantial.

The five things that help most

01Believe her the first time. She has likely already been told this is normal. Being believed at home changes what she can survive.

02Take over the invisible work. Meals, dishes, laundry, other children, appointment scheduling, insurance calls, refills. Do not ask what needs doing — pick something and finish it.

03Become the record-keeper. Track fluids, vomiting episodes, weight, and medication timing. She may be too depleted to remember. This record is what gets her faster treatment.

04Advocate in the room. Come to appointments. Say plainly what her days actually look like. Ask what the plan is if this worsens tonight.

05Protect the environment. Manage smells, light, noise, visitors, and expectations. Small changes in a room can meaningfully lower her nausea.

Daily, without being asked

Refill her water or ice within reach

Remove food smells before she wakes

Keep emesis bags and wipes in every room

Log the day in the Symptom Tracker

Handle one meal for the household

Give her a quiet, dark space to sleep

Take a task off her mental list

Tell her once that you believe her

Things that seem kind but are not

Try not to say

Say this instead

"Have you tried ginger?"

"What has helped even a little? I will get more of it."

"My sister was sick too and she was fine."

"What you are going through is more than typical sickness. I believe you."

"Try to think positive for the baby."

"You do not have to be positive. You just have to get through today."

"You need to eat something."

"I will keep something within reach for whenever you can."

Know the emergency signs

Seek care without delay

No fluids kept down for 12 hours · no urination or very dark urine · dizziness, fainting, or confusion · racing heart · severe abdominal pain · vaginal bleeding · vomiting blood. Do not wait for her to ask you to act.

THON Reflection

You cannot fix this. You can make it survivable — and that is not a smaller thing. It is the thing she will remember.

Look after yourself, too

Partners in HG households often carry months of caregiving, work, and fear with no acknowledgment that they are going through something as well. Eat properly. Sleep when she sleeps. Accept help. Tell one person the truth about how hard this is. Depleting yourself does not make you a better caregiver — see the Partner Self-Care Guide.

Part of the THON Partner Toolkit™ · Evidence-informed · Last reviewed July 2026 · Next review January 2027
This resource is educational and does not replace the advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a physician or another qualified healthcare professional. If she cannot keep fluids down, feels faint, or you believe this is an emergency, contact her provider or seek emergency care. © 2026 The House of Nirvana · thehouseofnirvana.org · info@thehouseofnirvana.org · You are not alone.