Mum names her baby Ivy in tribute to IV drips for morning sickness - hyperemesis gravidarum

Paige Turl suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) - the same condition Kate Middleton had while pregnant, and experienced prolonged vomiting, dehydration and weight loss. The 24-year-old could only stomach ice lollies, iced slushy drinks and dry toast while expecting and was in hospital between three and six times a week. At 5ft 4in, she was already a petite size 6 but her weight plummeted to just 6st due to vomiting up to 70 times a day and saw her fitting into size four jeans. Concerned doctors prescribed anti-sickness medication but the mum-of-one said the only thing that helped were saline IV drips.

Paige said she wouldn't have got through the pregnancy without the therapy and in tribute to that opted to name her baby Ivy Gibbons. After being diagnosed with PTSD as a result of her hyperemesis gravidarum, Paige is now speaking out to raise awareness about the condition.

Paige, from Axminster, Devon, said: “I went through so many IVs to get my Ivy. The smell of certain air and the taste of water would make me throw up a lot, the only thing that would make me feel slightly better were IV drips. I had my heart set on a different name and then towards the end I wasn't really feeling the name. I was like, ‘do you know what, I'm here for a lot of IVs, I really like the name IV. Could we make this work?’ to her dad.

“He was like, ‘we could actually, we could pop a y on the end and make it look like a proper name’. I fought through hell to get my baby, I had a lot of IVs. Even now to this day needles terrify me, this is what you do for your children. I definitely wouldn't have got through this pregnancy without them. I dread to think what would have happened if I didn't have the constant rehydration IVs and anti-sickness pills.”

Paige was diagnosed with HG after experiencing extreme nausea and was given anti-sickness medications and saline IV drips at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in January 2021.

The expectant mum said she had high hopes for a perfect pregnancy but instead of enjoying the time expecting Ivy, now three, she was a shell of a person.

Paige said: “I had such high hopes of the perfect pregnancy with the baby shower and the gender reveal and all the pretty pictures and videos. It didn't go that way at all. That time of your life should be full of happiness, you should be getting excited. It wasn't that at all.

“I felt like a shell of a body in a hospital bed that no one wanted to listen to. Ivy's pregnancy did really destroy me, I hate this illness. HG isn't researched enough, people just think it's feeling sick.”

Poorly Paige spent a lot of time in hospital during her pregnancy and claims she was sometimes told by 'patronising' staff that her condition was psychological and to simply drink water.

Paige said: “I was in hospital sometimes more than I was my own home. I went to the Royal Devon in Exeter one night and was told by a male doctor that he wasn't going to give me an IV drip because I didn't look sick enough for him. I had to stay and beg for my urine to be tested to the point that they got security to come and escort me. I knew when I needed a drip.

“I would get so head-heavy to the point where I couldn't lift my head. Opening my eyes felt like such a chore. At that point I knew, this is my body shutting down, I need to go and get a drip. In the end the security guard pestered for me to go and get tested. It turned out I did need treatment. That male doctor was completely wrong and if he sent me home I don't know what would have happened. They would tell me it's psychological, it really angered me.

“One nurse told me to drink water and that I'll feel better, she was really patronising. She sat on the end of my bed with a cup of water and she was like, drink this and you'll feel better and you'll be able to go home. I was pleading with her, I can't drink it, if I drink it I will throw it up. It was only a little cup with 150ml in it. I couldn't even have butter on toast. I couldn't take my prenatal vitamins, which I know is dangerous, but I couldn't keep them down.”

Although she still struggles with some foods, something she believes is linked to her experience of HG, Paige is now a healthier weight for her height.

Paige said: “I've only just recovered from an eating disorder. It was purely stress-induced and food aversion, I believe it's related to the HG. Even now to this day I can't even look at the packaging of certain foods like sausages. I throw up at the smell or the look of sausages. It's the same with apples. After pregnancy my size four jeans were too big for me. I got loads of comments from everyone like, you're so lucky that your body's bounced back, you're so lucky that you don't carry stretch marks. I wanted that typical mum-tum body, I wanted the stretch marks. I know that sounds silly because I know a lot of people don't want that and they take a lot of precautions to not have that body.

“But it made me really emotional that after I'd given birth I didn't look like I'd borne a child. If anyone does know anyone with HG, keep an eye on them. I was at a very low point throughout both of my pregnancies.”

Angela Bellamy, Director of Midwifery at the Royal Devon, said: “We are dedicated to providing safe care to our patients with compassion, and we are sorry that Ms Turl's experience when receiving care from us was not as expected.

“A new Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) guide was released in 2024 to provide healthcare professionals with clinical guidance on diagnosis, management and treatment of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and Hyperemesis Gravidarum. We have used this guide to inform our own clinical guidance to ensure we can provide the standard of care our patients expect from us.”

What is hyperemesis gravidarum?

Excessive nausea and vomiting is known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), and often needs hospital treatment. Exactly how many pregnant women get HG is not known as some cases may go unreported, but it's thought to be around 1 to 3 in every 100. Signs and symptoms of HG include: prolonged and severe nausea and vomiting, dehydration - symptoms include feeling thirsty, tired, dizzy or lightheaded, not peeing very much, and having dark yellow and strong-smelling pee. It can often involve weight loss.