The manager of the TCR Hub, Rachel Tweddle, spent three months off suffering from hyperemisis gravidarum during pregnancy in 2016.
The 37-year-old, from Barnard Castle, continued to keep The Hub running, attend lectures at Durham University and raise her first child, Amelia, during that time.
The mother-of-two spent 12 weeks confined to bed before giving birth to her second child, Nico, in August last year.
With a turbulent period behind her, Ms Tweddle now wants to help others who may be unknowingly suffering from the condition.
“It was difficult to prioritise everything – this place was undergoing a change in finances, I was trying to manage studies and I was trying to stay healthy,” said Ms Tweddle. “When I had hyperemisis it was the end of the financial year so it was a stressful time. When I got back I had to get everything prepared for my maternity leave. In the meantime, I was still going to lectures every week – I was determined I was going to finish.”
Hyperemisis triggers nausea of a higher magnitude than morning sickness meaning it is difficult to keep down food or water.
About one in a 100 women are affected by the condition during pregnancy. You have no energy – I had to be admitted to hospital on a drip,” said Ms Tweddle.
“I think a lot of people who haven’t been pregnant before think it’s just normal but clearly it’s not. Ten years ago hardly anyone had heard of it.”
The condition received more public recognition when Princess Kate Middleton suffered during her latest pregnancy.
“It’s raised the profile and people take it more seriously now,” said Ms Tweddle.
“Work were fantastic – everybody here was great. The hospital staff were brilliant because they are now really used to how this works. I was on and off medication for a while but they were determined to find the right one.
“In terms of members of the public I still think we need to raise awareness of it. I think people don’t realise how debilitating it is – especially when you are raising children.”
Despite her illness setbacks, this month saw Ms Tweddle graduate with a masters in managing community practice after two and a half years of studying.
She said the qualification would prove useful to both her and The Hub.
“It basically validates my skills in managing a place like this,” she added.
“Unfortunately, we are the last cohort to go through it at Durham because of the cuts in youth services. So I feel really lucky and I am so pleased I got in there.”
A happy coincidence will see Nico’s first birthday fall on the TCR Hub’s open day on Sunday, August 19 with activities taking place between 10am and 3pm.
Ms Tweddle said she
couldn’t believe how she’d found the time to finish her degree and paid tribute to the help she’d received from her partner, Jonny.
When it came to hyperemisis gravidarum, she urged other pregnant women to be aware of their health.
“By the time you see your midwife you could have been suffering for six to seven weeks which is awful if you’ve got a family,” she added. “It just stops your whole life.”
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