With the happy news this week of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s third child on the way, there have also been more conversations in the press and on social media about the pregnancy condition Kate suffers from: hyperemesis gravidarum.
Nannies to young families are likely to find themselves caring for charges whilst mum is pregnant at some stage in their career, and - typical pregnancies ailments aside – may also look after children whilst mum is suffering from more serious pregnancy conditions which could require hospitalisation, medication or close monitoring.
Here’s a short guide to some of the more common pregnancy issues you might come across whilst working with families and pregnant mothers. Crucially, we’ve also included steps you can take to support both the mothers and their families in these situations.
Hyperemesis Gravidarum: This condition affects 1% of pregnancies and causes extreme nausea and sickness, with women vomiting up to fifty times a day in some cases. Weight loss, low blood pressure and ketosis are all common side effects of HG, as well as dehydration. Anti-sickness medication is routinely prescribed for this condition, and mothers-to-be are sometimes admitted to hospital for intravenous fluids if nausea and vomiting becomes uncontrollable. If a mother has had HG in a previous pregnancy there is an 80% that she will have it again in subsequent pregnancies, but this illness is not known to have any effect on the baby. Nannies should be aware that sickness can last throughout the whole pregnancy in some cases, so their duties and hours may have to be adjusted and amended accordingly so as to support the family with this tricky – but relatively short term – issue.
Preeclampsia: A potentially very dangerous condition whose early signs include high blood pressure and protein in the urine, preeclampsia affects around one in twenty pregnancies. Pregnant women are tested regularly at their antenatal appointments for signs of preeclampsia, but swollen ankles, feet and hands, a severe headache, problems with vision and pain below the ribs are all extra warning signs that nannies should be aware of in case mum becomes unwell at home. Sometimes babies are delivered early when mothers develop preeclampsia, so nannies should be prepared for emergency requests for different hours of work if mum has to go into hospital at short notice.
Placenta Praevia: Sometimes the placenta implants in the wrong place during early pregnancy, and when it stays low down in the uterus or covers the cervix, it would be very dangerous for mum to go into labour naturally and a C-section has to be performed instead to deliver the baby. Low lying placentas can sometimes cause pregnant women to bleed suddenly and heavily, in which case an ambulance must be called immediately. Women tend to know from their 20 week scan if they have a low lying placenta and will be scanned regularly to check whether their placenta is moving up and away, but nannies should be aware of the need to dial 999 in the case of a bleed, and should also be prepared to amend their duties accordingly when mother and baby come home, post C-section.
If there’s a new baby on the way in the family you care for, ask the parents what additional support they might like, need or anticipate in the coming months. Whilst one’s personal health is very much a personal issue, you are likely to be made aware of any conditions she may be suffering from on a need-to-know basis.