'I suffered during my pregnancy just like Kate'

We'd asked you, our readers to tell us if you have suffered a pregnancy condition like Kate's? Here, reader Anuradha Yogesh tells us the ordeal she faced while bearing her first child and how she identifies with the Dutchess of Cambridge. Read on...

I still vividly remember the day when it all started.

I had spent the whole morning cleaning and sprucing up our kitchen and store at our home. I had woken up well after midnight with an acute burning sensation in the chest region. Little did I know of the entire ordeal that was on its way.

The doctor beamingly announced: "You are pregnant". But what followed was tough for me.

Right from day one of conception, I had this problem of acute nausea. It was so severe that nothing would stay in my stomach, finally, the acid would come out.

I also suffered from heartburn.

The doctor told us that less than four out of 1,000 pregnant mothers underwent this condition during pregnancy. To imagine, I was amongst the lucky ones.

My meal for the entire day would be as little as half an idli which was absolutely insufficient by any standard and in any terms.

The medication to restrict nausea would not be of much effect as the tablet would hit the washbasin and bounce off no sooner than it had gone in.

The medication was also mild, as pregnant ladies could not be given harsh medicines, as it would have adverse affects.

I lost several kilos of weight every day and in two weeks I had lost more than a score.

My blood pressure had fallen way below normal and I was left with just my skeletal weight.

For a tall and well-built lady, this was really drastic. I had to be fed intravenously and continuously. After some time, even that became difficult.

It was not easy to find a vein because the place where the syringe was placed last would swell up and turn blue which made the process more painful.

I was continuously hospitalised for long durations frequently which would irritate my husband to no bounds as he had to take his day off from his hectic schedules at office. In fact, though the pregnancy, he had finished all the reasons for applying leave from office.

I could not move out of my bed, let alone for daily ablutions, not even to puke. A tin was kept near the head of the bed for the same.
I had become so weak that I could not pull a sheet over myself, it would seem very heavy and my hands would just not support me.

Everyone who visited me would be shell-shocked and mutter that they had been through so many pregnancies themselves and witnessed so many others but had seen nothing like mine. My mother-in-law who had borne three sons was shocked to find that pregnancy could be this difficult.

Being a newly married couple, visiting doctors and hospitals came to known as our "honeymoon trip."

Throughout my pregnancy, my mother-in-law was a strong support and looked after me when my husband would be away at office during the day. Once he returned, my husband would take over.

Our baby was due in the month of June and the month of May brought along the lovely yellow, sweet and delicious mangoes, feeding on which helped me regain some lost ground.

I went into labour for three days and I had a normal delivery. But the pain I underwent for up to three days was nothing compared to what I had been through all of nine months.

All the agony and pain disappeared as soon as I saw the tiny, beautiful and chubby face of my daughter. I would say it was worth all the trouble, but then, I did not want to go through the same experience again. Both of us decided that our daughter will be our only child and we would give her all our love.

Looking back, I can say, I had, what the Duchess of Cambridge now has!

In an attempt to share pregnancy-related health information, we want to hear from you.

If you've suffered any complications during pregnancy other than the usual complaints of morning sickness and tiredness, please write in to us.

What condition did you suffer from? What were the symptoms? Is it a common side-effect of pregnancy that not many women know of? How did you cope with it/recover from it? What was the outcome of your experience?

Write in to us at getahead@rediff.co.in (subject line: 'My pregnancy problem') and we'll publish the most informative entries right here.