When I first found out I was pregnant, I expected the usual ups and downs. A bit of morning sickness, maybe some odd cravings - nothing I couldn't handle. But within weeks, I realised something wasn’t right. This wasn’t just a queasy stomach in the mornings. This was relentless. I was violently sick all day, every day. I couldn't keep food or water down, and even the faintest smells would send me straight to the bathroom. I was exhausted, dehydrated, and emotionally drained.
What I was experiencing was Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) - a severe form of pregnancy sickness that affects around 1–3% of pregnant women. It’s far more than normal morning sickness; it’s a condition that can leave you bed-bound, hospitalised, and fighting just to get through the day. And that’s exactly where I found myself: admitted to hospital, hooked up to IV fluids, wondering how on earth I was going to get through the rest of my pregnancy.
Even in those early days of being unwell, I was shocked by how few resources there were for women suffering from such extreme nausea and vomiting. The NHS care I received was compassionate and life-saving, but when I went home, I felt completely on my own. I tried various anti-sickness medications, but it took weeks - weeks - of trial and error to find even a little relief. And even then, the side effects were tough.
I remember lying in bed, unable to work, unable to care for myself properly, feeling completely helpless. On my better days, the idea of going into work felt overwhelming. On my worst days, getting to the bathroom was a major victory.
One night, during yet another Google rabbit hole, I stumbled upon an article comparing the physical stress of pregnancy to that of endurance athletes. It lit a spark in me. If elite athletes can push their bodies to the brink and recover, what do they use to support themselves? And why aren’t we using similar methods for pregnant women going through something as physically demanding?
That moment became the seed for Replenish.
I started researching, speaking to nutritionists, chatting with other women who had suffered with pregnancy sickness, and diving into how we could better support our bodies during the hardest days of pregnancy.
What I wanted didn’t seem to exist: something that was easy to consume even when everything made me gag, something that wouldn’t trigger my smell and taste aversions, and something that would replace the vital nutrients I was constantly losing - electrolytes, energy, and essential vitamins.
I wasn’t trying to create a miracle cure. I just wanted something that could make the day feel a bit more manageable. A way to ease the guilt that comes with not being able to eat properly, and the worry my body wasn’t getting what it needed.
That’s how Replenish was born: out of lived experience, frustration, and the belief that no woman should have to go through this alone.
My mission with Replenish is simple: to give women experiencing pregnancy sickness an option. To offer support that’s practical, effective, and made with their needs in mind. And to make sure no one else feels as lost and helpless as I did during those dark days.
If you're in the thick of it now - whether you’ve just been diagnosed with HG, or you're dealing with persistent pregnancy sickness - please know you're not alone. There are things that can help. And most importantly, it’s not your fault.
Pregnancy can be beautiful, but for many of us, it’s also brutally hard. Replenish is my way of saying: I see you. I’ve been there. And you deserve support that actually works.
