London: In early weeks of pregnancy, most would-be mothers suffer from nausea and vomiting.
However, in a rare condition, a pregnant British woman had to get all her teeth removed after severe vomiting ruined them, New York Post reported.
That happened with Louise Cooper in 2017, when she was 26 years old.
She became pregnant for the first time while she was working as a nanny at a ski resort in France. Within a week of her pregnancy, though, she fell so sick that she had to return to the UK.
She would throw up so frequently that her teeth started falling out. Six months after the birth of her son, she had to have all her teeth removed as they were damaged by the acidity from the vomit.
Doctors diagnosed it as Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG), a rare and extreme form of morning sickness which affects about 1% of pregnant women.
Soon after giving birth, her vomiting stopped.
Undeterred by the awkward condition, Cooper went on to have two more children despite suffering from HG every time.
“’It was very traumatic, I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy. A lot of people compare it to the side effects of chemo as you feel like you are dying. It is unpleasant. It is emotionally and physically draining,” she said.
She is learning to live with having no teeth.
“Life is alright now, everything has gone back to normal. Life is a lot more relaxing and enjoyable. It is not enjoyable when you have HG and are in bed for nine months. I have embraced having no teeth. I have only really just come to terms with everything in the past year,” she told The Independent.
She informed that HG had forced her to significantly alter her diet.
“’I would say my diet isn’t the healthiest as it is restricted from trauma… I don’t eat a lot of meat anymore. I mainly stick to vegetables,” she said.
“I have dentures now but they are not the most comfortable things to wear, as they are cosmetic. I can now leave the house without having teeth in,” she revealed.
