Mother reveals she didn’t eat for an entire MONTH during pregnancy - after extreme morning sickness made her vomit 20 times a day 

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A woman has told how she suffered such extreme morning sickness throughout her pregnancy, she was left with post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Hannah Dalton, 27, from Essex, vomited up to 20 times a day and was unable to eat anything for a month due to hyperemesis gravidarum - the same condition that saw the Duchess of Cambridge hospitalised while expecting Prince George.

Hannah lived on nothing but half a cup of water a day plus antenatal vitamins throughout the third month of her pregnancy.

Hannah at six months pregnant, when she could only eat a cracker a day. Hannah vomited up to 20 times a day and was unable to eat anything for a month while expecting her daughter

The mother-of-one was suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) - an extreme type of morning sickness which causes severe nausea.

And Hannah, who lost 3stone 2lbs during her ordeal, became so weak and dehydrated that she needed a wheelchair to leave the house, with her husband Mikey Dalton, 28, often forced to carry her to the bathroom to be sick.

Hannah, who works in finance, said: 'I experienced morning sickness for the first time at about five and a half weeks and I was actually pretty excited - it's almost like it proves you're pregnant.

'But over the next couple of weeks it got progressively worse and I was being sick multiple times a day - and soon it was up to 20 times a day.

Hannah with her daughter Beth, after coming back from the hospital in April 2015. The mother-of-one was too weak to go through a natural birth as planned so underwent a caesarian

Beth is now 18 months old and her parents are keen to have a second child despite their ordeal - but not until she is old enough to understand that 'Mum is ill'

'I felt extremely nauseous all day. I couldn't even escape it when I was sleeping. At night I would dream about being sick.

'The only thing I can liken it to is having a permanent hangover. If I tried to move the whole world would spin, I felt really disorientated and couldn't hold a thought in my head.'

Even when there was nothing left in her stomach, Hannah would finding herself heaving and bringing up painful bile.

She explained: 'Between my ninth and thirteenth week of pregnancy I couldn't eat anything at all. All I could manage was half a cup of water a day and my pregnancy vitamins.

'Sometimes even the vitamins would come back up, and I would cry because I knew the baby needed something. I was so worried I would damage her.

Hannah with her husband Mikey. The mother-of-one says he was a huge support throughout her pregnancy and 'has made us so much stronger than we already were. He was amazing'

Hannah became so weak from not eating that she was forced to use a wheelchair. She recalled: 'I felt extremely nauseous all day. I couldn't even escape it when I was sleeping'

Hannah was unable to get around without a wheelchair or mobility scooter. After the first three and a half months of pregnancy, her nausea slightly subsided and she was able to eat 

'I was so weak and dehydrated I need a wheelchair to get out. I started to have panic attacks if I tried to leave the house because I was scared of being sick in public.'

Eventually she was unable to make the few paces from her bed to the toilet without collapsing, and her husband would have to come and 'scoop her up'.  

To doctors' surprise, when Hannah went for her usual scans at 12 and 20 weeks at Southend Hospital, her baby continued to grow against the odds.

Hannah, who gave birth to a healthy baby girl in April 2015, does not think she or her child would have survived the ordeal if she had not put on weight before getting pregnant and forced down her daily dose of vitamins.

After the first three and a half months of pregnancy, Hannah's nausea slightly subsided and she was able to keep down one dry cracker a day - then, at five months, she managed half a sandwich.

A pregnant Hannah and Mikey go for a walk after the difficult first trimester. Hannah told how her bump looked 'huge' because she had lost all the fat on her body due to morning sickness

Hannah with Mikey, six months into her pregnancy. To doctors' surprise, when Hannah went for her usual scans at 12 and 20 weeks, her baby continued to grow healthily against the odds

On the day that Hannah, a vegetarian, went into labour, she had a craving for a beef burger - managing to demolish the whole thing and keep it down.

Although she was too weak to give birth naturally as planned, she gave birth via caesarean to healthy baby girl, Beth, on April 27 last year.

Hannah said: 'It was a terrifying time for me and Mikey but at least we had the reassurance that the baby was growing and healthy. She met all the milestones.

'I think the pregnancy vitamins saved us both. And luckily I put on some weight before getting pregnant just from comfort eating.

'If I hadn't chosen chips instead of salad a few times, I dread to think how frail I would have been.

Hannah with Beth, who was born in April 2015. On the day she went into labour, she had a craving for a beef burger - managing to demolish the whole thing and keep it down

Happy families: Hannah (pictured with Mikey and Beth) is now blogging about her experiences, as well as taking up volunteering with the charity Pregnancy Sickness Support

'I already looked like the girl from Twilight when she's pregnant with a vampire and you can see all her ribs and collar bones.'

She recalled:  'As soon as I managed to keep down the burger I knew something was up. That evening I had stomach pains and I thought it was from eating meat but we decided to go to the hospital just in case and on the way Mikey said "you know you're in labour right?"

'We were at the hospital for quite a few hours but eventually they wheeled me into surgery and at two minutes past midnight Beth was here. It was incredible and such a relief.

'As soon as I'd given birth I was starving. At 1am the nurses brought me a cup of tea and marmite on toast and it was the best meal I have ever had.

'The simplest things were so satisfying after not eating properly for nine months.'

Hannah's HG experience has left her with post-traumatic stress disorder, meaning certain locations, sounds and smells trigger her nausea.

Beth is now 18 months old and healthy. Her parents are keen to have another child and say this time they will be better equipped to deal with the hyperemesis gravidarum (HG)

But she has not been put off having another baby, determined that she will be more prepared next time and have the invaluable support of her husband.

And as well as blogging about her experiences, Hannah is also taking up volunteering with the charity Pregnancy Sickness Support.

She said: 'As soon as Beth isn't so dependent and she is old enough to understand that Mum's not well then we will definitely have another baby.

'I know next time I will be so much more prepared. I've done my research and I know what HG is now and I know to put on weight before I get pregnant.

'And I've got Mikey. This experience completely broke down any barriers we had. He has had to hold me and clean me up after being sick and help me shower.'

She added: 'It was horrible and embarrassing at the time but it has made us so much stronger than we already were. He was amazing.'