The 37-year-old Oscar winner posted to Instagram on Thursday, sharing that she's currently in the hospital (and will have to miss an upcoming show in Texas). "I'm fine. Baby's fine but everyone who says the 2nd trimester is better is not telling the first story," Amy wrote. "I've been even more ill this trimester. I have hyperemesis and it blows."
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Clearly, it's been a rough pregnancy so far for Amy—but uh, what exactly is hyperemesis?
So what Amy's actually referring to is hyperemesis gravidarum (HG)—and it's not nearly as cute as the Harry Potter spell it sounds like. (Also: You might recognise the condition because it's the same one Kate Middleton suffered from throughout all three of her pregnancies).
Basically, hyperemesis gravidarum is a whole lot of vomiting during pregnancy, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM)—the "extreme, persistent nausea and vomiting during pregnancy" can lead to dehydration, weight loss, and electrolyte imbalances.
Also, FYI, HG is not morning sickness. Morning sickness typically happens during the first three months (a.k.a., the first trimester) of pregnancy and is common—HG is much less common and more severe than morning sickness.
Hyperemesis gravidarum symptoms are also pretty different from those for typical morning sickness (which are mainly decreased appetite, low level nausea, and sometimes vomiting). According to the NLM, women with HG experience the following symptoms:
- Severe, persistent nausea and vomiting during pregnancy
- Salivating a lot more than usual
- Weight loss
- Signs of dehydration like dark urine, dry skin, or weakness
- Constipation
- Inability to eat or drink an adequate amount
While HG can happen during any pregnancy, the NLM says it's more common in pregnancies with multiple babies, or in women who have something called a hydratidiform mole (a rare mass or growth that forms inside the uterus at the beginning of pregnancy). Women who have had HG before or are prone to motion sickness also have a higher risk of having HG.
While there isn't necessarily a cure for HG, treatment is available if symptoms are severe—you might be admitted to the hospital (like Schumer) if you're severely dehydrated so you can receive fluids intravenously, per the NLM. If you also can't eat, doctors may begin feeding you intravenously or through a tube in your stomach.
Another not-so-great thing: HG doesn't have a set stopping point. In some women, the symptoms last until week 14 or 16 of pregnancy—but sometimes, women can experience the severe nausea and vomiting throughout their entire pregnancy.
This isn't the first time Amy's shared how wonderful (but honestly kind of miserable) pregnancy has been: Just a few days ago, Amy also shared on Instagram that, though she was thankful for being nominated at the People's Choice Awards, she wasn't able to attend because "all I do is standup and puke right now."
Amy also posted a video of an ultrasound appointment on November 5—in it, you can hear Amy say she's "puking every day" because her baby is moving around so much.
So honestly, it sounds like Amy was spot-freaking-on when she said, "Very lucky to be pregnant but this is some bullshit!" Start feeling better soon, girl.
This article originally appeared on Women’s Health US.
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