So, the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting but is now holed up in hospital with hyperemisis gravidarum and just in case anyone out there is shrugging their shoulders and muttering, "Oh, just morning sickness then" I can assure you, from personal experience, it certainly isn't!
Hyperemisis gravidarum is apparently the result of an extreme reaction to the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and can vary from mild morning sickness to the more extreme, debilitating reaction that Kate is suffering from at present.
During my first pregnancy, with Elder Daughter, my morning sickness rapidly escalated to the inability to keep anything down, even the smallest sip of water. I was still working, of course, and dragging myself into a classroom of lively three and four year olds soon became beyond me, although I had to work hard to convince my head teacher (childless) of that!
In those days, the late seventies, a drug called Debendox was prescribed. I was assured by my GP that there was no danger of side effects, unlike Thalidimide, which had been the drug of choice in the previous decade, so I trusted him and took it and thankfully, there were no ill effects with that or my subsequent three pregnancies. Yes, I put myself through that three more times!
So, I wish Kate a speedy recovery and, if she's reading this, (Would you doubt it?) it's worth it in the end, when you hold your baby in your arms. I couldn't wait to do it all again ... and again...!