Hyperemesis gravidarum is treatable. For too long, the standard of care has been to wait until a pregnant person is dehydrated and malnourished, treat them in the ER, send them home, and repeat. We built an outpatient care model, and we’ve tracked the results.
Over four years and over 2500 HG patients, Dr. Housholder has refined the treatment protocols, workflows, and clinical judgment that make up our model of care. Each patient gets a personalized, evidence-based medication regimen to control symptoms. The physical and mental health outcomes of our patients far exceed what HG patients typically experience.
HG patient outcome data:
60%
fewer ER visits
When HG is treated early and consistently, emergencies become the exception instead of the routine. Every ER visit our patients reported happened before they entered our care.
50%
reduction in preeclampsia
Our patients see fewer cases of malnutrition and dehydration, along with fewer serious complications later in pregnancy.
Fewer preterm births
Risk of preterm birth rises with HG severity and with second-trimester persistence, indicating that controlling symptoms earlier and more completely reduces adverse outcomes (Porgador et al., International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, 2024).
25% reduction in postpartum mood disorders
HG takes a heavy emotional toll, and that toll can last well beyond delivery. Getting real relief during pregnancy matters for how you feel afterward.
35% of our patients never missed a day of work
HG can take away your ability to work, care for your family, and function day to day. An average of 23 workdays lost per affected pregnancy (Fejzo et al., Trends in Molecular Medicine). Our goal is to help patients stay employed.
Patients are happier with their OB while in our care.
When we asked patients to rate their HG care on a scale of 1 to 10, care in a previous pregnancy averaged 3.9, while care at our clinic averaged 9.3. Overall OB satisfaction rose from 7.6 to 8.6 for a patient in our care pipeline.
65% of our patients are direct referrals from their provider
Local physicians trust us with their patients because they see the difference: patients who are hydrated, nourished, gaining weight, and feeling like themselves again.
Patients travel from a 2-3 hour radius to be seen at our clinic
We treat patients in 40 out of 67 counties in Alabama. Dr. Housholder does out-of-state consults with providers and patients in 46 states.
Our patients become our advocates
Our NPS score is 96. Net Promoter Score measures how likely patients are to recommend us to a friend or family member, on a scale to 100. A 96 puts us far above what most healthcare providers achieve. For HG patients, who often feel dismissed or unheard, that kind of trust means everything to us.
The above data reflect 30 patients who had two or more HG pregnancies and received care at The Morning Sickness Clinic during a delivered pregnancy. Each patient serves as her own comparison: her most recent HG pregnancy before coming to us versus the pregnancy in which she was in our care. These are patient-questionnaire data subject to recall bias. Note: all ER visits occurred before patients entered our care pathway.
After-visit survey (n = 128, January 2025–October 2026)
Responses are self-reported and reflect patient perception, not claims data. The survey was anonymous and did not collect insurance carriers, so results are not specific to BCBS members.
Where patients would have gone without us: 58% named a hospital setting. 44% the emergency department (n=56) and 14% labor & delivery / OB ED (n=18). 24% named an OB/GYN office (n=31), 13% were unsure (n=17), and 5% urgent care/PCP/other (n=6).
Referral source: 66% were referred by a clinician, 63% by an OB/GYN (n=81). Obstetricians in the plan's own network already treat this clinic as the destination for HG care. Of the 31 patients above who said they would have gone to their OB office, 21 (68%) had in fact been referred here by that same OB office. The obstetrician evaluated the patient and referred her here for the HG-specific infusion care the office cannot provide.
Prior hospital utilization: of the 63 respondents (49%) reporting any lifetime hospital visits for nausea/vomiting in pregnancy, 57% reported 3 or more hospital care episodes (ER or admission), 30% reported 3–4 episodes, 10% reported 5–6, 6% reported 7–9, and 11% reported 10 or more ER visits or hospitalizations for HG.