Morning sickness was so bad I was my wife’s ‘carer’
‘Not long
after lockdown started I found a lump’
OLYMPIC champion Greg Rutherford has revealed how extreme morning sickness means he has to “shut away” his partner for four months every time she is pregnant.
The 34-year-old former Strictly Come Dancing contestant has had a challenging 15 months during which he also had a testicular cancer scare.
He kept it secret from fiancée Susie Verrill and then found himself looking after her when she became extremely ill with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) while pregnant with their third child.
It is a serious condition that causes extreme sickness. Susie had a “long, tough road” and Greg nursed her for four months until she gave birth to their daughter Daphne 10 weeks ago.
But the athlete, who hung up his jumping spikes three years ago, had to negotiate his own debilitating hurdle first.
Greg recalled: “Not long after lockdown started, I found a lump but I just ignored it and tried to throw myself into training. However it didn’t work as I was so scared. I didn’t want to worry Susie so I said nothing. But it was so painful and I was so worried that I reached out to a friend who’d had testicular cancer. He told me to get it checked and after bloods and a scan I was told it was cysts. I can’t remember ever feeling so relieved.”
The couple were disappointed they had to cancel wedding plans last summer but were elated to find out Susie was expecting. They already had sons Milo, six, and Rex, three, but planned to have three children.
Greg had to be Susie’s carer. He said: “It was a brave decision having more kids knowing she was going to experience hyperemesis gravidarum.
“Some people react differently from one sex to the other. Susie was bad with the boys but the hope was that if she had a girl, she wouldn’t be as bad.
“But having a girl was just as tough and she realised she was going to have to go through something quite brutal.”
Greg, who aims to make the GB Winter Olympics Bobsleigh team for the Beijing games in February 2022, says he “loses” Susie for four months when she is pregnant. He said: “I become a single parent. I have to be her carer and it’s a very, very unpleasant time. She has to be shut away, has to take a lot of medication and has no interaction apart from me taking her food and making sure I’m there if she needs anything or I have to take her hospital.
“How she puts herself through it I don’t know but obviously you have something wonderful at the end of it.”
● Greg is supporting Peppa Pig’s summer of sport with Team GB at twinkl.co.uk/peppapig/