Elsie Hewitt's journey through pregnancy with her and boyfriend Pete Davidson's first baby has been a profoundly eye-opening experience. After publicly reaching out for advice on managing hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome—a genetic condition that affects the body's connective tissues—she shared an update on her struggles with chronic pain.
"I have literally received hundreds of messages from women with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome who have been pregnant or are pregnant, and who have gone through what I'm going through right now," Elsie shared on her Instagram Stories on November 17th. "There are so many symptoms and things that I didn't realize can be attributed to Ehlers-Danlos."
Expressing gratitude to those who reached out with their own stories, the 29-year-old added, "I'm learning so much about myself through this experience."
The symptoms of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome include generalized joint hypermobility, joint instability, and chronic pain, as per The Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Society. It is an autosomal dominant condition, meaning it only takes one parent with the gene to pass it down to their kids. And according to Elsie, she's been in "absolute agony pretty much 24/7" since becoming pregnant.
"I am just straight-up suffering and in so much pain every single day," she bemoaned in a video posted to her Instagram Stories on November 14th. "I actually really don't know how it could get worse than this."
Elsie, who has tried various methods to "manage the pain," including exercise, stretches, physical therapy, acupuncture, energy healing, and steroid shots, went on to note that Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is "heavily linked" to endometriosis, a reproductive condition where uterine-like tissues grow outside of the uterus. "So, I'm turning to Instagram because I would really like to speak to someone who has been through pregnancy and birth with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome," she added at the time. "Did your pain go away after? Does it get better? Am I gonna die?"
