So Thursday night, Jeff and I are laying in bed watching Seinfeld, our normal routine. All of the sudden, I started itching ALL OVER. At first I thought well maybe my skin is stretching from pregnancy or MAYBE I HAVE FLEAS!!!! I freaked out and hopped in the shower. All I could think about was when one of my students gave me head lice last year, SICK! After the shower, I put lotion all over and laid back down. The itching didnt stop. (Just so you know, I wash our bed sheets twice a week because I am a little anal about clean sheets) What could it be!? I literally felt like I had bugs crawling all over my body. Needless to say, it was a miserable nights sleep. Not only was I itchy but 37 weeks pregnant...BLAH!
I woke up the next morning and basically just dealt with it all day. Friday night I went to dinner and to see eclipse with my dear friend Jennifer and it's all I could do through the whole movie!
When I got home, I immediately got online and started researching what it could be. I knew it wasn't anything I ate because I hadn't eaten anything out of the norm. I then started reading about this condition called "cholestasis". Basically it only happens to women late in pregnancy and has something to do with the liver and bile production and is very harmful for baby. Anyway, the symptom: extreme itching all over...!! Keep in mind that Jeff is out of town for the weekend. I FREAK OUT! I called my mom and her friend Sonya who is an R.N. and ask them what I should do. They recommend that I call the 24 hr line for my doctor. I do so and the doctor on call was SO RUDE to me! AHH. She told me to take benadryl, end of story. I don't know if it's the hormones in me right now but all of the sudden I am a complete BASKET CASE!! I called my mom back crying hysterically and bless her heart, I know she was thinking "just take the benadryl!" I don't know why but I was so scared too. I have heard of mother's milk supply drying up and not being able to breastfeed and I couldn't think about anything else. Eventually, I calm myself down, take the benadryl and take a warm bath. After about 40 minutes, the itching started to ease up and I was able to fall asleep. I of course then woke up itching at 6 am when the medicine wore off. So I took another dose and kept up all day long. Needless to say, I was a walking ZOMBIE. I have a doctor appt Monday for my weekly checkup and I am going to take the benadryl until then and ask her what it could possibly be. Anyone ever heard of this or experienced it!? I feel like I have leprosy!
Hi Alissa...I'm a friend of McKenzie's and an old HS friend of Jeff's. I have a friend who had this condition while pregnant last year. She did the same thing as you...researched on the internet and then got essentially laughed at by doctors. It happened during her 3rd pregnancy and said it was very different from normal pregnancy itch. She never took no for an answer and kept looking for a doctor who would take her seriously and do the blood test. The blood test came back negative, but she induced a week or two early on instinct. Her baby was born healthy. Let me know if you would like to get in touch with her.
ReplyDeleteHi Cris! Thank you for commenting. I honestly thought the dr thinks I am a lunatic! I am going to the dr tomorrow morning and going to have her take blood. I would LOVE to get in touch with your friend. Its SO scary, and even though it is rare, its not worth risking.
ReplyDeleteOk...I'll find you on Facebook and send you her info. Hope you can find some answers!
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