Living By Daily Grace

Sep. 23, 2008 - Ichy Momma

Well, the inevitable has happened. I have now crossed the threshhold of normal pregnancy into a slightly higher risk pregnancy. This weekend I staredt having itching spells. It wasn't too bad but I did notice it. Yesterday morning I itched all over but I didn't have much more after noon. Today I have gone from a comfortable itch every once in a while to "THIS IS IRRITATING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (It's weird. It's mostly in my face.)

Cholestatis of Pregnancy is a condition of pregnant women where the flow of bile is impaired somehow. The result for most women with this. . .ITCHING!!!! Now don't get me wrong. All pregnant women itch. Dry skin can cause it. Most women will complain that their abdomen itches. Naturally, the skin is being stretched. Cholestatis in NOT average pregnancy itch. This is 24/7 itching. Hands and feet are the worst. You itch in your sleep, if you get to sleep with it. The average pregnancy itch can be alleviated by creams and lotions. There is NOTHING that will help the itch of Cholestatis except cleaning out the liver or taking some of the drugs that on the market to help. Often, those don't even help.

Cholestatis has no side effects for mom but itching. But it can lead to problems with the baby. I learned today (this is new information since I first learned of all this 9 years ago) that they think that cholestatis causes babies to pass meconium in utero. That would make sense to me. My 2nd dd passed her meconium. I always thought it was the castor oil that caused it. It could have been but I now understand that it could have also been caused by the cholestatis. There is also a recommendation that baby be delivered early. Sevearl years ago I was reading that the recommendation for inducement be around 38 weeks (that was the plan for JB.) Today I now see that has changed to 37 weeks. WOAW!!!!!!!

I have only ever had this with my girls. I wander if it's this excess estrogen being passed between mom and baby. I had it the worst with JB. I was using a OB at the time and she had actually heard of this. Many drs still haven't truly heard about Cholestatis of Pregnancy yet. She was treating me for that. But she wanted me to run more tests just to make sure we were treating the right thing. So she kept me home for a full day to collect my urine. I was 36 weeks. I got up the next morning to collect my last sample and my water broke. So much for the test. JB had horrible jaundice as well.

I didn't have any issues with my second baby so figured everything had worked itself out. When I was pregnant with my 3rd baby it was a really stressful pregnancy. One thing lead to another and I ended up with horrible itching in my last month of that pregnancy. My midwife wouldn't let me induce though. I finally called her when I was 39 weeks and begged (in tears) to induce labor. I was worried about the baby and I was just miserable. We were using several herbs and SAMe to clean out my liver. But we really hadn't been using them long enough to make a difference. Schmoo did pass meconium and we transported to the hospital (mostly from my exhaustion.) I give glory to God for the lives of my little girls. I don't believe JB wouldn't have lived for very long had we waited to induce until 38 weeks. I was really sick then. And He totally protected Schmoo from our delay in inducing AND He protected her when she passed her meconium. She was perfect when she was born.

So now what? I started taking a homeopathic liver drainage/cleanse yesterday. It's VERY gentle for me and baby. I also started taking some disecated liver. I am continuing my dandelion and milk thistle as well. I will see my midwife in 2 weeks. We aren't monitoring the baby by sonogram at this point. If my itching hasn't subsided by then, then I am going to discuss inducing labor with her. Hopefully, we won't have to do this and the Lord will cleanse the liver for me.

I am not worried or frightened at this point. Over the past several months I have constantly been confronted with my belief in God's Sovereignty. Do I believe that He is in control no matter what happens? I would have to say that "Yes, I do believe." I am staying with my midwife until she believes it's something that needs to go into a doctor's hands. I can't see Baby ANT right now but I trust the Father and trust that right now she's safe. I believe He will protect her. What if something happens? Then I still have to believe that His promise to work ALL things for good is true. This is a verse that I have been resting in lately:

You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Isaiah 26:3-4

Perfect peace!!!! A mind stayed on Him!!! I am camping out at the foot of the cross constantly seeking grace to make it through the rough parts of my final months of pregnancy. I am having many these days. This will be no different. I believe that He will give me grace to trust Him and that He will help me in my unbelief. Baby ANT is in His Hands.

Sep. 23, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Sonotperfectmom

You are describing the condition I had while pregnant with my firstborn. I don't remember the doctors ever saying it had anything to do with my bowel flow, so you must be right about many doctors not being informed about this condition. That was the only pregnancy in which this happened to me. I was expecting my oldest son. Thanks for this informative blog entry.
Melanie

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Sep. 24, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by mansemamma

God bless you!! I'll keep you all in my prayers.
Jennifer

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I love having a place on the web to simply write out my thoughts. I am a wife and mother to 5 very special blessings ages 19 months to 9 yod and our "Finale" due in November '08. As I am growing through this season of my life, I hope to share how the Lord is teaching me to live by His daily grace and not by my own strength.

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