obstetric cholestasis

[*CLAIREBEAR*]

i went to the hospital today for blood tests after being up all night driven mad by itching,bloods were taken and within the hour i was told i have obstetric cholestasis.

i so so worried for my baby,i was put on a monitor for 1/2 an hour and all was fine then,but the specialist i saw said to monitor bubs movements myself and if they decrease to go in asap.
everytime he has a quiet moment i panic.
she said i will be monitored closly and that i will be induced at around 37-38 weeks as baby can be stillborn if left to go to term,im absolutley beside myself,how can i get through the next 4-5 weeks without worrying myself silly.

please is there anyone who has had this who can reassure me at all.

 

[kmac]

I haven't had this but I know there are people on here who have. Sam&Alice??
I had a panic about this earlier on. Try not to worry - they will keep a close eye on you and bubs
There is a thread about it somewhere - is it in 'ask a mum'? I'll check.

Try not to panic

 

[kmac]

one of the stickies at the top of 'ask a mum'
x

 

[gracie]

I'm so sorry you've been diagnosed with this but i guess that its good that they will now keep a close eye on you. Thinking about you. Try and rest and enjoy these last few weeks. It sounds like you will have to get organised quicker if your not already organised (don't think i will ever be ready).



Grace xx

 

[*CLAIREBEAR*]

i cant enjoy it as i itch so much,its driving me mad,oh has got me some calamine lotion,im hoping it works as MW said the meds will take at least 24 hours to start working.................

 

[gracie]

I'm so sorry i wasn't thinking straight. Sometimes i don't know what to say. I hope the medication kicks in soon. I'll stop talking now and send you a hug and i hope the hug helps.



Grace xx

 

[*CLAIREBEAR*]

thats okay

 

[Morganuk]

Aww hun I'm sorry to hear this

Hoping time passes quickly so baby is here and you can relax

 

[lisaspoon]

awwww no really sorry the bloods have come back with this result.... at least now its diagnosed and they will monitor you closely.

Really hope the next few weeks go quickly for you
xxxxxxxx

 

[EllieBelle]

I know a couple of people who have suffered with this and both have 2 beautiful children now - although they did get it with both pregnancies!

From what I am told as long as it is monitored then it never causes any real issues.

Im just pleased for your sake that they picked it up so quickly!

Everything will be fine

 

[katie05]

Hi hun, i had this and i totally sympathise with you as the itching was awful. Much worse than people can imagine. I wish i could say i found a magic cure but i never although the special E45 cream for itching worked the best. (and piriton to a cetain extent)
Mine wasnt diagnosed till 35 weeks but i itched from week 25 or so. I was induced at 37 weeks but i did push for this as they were going to leave me till 39 but after reading it up and discussing it with my FIL who is a doctor i was adament i was not going to wait that long. I now have a beautifu healthy 5 month old now and im sure everything will be fine for you. There is a very small chance of still birth from week 37 BUT you still worry i know as i did. Keep on to the doctors etc as eventually i did get mine brought forward.

Good luck.

 

[lea m]

They thought I had when i was pregnant with Lola-Mae but before I got the test results back from the re-test, I had had her lol!
Try not to worry yourself too much! I will try and find the websites i found when I was worried and they do reasure you! But dont just go reading anything and everything hun!
I will be back asap!

 

[katie05]

I was also told that i would have this in future pregnancies now and that its most common when carrying boys (though i had a girl).

 

[lea m]

http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23068933/

Here hun take a read of this! It explains it all!

 

[Rosebay]

Oh you poor love, as if you hadn't already got enough to contend with, have some hugs

They are going to monitor you though, and just be as pushy as you can about getting seen if you're at all worried. My very good friend developed this at about 37 weeks and I know she said it was horrid and so worrying. They did monitor her very closely though and ended up giving her an emergency c section at 38 weeks (but I think this was because she was booked into have an elective section anyway rather than being related to the condition- they just brought it forward) and her baby was fine.

Hope you find something that will help the itching in the meantime, I think she used ice packs for her feet at night wrapped up in towels

+++

 

[mum2A&L]

oh sweety!!! i had this with Alice and am being kept an eye on this time around to see if i get it again.

Firstly, it doesn't need to be that bad. Just look at my alice!! she is here and is perfectly fine. A few weeks after having her i was completely back to normal. its a scary time, and be careful how much google it. I really scared myself reading too many peoples stories.

Its best they know about it and can treat / control it. Have they explained what the plan of action is with you? As far as i have been able to work out it really depends on your hospital as to what they do. I will quickly explain what happened with me... I had bloods taken at 28 weeks, repeated at 29 weeks, told at 30 weeks (give or take a few days). I was signed off work for the rest of my pregnancy. I was told to go to the Fetal assessment unit of my local hospital everyday for a trace of babies heart beat (luckily i could see the hospital from my old flat!!). I had weekly test to monitor the levels. At the worst i was taking 17 pills a day, but i also had water infection after water infection at the time. I also had fortnightly scans.

I was induced at 37 weeks (well 37 and 1 and had her at 37 & 2).


as for things that help - Camomile lotion (although tbh i never tried this but EVERYONE recommended it). Aquasis cream - if you go to your GP you can get some with menthol in it free on prescription). Keep a cold flannel in the fridge, its a good send in the middle of the night. Keep your nails short to prevent you marking yourself - i was terrible in my sleep and would wake up with bleeding scratch marks down my arms.


Im going to PM you my mobile number in case you want a chat huni. Im always at the other end of the phone if you need someone lovely!!

 

[sarah113]

 

[keelie_b]

Im really sorry to read this Claire
Another one with a difficult pregnancy, 3rd tri has been a rough time for a lot over the last few months. Just remember i know it seems like a long time but before you know it it will all be over and you'll have a beautifull little baby boy at the end. Medicine is so advanced these days, now they're aware of it, you'll both be absolutely fine, theres so much they can do.
I know that you will be the same as me, and because of the tragedy we have both suffered we automatically assume that the worst case scenerio will happen to us but it doesnt. Luck does change, i had a terrible pregnancy and always thought the worst would happen to me, but it didnt my little boy is perfect and so will yours be.
Im slowly starting to learn bad things dont always happen to me and my family however much it may have seemed that in the past and you'll realise that to.
the next few weeks will be so hard emotionally and unfortunately nothing can change that but be strong, hold your head up and get through it. The reward at the end puts everything in to prospective for you and all the hard times of your pregnancy will be meaningless.

Havnt been on much since having Dylan but when i get a little more time i will PM you back xxx

 

[*CLAIREBEAR*]

thank you so much everyone for your replies

thanks so much sam for your mobile number and msn address,i may well take you up on your offer if you would not mind when i next have a worry attack.

itch wise the tablets i feel are starting to work.
the itching is much much worse on a night,as i write this i am currently only experiencing very mild itching,where as yesterday at this time it was already getting unbearable.

i have had the most awful nights sleep the last x 2 nights as it is so intense and i'm beside myself not knowing what to do to ease it,i used calamine lotion last night but must admit in the early hours it did no good as the itching got so intense.
i sat at the side of the bed with my feet wrapped in a cold wet towel to try and stop the itching,this then makes me feel cold and feverish.

my hands and feet are the worst,i have had to take my hand spints off as they make me hands itch so much worse as they make them so hot,then the pain starts from the carpal tunnel syndrome,its trying to work out the less of the two evils at the moment.

i managed to get a few hours sleep this afternoon,and feel slightly more positive after a nap.

my main concern is for my baby,the hospital are going to be seeing me once a week and will put me on a monitor to see if bubs heartrate is okay aswell as repeat blood tests etc,they have told me to monitor his movements myself and to go in to them if they decrease,this is itself is driving me mad as i feel panicky if i have a period of time where he goes quiet.
luckily i have a doppler so at last hearing his heartbeat can reassure me slightly.

im trying not to feel sorry for myself and baby,but feel at the moment my pregnancy is bringing one lot of bad news after another,i cannot wait to have my baby in my arms now and want to be reassured he will be okay.

the specialist i saw yesterday said i will be induced at 37-38 weeks,initially she said 38 weeks then said it may be 37 weeks,does this week make a crucial difference?
am i able to demand they induce me at 37 weeks as the thought of going so close to term frightens me for babys sake.
if LO is born at 37 weeks will he have to stay in hospital?
will i still be able to breastfeed??

sorry for all the questions but apart from the basic facts of obstetric cholestasis i am trying to avoid frightening myself any further by googling it too much.

when i go to the hospital next week im going to go armed with a list of questions,i feel yeserday i was in a bit of a daze and sheer exhaustion of no sleep that all i wanted to do was go home.

thanks again so much for all your replies.
you will never know how much i apprechiate the support and kind words

 

[mum2A&L]

im no expert, but i tell u what happened with me:

the itching is much much worse on a night,as i write this i am currently only experiencing very mild itching,where as yesterday at this time it was already getting unbearable.

i found this - i would wake up scratching. there where nights when i was so exausted it would be OH waking me up because i had woke him up itching.

i managed to get a few hours sleep this afternoon,and feel slightly more positive after a nap.

sleep when you can! i would recomend this for all pg ladies anyway as i found i needed to nap in the day when alice was here!!

my main concern is for my baby,the hospital are going to be seeing me once a week and will put me on a monitor to see if bubs heartrate is okay aswell as repeat blood tests etc,they have told me to monitor his movements myself and to go in to them if they decrease,this is itself is driving me mad as i feel panicky if i have a period of time where he goes quiet.
luckily i have a doppler so at last hearing his heartbeat can reassure me slightly.

don't feel silly if you are worried - give them a ring!! they may be able to suggest something to put your mind at ease. be it more trips in, or more mw visits... they are there to help huni!!

the specialist i saw yesterday said i will be induced at 37-38 weeks,initially she said 38 weeks then said it may be 37 weeks,does this week make a crucial difference?
am i able to demand they induce me at 37 weeks as the thought of going so close to term frightens me for babys sake.

i would really push for it if you feel it would keep stress levels down. i was told stress is a factor in making it worse.

if LO is born at 37 weeks will he have to stay in hospital?

alice didn't... she had slight issues with showing signs of being perm, but we soon sorted her out overnight. i was allowed out the following day. but saying that, babies that go full term & over may need to be kept in. but 37 is considered full term, so no, it shouldn't be an issue.

will i still be able to breastfeed??

we did - it didn't work out in the long term, but that was for other issues.

when i go to the hospital next week im going to go armed with a list of questions,i feel yeserday i was in a bit of a daze and sheer exhaustion of no sleep that all i wanted to do was go home.

ask for leaflets/ advice on what sites are good/ that kinda thing. right down any questions and remember these people are paid to answer your questions and reasure you. don't feel like you are being a pest asking questions etc..... for me its easier said than done.


its a scary time, and i really feel for you hun there are a few of us around that have happy healthy babies and have suffered with this

the offer is there for anytime - be it in the middle of the night... im normally awake anyway