Week 31: recap of Obstetric Cholestasis symptoms

Week 31 belly shot

Although I did not post these photos last week they were taken last Wednesday when I was 31 weeks pregnant with my twins. It has been a difficult week emotionally and physically. Having a dear friend pass away is not something I’ve had to deal with many times- and even though this is not the first friend I’ve lost it doesn’t make it any easier. This is why I felt like I needed to take a break from my blog and just process things before continuing to write. I still feel guilty writing about my how happy I am to be carrying these two babies and how much I am eagerly anticipating their arrival. I do want to continue to press on and stay consistent with my weekly updates, so here is a recap from last week.

Week 31 pregnancy symptoms: Dealing with Obstetric Cholestasis

As far as my physical symptoms for this past week- I’ve also been pretty miserable and overwhelmed with how to deal with Obstetric Cholestasis (OC). In a previous post I described the itching in detail. That has been pretty much the same even while taking the Ursodiol medication. After being on the increased dose of Usodiol (600mg every 8 hours) I am still experiencing the same amount of itching (mainly on my hands, feet, ankles, arms, belly- well, it’s basically everywhere). I have found some ways to get on top of the discomfort and soothe my skin so that I can stay somewhat sane.

6 things that have helped me cope with Obstetric Cholestasis:

#1: Scratching does NOT help! It is so hard to not scratch, and sometimes I wake up scratching in my sleep- which is pretty much unavoidable. I do know that once I start scratching I can’t stop and then the burning and itching becomes much more intense.

#2: Resisting the urge to scratch is mainly a mental exercise. I have to focus on other things, try to distract myself and stay calm. As soon as I get upset about the itching it overcomes me and I want to rip off my skin. This leads to me turning into a child throwing a tantrum yelling “make it stop”!

#3: Soothing massages help distract me from the itching. I’ve been asking my husband to run his fingers through my hair or tickle my back whenever he has a chance. This really helps to calm me down and keeps me from focusing on the irritating itchiness.

#4: Benadryl helps with sleep. I have been assured again and again by my doctors and other friends who have been pregnant that it is safe to take Benadryl during pregnancy. I have been hesitant to take any type of medication during this pregnancy, but I finally gave in and started taking Benadryl regularly. It doesn’t actually relieve the itchiness, but it does make me drowsy enough to fall asleep at night (and during the day when I desperately need to catch up on sleep). I guess OC is helping me prepare for interrupted sleep after the peeps are born.

#5: Soaking in a warm(ish) but not hot bath helps relax and soothe the skin. If the bath is too warm it can make me more itchy, but if it is just about body temperature it feels pretty nice on my skin. I am able to float in the tub and escape the itching. I have been taking a bath as soon as I wake up- when the itching is unbearable, at night before bed when the itching starts to get worse. I sometimes take multiple baths during the day or in the middle of the night when I wake up scratching myself. I always use Dr. Bronner’s Pure Peppermint Castille Soap as a body wash and this leaves my skin feeling cool and tingly- which helps with the itching too.

#6: Aloe gel is soothing on my skin. Rubbing the gel from a fresh aloe plant works too. I also have been using the Honest Company Healing Ointment- especially in areas where I’ve broken through the skin from scratching too much.

This post is probably pretty boring for those of you who are not suffering from OC. But, hopefully this post will be helpful for those of you pregnant mommies who are dealing with OC during your pregnancy.

Finally I’ll leave you with my 31 week bare belly shots:

The bare belly is getting a bit scary