If there is one thing that I have learned about myself and pregnancy it is that I am a full term kind of person. When my oldest was born he was technically 10 days overdue and my body showed NO signs that it was going to be sending him on his way anytime soon. I had to be induced in order to get him here. With my second we helped him along a little since his due date was only days before Thanksgiving and my midwife was leaving town. At least that time my body was acting like it was getting ready to deliver a baby. He was delivered only 2 days after his official due date.
I have 6 weeks left of pregnancy and last week I noticed that I was getting really itchy at nights before bed. It wasn't anything that concerned me, but I thought I should check online and see if this was a normal pregnancy symptom. As I researched I discovered a condition called Cholestasis. Having this condition, in a nutshell, means that your liver is not functioning correctly and toxins are being released into your body making it unsafe for a baby especially in the last three weeks of pregnancy. According to the website that means that you'll have to be on medication until it is safe to induce labor and then get that baby delivered at 37 weeks. I called my midwife to just check with her on what I needed to do and she had me come in right away and have labs taken. Then before the labs even came back I needed to go pick up a prescription to assist my liver function and let her know if the medication helped.
Apparently this condition was as serious as it sounds. I have always been annoyed that my body likes to hold on to my babies & honestly I had been wondering how I was going to make it another six weeks. Funny thing is that when you are facing a mandatory early delivery (even just three weeks early) of your baby your resilience to endure to the end is so much stronger. I was terrified of delivering this baby early! I started taking the medication and while the itching wasn't quite as bad it was still there. This morning my labs came back and thankfully I do NOT have cholestasis!!! *HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF*
I may find myself itching my back, belly, legs, arms, chest, etc, but I will itch happily knowing that between that and my drier than dry nose my itching is most likely due to dry winter air and a need to take in more fluids. I am pregnant after all. It's already helped me to be more thankful for this pregnancy. Instead of feeling sorry for myself that I am being kicked from inside by a baby I am happy to know that my little one is strong and thriving on the inside. Let's keep that going for another six weeks little one...then I will be looking at writing an eviction notice if needed. And if I'm really lucky after my delivery maybe this bit of planter fasciitis I have been dealing with will go away...one can only hope right?
1 comment:
I'm glad you're doing okay but one rule of being a pregnant is to NEVER research your symptoms online. You'll just freak yourself out! ;)
Keep that baby cooking, it's too early!!
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