Pregnancy: these itching that can endanger the life of the child

Article initially published on December 4, 2019

Today, I decided to share my pregnant colestasis experience, a rather rare pregnancy pathology, but which may have serious consequences if it is not treated in time.

Difficult to diagnose, this disease has only one symptom, itching. Very strong itch, which wrapped at night and without an external sign that could make one think of a skin problem.

Only, the itching, almost all pregnant women suffer from it, and in particular in the third quarter, due to the stretching of the skin, therefore it is not easy to detect.

Itching to lose sleep

In my case, the first itch appeared in my sixth month of pregnancy. I was waiting for the twins for the summer of 2019. They started manifesting themselves in the palm of the hands and on the plant of my feet, then they gradually extended to the wrists and ankles before invading the forearms and my calves.

After a few weeks, it was hell: I scratched all the time and the itch was so strong that they prevented me from sleeping at night.

I spoke with friends who had been pregnant in front of me and everyone told me the same thing: itchy, yes, they had it, but never to the point of losing sleep. They all advised me to talk to my gynecologist.

“Oh, it’s nothing, we meet in a month!” »» »

So that’s what I did and the conversation with this doctor was not up to my expectations:

– Doctor, I don’t know if it is tied to pregnancy, but I have itching strong enough in the hands and feet, especially at night. Is starting to become quite disturbing …

– Yes yes, before we will make ourselves ultrasound, eh.

Once the ultrasound is over, the doctor tells me the next meetings to be taken, then:

– Well, see you again next month, good luck!

– Ah? But wait, and for this itchy story?

– Oh, it’s nothing. Come on, goodbye!

Leaving his toilet, I told myself I was about to fall: if my gynecologist was not worried, this means that he worries me at all, right? After all, it’s the specialist!

Blood test and departure for emergencies

The itching continued to worsen and expand, so that a week after my consultation, I gave up almost the whole body.

On the advice of my spouse, I made force and asked for a second meeting with this gynecologist. For a girl like me who cannot ask for a second sachet of mcdonald ketchup, she asked me for great effort.

So I came back to see the doctor, who was very clearly fighting completely with my problems and I advised me to make an appointment with a dermatologist for my dry skin problems.

Knowing that I spent my days and my nights to fuck myself from the moisturizing cream to relieve itching (I was constantly shiny and my skin mirror like that of a dolphin), clearly it was not a problem of dry skin.

Contrecue, the gynecologist still prescribed a blood test and, two days later, I received a phone call from his assistant:

“We have received the results of your blood test and I don’t want to enlarge you, but you have to go to the emergency room as soon as possible.” “

In the emergency room, I was told that I had a pregnant colestasis and that I was immediately hospitalized: the doctors did not want to risk letting me go until my bile acids had decreased. For reference, the normal rate of bile acids in the blood must be less than 10 µmoli per liter. I had 101!

An end of pregnancy under close supervision

I stayed in the hospital for two weeks, under close surveillance, while my bile acids take enough to be left home. Three times a day, I had to pass a monitoring to verify that the heart rate of my twins was good and to make sure I have not had contractions.

During my stay, corticosteroids were also injected to help children mature faster, in the event that childbirth is activated prematurely.

I was lucky enough to be in contact with a super nice, super kind and attentive medical team, and that even organized a visit to the neonatology service so that it could have an idea of ​​what it would have happened in the event of prematurity of my children.

The doctors also informed me that in the light of the risks at the end of pregnancy (combining the fact that I expect two twins), my birth would have been caused in the 37th week, if it hadn’t started alone.

And my gynecologist, in all this? Well, he went to see me 5 minutes during my hospitalization and told me:

“Well, luckily we took it in time, this colestasis!” »» »

Without complication and children in great shape

As expected, I was triggered in the 37th week and I gave birth to two kids in great shape. They didn’t need to go through the Neonat box and I was able to get out of motherhood after only 5 days. My children are now 4 months old, they are still in great shape and fill me with happiness!

The end of my pregnancy went very well and I was able to stop my medicines immediately after childbirth, my hormones have normalized very quickly.

Obviously, I changed my gynecologist and now I was followed by the midwife who had given me the preparation courses for childbirth (it was also she who was responsible for the rehabilitation of my perineum) and she is Tip Top!

Never disturb your doctor “not at all”

Pregnancy, especially when it is the first time, is scary. I myself, that it is not the type to worry, I found myself several times to look for the slightest symptom that seemed strange to Google (or worse, on theissimo) and to make me die for what was nothing in the end

However, if my experience were to be summarized in advice for my starting sisters, it would be: listen to your body. If you think that something does not take place and that a doctor sweeps your fears with a simple “is nothing” without going further, don’t stop here! Ask an exam, see another specialist or go to the emergency room if necessary.

If you think that “it is probably me who is paranoid”, or that you do not want to disturb your doctor or obstetric “at all”, tell yourself that it is always better to do an examination that turns out to be useless that ignoring something potentially dangerous.

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