Your Experiences

I was diagnosed with Obstetric Cholestasis within a couple of days of my first itch at 20 weeks so was on urso and vitamin k straight away. Unfortunately it did not ease the symptons and i was eventually on the highest does and being monitored evey three days. The itching started like clock work at 9pm till 5am every night. It wore me down and and sent me potty, fortunatley i did not have to works so i got some sleep during the day. i went into labour at 30 weeks which was stopped. I was due to be induced at 37 weeks but, found i was already 1cm dialated. 5 1/2 hours later Millie Ellen was born natural without pain relief a healthy 7lb 3oz. I remember laying in bed that night and at 10pm i realised i was not itching, i was so happy. I am now 7 weeks pregnant with my next. We had decided on no more children mainly because of the chances of having it again and to be quite honest the thought of that happening with a toddler on my hands too but, accidents happen. Also this time i am more aware of just how serious the consequences are, i think i was a little blinkered before. Oh well fingers crossed we don't get it this time.

Jackie

Im currently 31 weeks pregnant with my 3rd child. My other 2 pregnancies were relatively normal except abnormal thyroid with the 2nd. I started itching badly 1 week ago. Mainly on the soles of my feet but all over. Its been severe every 2nd night but constantly niggling every day. I rang my OB who sent me for blood tests 3 days ago. She told me today my bile acids are high but didnt yet have my ALP's which she would use to confirm the diagnosis of Cholestasis. Im now frustrated having read that high Bile acid levels is what she should be worried about. Im scared hearing that it increases the risk of stillbirth and confused considering my OB made out like cholestasis is no big deal just a need for a bit of extra monitoring. Im having an ultrasound on my gallbladder and pancreas tomorrow and more blood tests followed up by an OB apptment I guess I will know more then...

Bianca

I am now 12 weeks pregnant with our 3rd child. With my first pregnancy, I had an incredible itch that just about drove me nuts. My doc said that it was normal in pregnancy, not to worry. With it being my first, I figured that he was right. She was born at 37 weeks, jaundiced, and small. She had a very dark color. She looked like a Jamaican baby. My husband and I are not dark skinned. I think that had something to do with the cholestasis. Thankfully, she was pretty healthy. With my second pregnancy, the itching started at about 32 weeks and I told my new doc that I thought that I had cholestasis. He did the appropriate tests and said that everything was normal. I think that I asked for the tests too soon. The itching was so intense, I could not sleep, my husband was my scratching machine, I would walk on sharp gravel in the driveway because it felt so good to my feet. I quit working because I could not wear much clothing at all because the material made me itchy!! I lived in the bathtub, ice cold in the middle of November(in Oklahoma, U.S.)!! Finally, on a Thursday night my husband called the doc at the hospital, and the doc basically got rude with him and said he couldn't do anything for me. By the way, the clay colored stools, dark urine, and weight loss had started way back when the itching started. That next night, while trying to sleep, I was awakened not by the usual scratching that I was used to by then, but by the feeling that the itching on my chest and neck was so intense that it felt like tiny bee stings. Horribly scary. My husband said that I looked jaundiced and we went to the emergecy room at 3 a.m. Finally!!! Tests were done and...yes, you have cholestasis. Next day, the doc called and apologized to my husband for being so nasty and explained how we would have to be monitered twice a week until 37 weeks, then be induced. I just did not think that I had the strength to even go on...lack of sleep...feeling weak from malabsorbtion of vitamins...But my baby boy knew that Sunday morning that it was time to get out of there...I went into labor that morning and he was very healthy and beautiful. Although, he did have the meconium staining that is very common with this condition. I know this sounds very bitter and I am just thankful that my babies were fine. But, as that doctor stood over me as I was giving birth, and said "this is classic cholestasis", I wanted to slap him. After I had given birth and he was talking to me, he said you don't even look like you were pregnant (I had lost so much weight and was very skinny). I guess it was supposed to be a compliment, but I would gladly have been as big as a house to not have gone through that.!

I have a new doc for this pregnancy. I have not had any symptoms yet. I really hope, but know that it is not likely, that I won't get cholestasis again. Here comes baby number 3 and I am very excited.

Jennie