The difference between an itchy pregnant belly and obstetric cholestasis—
It’s perfectly normal and common for pregnant women to experience some sort of itching as their bellies—and other body parts—expand, but not all pregnancy itchiness is created equal.It’s perfectly normal and common for pregnant women to experience some sort of itching as their bellies—and other body parts—expand, but not all pregnancy itchiness is created equal.
I made an appointment with my OB/GYN. She ordered blood tests and, within days, we had a diagnosis: I was suffering from obstetric cholestasis. I wasSleep was hard to come by. I found myself taking cold showers several times a day and using cream to cool off the itchiness. It felt like I was being bitten by a swarm of mosquitoes in the dead of summer.
“The risk [of stillbirths] increases with higher bile acid levels,” explains Greg Athaide, an OB/GYN at Lakeridge Health in Oshawa, Ont. He says that experts think this happens because bile acids accumulate in the placenta, amniotic fluid and fetus. Because stillbirths often happen around the 37- to 39-week mark, women with obstetric cholestasis are typically induced around 37 weeks.The only way to conclusively diagnose obstetric cholestasis is by performing a blood test.
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