Friday, June 21, 2013

Pregnant and itchy: skin rash during pregnancy

I have been really fortunate throughout my pregnancy as far as most symptoms go.  My morning sickness was limited to nausea with no vomiting.  My feet have not really been very swollen until just in the last few weeks, but they are not bad enough to necessitate buying bigger shoes or anything like that.  My back pain has been almost nonexistent, which is wild because I have had back problems for years.  For these things and others, however, I have consistently prayed and been prayed for, and even when I started to experience symptoms, they usually cleared up pretty quickly.

A few days ago, I noticed a new one.  I was putting some lotion on my constantly itchy tummy and felt some bumps on the lower part of my belly.  I had to get a mirror since I can no longer see that portion of my stomach, but when I did, I found a patch of red bumps about three inches long and two inches wide.  I had a doctor's appointment scheduled for the next day, and the itchiness wasn't TOO bad, so I decided to wait and ask the doctor.

When I did, she responded by saying, "You have pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy."  

Um, okay.  Glad to have that cleared up.

She must have noticed my glazed-over look because she then explained that pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy, or PUPPP, as it is more commonly and efficiently called, is a common skin rash that occurs during pregnancy.  It is not really a big deal or anything to be concerned about, and she told me that there is not a whole lot to do except put 1% hydrocortisone cream on it and keep it moisturized.

I was not too worried about the situation at the time because it had not been unreasonably itchy, but by the evening, it was out of control.  I was so itchy I wanted to scream and nearly did a few times.  (We have a nervous beagle, so I kept my urge to start screaming lest the beagle get startled and start peeing.)  I did go back out later and pick up some 1% hydrocortisone, but even with that, lotion, petroleum jelly, and Aquafor, I was awake until some time after 4 a.m.

I'll be honest.  I think I would take the swollen feet over this one, but as with all things, I will turn it over to the Lord in prayer and expect it to clear up in a day or two like most of my other symptoms have.  What was the most unexpected pregnancy symptom you had? 

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