Joy in Birthing

PUPPS stands for Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy. It’s not uncommon to feel itchy during your pregnancy – this will mostly be felt around your stomach and breasts and is usually caused by your changing hormones and your stretching skin. If you do suffer from common issues, such as dry skin, eczema or food allergies then these may be made worse over the course of your pregnancy

Some pregnant women may also experience more intense itchiness during pregnancy. This is often seem in conjunction with itchy, red bumps and larger patches of a hive-like rash on their bellies. This is known as pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP) or polymorphic eruption of pregnancy and will effect about 1% of pregnant women.

Fortunately, the rash will not harm the baby and subsides after delivery of the child for most women. It is very uncomfortable and the usual recommendations are topical itch creams and histamine blockers to assist with sleep. Be aware that if blisters start to develop, it may be pemphigoid gestationis which is more serious and needs to be discussed with a doctor. For pupps, work on stress reduction techniques to calm your mind. Tell yourself that it is not life threatening and you and your baby will be find. Keep this as your main priority and use it calm yourself.

PUPPP will usually effects women who are in their first pregnancy, carrying twins, and is usually at its worst during the third trimester No one is certain of what may cause PUPP, as it is not associated with other complications such as preeclampsia, hormonal abnormalities or fetal abnormalities. Most western doctors will tell you the only CURE is to deliver the baby…which means literally MONTHS of misery for women who contract it. Other dubitable treatments of PUPP involves high strength steroid creams or ointments, applied 5 to 6 times a day to relieve the itching and prevent any further spread of the rash. Once the rash is under control, changing to a lower strength steroid used less frequently is advisable. In other cases oral steroids can be used to help control the itching.

Needless to say I am not a great believer in steroids especially during pregnancy. there are however some people who have had success with homeopathy, here is a good story I found on the web:

In my case, I woke to go to the restroom in the middle of the night and my palms were BURNING. Red, and burning…I just kept trying to rub them together and when I washed them after wards I just left them in the cool water for ten minutes. I thought, “Weird”….until I felt the burning spreading to my stomach and chest. I ripped my nightshirt off and sure enough I had raised bumps all over my body (not arms or legs, just stomach and chest). I screamed for my husband to bring me the phone and called my midwife in a panic thinking I had measles or something. **Laughing** she calmed me down, asked me several questions and started taking some symptoms. It began with burning palms, better for cool water, angry raised bumps that felt like (as I could best describe it at 3am) “I had rolled in a fire ant hill and been swarmed by mosquitoes at the same time.”
She had me take a tepid bath in oatmeal and said she’d call me back with a remedy. I guess she did some checking and in a couple hours told me to take a Homeopathic remedy called Apis Melifica 30C. I had HEARD of homeopathy but had NO clue about it. But at that point I was willing to try ANYTHING! I knew cortisone cream or antihisimines would be only temporary cover-ups at best. The only person in my small backwoods town I thought MIGHT have something homeopathic would be my chiropractor (whom I also work for as his massage therapist). I called him at five am and his wife brought the remedy by my house on her way to the office about 8am or so. I took as my midwife “suggested” (they can’t prescribe anything in this state).
One pill immediately gave relief and the burning sensation stopped although the bumps remained. She told me not to take any more until the burning returned. 20 minutes later I took another dose. An hour and a half later I needed to take another. The next day about 3am (same time it started up the day before) I woke to take another dose and that was it! Two months later I was stung by a wasp and had the Apis with me at my in-laws house so took one more dose but that was it.
Later, on talking to my mother, I found out one of her colleagues had this same condition and suffered for three months BEFORE her delivery and for another 6 weeks afterwards. I could NOT imagine. All I can say is, THAT is when I became a believer in homeopathy and what it can and cannot do.
Angela E. from Texas

Other Natural Remedies

Avoid hot showers and baths, which can dry out your skin and make the itching worse. Use mild soap and be sure to rinse it off well and towel off lightly. Then slather on an unscented moisturizer — some scents can cause irritation.

Try an occasional warm oatmeal bath. (You can buy oatmeal bath preparations in drugstores.) Wear loose cotton clothing and avoid going out in the heat of the day, since heat can intensify the itching.

Acupuncture  has been  found helpful in resolving the itching and rash. Pine tar soap externally and dandelion root internally is also recommended.

Any recommendation needs to be discussed with your doctor and evaluated for safety.