Anyone had experienced obstetric cholestasis?

[Shaky27]

Hi ladies

I am 33w pregnant of my 3rd baby now. I I’m wondering if anyone has been diagnosed with obstetric cholestasis? Or ever heard about this liver disease appearing at the third trimester pregnancy in 1 out of 100 women....

This is the complication I am facing since 3 months now and I felt very lonely since this is something very rare apparently.

I would like to share my experience here...

[LHow81]

I had OS I had my diagnosis at 35 weeks so didn’t have to put up with for long. I was induced at 37 weeks and ended up having an emergency c section. Feel free to message me if you want to talk about it. x

[Shaky27 in reply to LHow81]

Hi LHow.

Thanks for sharing. Hope you and baby were fine....

For my experience, I could not believe there is nothing we can do rather than trying to keep the level stabilised and wait... after 15 days it kept growing up and I was very scared upset sad depressed....

So after a month of treatment and no t getting any better, even worse, I went on internet and tried to find out which food could help the liver to do his work... so in addition to the treatment, I just ate brocolis salmon bean bed grapefruit etc everything that was listed ! After 3 or 4 days the itching stopped, my hands got back to normal appearance (they were very dry itchy and cracked) and I managed to get the acid level back to normal and stabilised it there a week after until today !

The obstetricians were very positively surprised, baby is growing well and they said no need to deliver early anymore... but of course we keep the weekly blood test and monitoring me closely just in case, but I am so happy now and relieved!!!

So in case someone is having the same problem, you could try my plan B and hope it will work as it did for me xoxo

[LHow81 in reply to Shaky27]

That brilliant well done you! I think if I had have been diagnosed as early as you I would have ended up on the internet googling the best things to eat and do!

We are both fine now he’s a very boisterous 2 year old!

[Shaky27 in reply to LHow81]

My 2 older kids were upset eating brocoli and salmon or spinach for weeks lol but its healthy for baby so they didn’t moan... bless them..

I’m glad you both are fine 😍

[Zulfiqarafzal in reply to Shaky27]

Hello shaky how're you i think you may help me with this I'm actually worried since 2 days my wife having these same symptoms of itching in whole body mostly in palms and feet. After reading here I'm worried if my wife also have this problem of obstetric cholestasis. I thought it would be something normal now I've decided to go for doctor as tomorrow morning and right now she doesn't know anything thing about this and i can't tell her bcz she's so sensitive and so she won't sleep if she found out if she's having serious problem. I hope you help me to guide me what to do and in this situation is it okay to have a normal delivery or c-section get compulsory i hoped to have a normal delivery. Your sooner reply would be more appreciated ☺️p.s she's at 35 week of pregnancy.

[lidiahm in reply to Shaky27]

can you please send me the list of the things i can eat

[Kooner in reply to LHow81]

Hi my Wife is 35 weeks and her bile acid levels are at 24. We have been told by midwives that everything is fine at this time and that we should be able to go on to full term. They have also told us that there is no need to worry until levels reach 100. However we feel like this is an unnecessary risk to be taking and feel like at 37 weeks we should insist on induction/ c section. They have also said that monitoring once every 2 weeks is sufficient, we have read that this condition should require at least once a week.

What are our rights in terms of insisting on induction and insisting on c section?

How worried should we be of worst case senarios?

The itching, particularly at night is become more and more intolerable any suggestions?

[LHow81 in reply to Kooner]

I’m sorry to hear that. I thought it was every week too for monitoring. I think towards the end it was every couple of days. I don’t know unfortunately what you can do to in terms of getting a c section. I don’t remember what level mine was at now to be honest. I did take antihistamine to help with the itch I think, but it was almost 5 years ago now. Someone has posted about eating food that can help such as salmon and broccoli. I hope this can help. Try not too panic and believe the doctors know what they’re doing.

[Barry87 in reply to LHow81]

Thanks for the info LHow81. My partner was diagnosed with Chloestatis in week 29. Her reading was 119. She's been taking Urso 500mg 3 times a day for the last 4 weeks and thankfully her Bile reading is now much lower. It's reduced from 119, 80, 15 and 8.9. Doctors still want to induce her at week 36. Week 36 + 4 days has been set as the induction day. I'm just wondering now that her bile readings have significantly reduced, should we go ahead with week 36 + 4 days or try to get to full term (37 days). We have seen 3 different doctors and they all suggest different induction dates (week 35, week 36, week 37). Partner is currently 33 weeks + 4 days.

[Stateofheartsss]

Hi Shaky27, So I had a fall(I just blacked out) and landed on my belly at 22+ weeks. I ended up in A&E and after a few hours of testing, I was told my liver was slightly swollen/inflamed this then began a series of weekly ultrasounds and blood tests checking my liver function/bile acids etc. Mind you at the point I was already itching badly but I had put it down to maybe having an allergic reaction to foods or something and it wasn’t until the midwife asked me if I had been itching and it could be cholestasis but yet no definitive diagnosis.

I was told each time that my bloods were fine but I was still to come back. Last month, they told me that I wouldn’t need to come back weekly anymore but that my next appointment would be in four weeks.

I had this appointment last Wednesday, only to receive a call on Friday from the midwife that my bloods were ‘abnormal’ but it wasn’t cholestasis and I was to come monday(yesterday) for repeat blood tests again testing my liver function. While the midwife took my blood, I asked her what was abnormal about my last set of blood tests to which she said that she wasn’t aware of anything being wrong with the tests but she’ll double check. Another midwife then came to tell me that my last tests were absolutely fine, they just want to keep on top of things and they can’t give me anything for my itch which at this point is so severe that my arm turns red. Later in the evening, I receive a call from this same midwife that my bloods have come back “wrong” like the last time. Please note the word choice. I was come back in the morning for more liver function tests and they would also like to book me in for a liver scan but again not to worry, everything is fine and I don’t have cholestasis.

I am so stressed out and annoyed as I feel they are not being straightforward with me. How can they say everything is fine but my liver function tests are abnormal and wrong. I’m terrified of needles so these last few weeks haven’t been great. I am currently 33 weeks and 2days and I honestly can not wait for baby to come and things to settle. I was told they would induce me at 37 if I was diagnosed with cholestasis and although I don’t want to induced,I just want some answers.

[Shaky27 in reply to Stateofheartsss]

Awwww bless you. I perfectly understand your feelings... I have been through all these weekly checks and blood tests and so on.... but they were clear with the results of the blood tests. It was cholestasis. However the liver scan was good and clean so I was a bit confused.

Maybe try to eat as much as you can spinach salmon and brocoli if not allergic.... as since these foods I got better... the itchy, no cream helped me unfortunately... not even baking soda (my hands didn’t like it at all)...

How is your baby doing? Growing well? Moving as usual? Listen to your body and feelings and trust them... that is my granma’s advice (she was midwife)

I’m here if you need to talk 😘

[Tmof in reply to Shaky27]

Hello I am pregnant and I have itching on my tighs, bum arms Nd hands when I scratch it turns into bumps I had liver function test my liver is normal but I am waiting in my bike tests did any of you get rashes or bumps when scratching your itchy skin

[Jai2o]

My Wife was diagnosed with this early on in Pregnancy, both of our Parents are from the North of India (punjab) and apparently it's one of the hotspots for this disease - No reason given - it just is. Taking the medication was instant relief although it was expensive. She is currently pregnant with our 2nd baby and the symptoms have returned so will be taking the medication again. Feel free to message if you have any questions.

[sag88 in reply to Jai2o]

hi Jai, please can you let me know how early your wife was diagnosed with this

[IamtheAnonymous in reply to Jai2o]

Hi Jai! My daughter is diagnosed with high bile acid today at her 29th weeks of pregnancy, I wanted to know how the symptoms and medications were for your wife! At impact on the baby health? Any piece of advice to improve will be appreciated!!

I am from Punjab as well! Thank you!!

[LisaMunden]

I had this throughout my pregnancy. Luckily my midwife picked up on it. I was scratching my skin raw, that's how it was picked up. My daughter wasn't as big as she should have been. I had close monitoring and she was born healthy. My daughter is now 7 weeks pregnant herself, I understand this can be a condition that is passed on and can manifest in other pregnancies.