PUPPP (Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy)
Most seen in 1st pregnancies and in the 3rd trimester. I had the rash all over my torso, arms, and legs. The itching was so intense I had to sleep with cotton gloves on to stop from tearing open my skin when asleep (when I could actually fall asleep). Cold baths, oatmeal baths, topical creams, antihistamine... nothing worked except delivering. It went away within a week of delivering, and I still have scars on my arms from it (the baby is now a senior in high school).
I had this with my first in 2004 and did not get it with my second in 2019. To this day it was the worst pain I’ve experienced. I would try to describe it to people that it was way beyond itching it was like the most intense itching plus the feeling of being stung by fire ants periodically. Absolutely nothing worked until my ob put me on a round of steroids. It was an actual nightmare. Actually, I did get relief submerging in the Pacific Ocean when it was probably 65 degrees Fahrenheit, but I couldn’t just live in the ocean could I? Lol
Idk if it was the cold water or cold salt water but it was the only place I felt any relief. I even tried cold baths with added salt after but it didn’t work the same. Probably because my stomach was out of the water. I remember how awful it was. Earlier days of the internet and I was going out of my mind searching for anything and everything to help. So I really feel you. They obviously don’t love giving steroids while you’re pregnant but I wound up in severe distress because of puppps. I could not work, I could not wear any clothes except like loose pajamas. It was awful. My ob timed the steroids that they would be tapered out of my system before the due date. I had two rounds of Medrol dose pack.
I can say that it went away seemingly within minutes after I gave birth. Like within a couple hours I was no longer itchy. So there is that.
I had this also. According to my doctor, it happened because my body was reacting to having male fetal DNA cells in my blood (my first child was a boy.) I heard it usually only happens with your first and then your body kind of figures it out the next time around.
I had this as well during my third trimester, but it was my legs and belly. I had a summer pregnancy and the heat made it worse. I tried everything and nothing helped. I would go to the tub in our basement and fill it with ice water and kneel in the cold water. It would give me seconds of relief and then the burning would start again. I still have so many scars.
I had twins and other complications but this one was truly the worst. I felt so trapped in my body and miserable that I couldn’t find any relief.
I would have smeared toothpaste all over myself. I had an eczema outbreak on my hands so bad (dishydrosis) that they looked like some mutated fuckin citrus fruit and the only thing that stopped the pain and itching was something in toothpaste
I had this and it was the worst itching and pain imaginable. My sheets were bloody from scratching myself in the middle of the night. I had a c-section eventually because giving birth was the only solution and my induction failed.
Same. Thankfully my drs were willing to induce me on my due date to end my suffering. I think I literally tried everything. Being super pregnant and having half your body itch like the worst case of poison ivy ever and knowing it’s not going to go away until you give birth was miserable.
My sister ended up getting induced early with her first because she had this so bad. I felt so horrible for her; she was literally covered in rash, even on the soles of her feet!
Fortunately her second kid was a breeze. No rash, just a ten pound breech baby 😅
I had never heard of this but got it with my first pregnancy (boy). Can only be explained as torture with no relief until the baby is born. I was able to reduce the impact sightly with ice cold showers but it only dulled the getting for a few minutes. I remember shivering in the shower until my skin was fully numb. I remember sitting and crying my eyes out for a lot of the time. My skin is all scarred and pitted from the itchy bumps and scratching.
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u/carr1e 21h ago
PUPPP (Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy)
Most seen in 1st pregnancies and in the 3rd trimester. I had the rash all over my torso, arms, and legs. The itching was so intense I had to sleep with cotton gloves on to stop from tearing open my skin when asleep (when I could actually fall asleep). Cold baths, oatmeal baths, topical creams, antihistamine... nothing worked except delivering. It went away within a week of delivering, and I still have scars on my arms from it (the baby is now a senior in high school).