Twin pregnancy with obstetric cholestasis

8 Comments

My husband and I were over the moon with joy when we found out we were expecting. With one girl from his previous relationship we were excited with the possibility of more. We joked in the gp’s office when we got the confirmation. “Wouldn’t it be good if it were twins!”. The gp laughed and said that would be hard work. 6 weeks later we were off for the 12 week scan with the obstetrician when he asked my hubby “what’s this?” Hubby replied a head and then he was asked ” but what about this?” Hubby replied feet! Then he went slightly white! It was twins.

I was progressing really well and was not really showing until 20 weeks as they were positioned really well. We were excited to find out they were boys. Everything kept travelling well until 26

Weeks when I started getting really itchy on the bottoms of my feet. The only cure was to scrub them and them loathe them with moisturiser.

Over the next couple of weeks the itch started to increase in intensity and move to other body parts

Until my entire body was so itchy I was waking up in the morning covered in scratches and bleeding. Blood tests confirmed obstetric cholestasis. This is a pregnancy related condition where your gall bladder

Becomes blocked and bile salts start accumulating. The only way for them to be excreted is through the skin.

I left work at 28weks and was put on fortnightly monitoring and bloods. I was prescribed a

Private drug not covered by PBS and in the end my obstetrician said it was becoming to dangerous for the twins to remain in my tummy and they were delivered by c section at 35 weeks and 5 days.

The itch stopped instantly!

Tips for relieving the itch…

Ice packs, cold showers, baby oil and calomine lotion. I also did a full body scrub daily and was constantly mostuirisng.

Good news is that I had no stretch marks and everything has returned to normal – no gall bladder or liver damage and healthy baby boys.

If you are itchy during your pregnancy and it will not disappear. See your gp or obstetrician and ask them to include bile salts test.

Posted by breawalker, 29th August 2013

8 Comments

- - mom264570 said
  - 06 Sep 2017
    5:17 am
hello to all. MY WIFE is 21 weeks pregnant with male twins and already diagnosed with ICP. She suffers from itching and very irritable and distressed. I \\\\\\\’ ve been surfing the internet but I usually find pregnancies of 31 wws and above. anyone with ICP at 21 ww? thank you

- - mom264570 said
  - 06 Sep 2017
    5:10 am
hello to all. MY WIFE is 21 weeks pregnant with male twins and already diagnosed with ICP. She suffers from itching and very irritable and distressed. I ‘ ve been surfing the internet but I usually find pregnancies of 31 wws and above. anyone with ICP at 21 ww? thank you

- - Lori-Anne said
  - 21 Feb 2016
    9:10 pm
Thankyou for sharing this. I am very pleased to hear that you made it to 35 weeks and that your twins are doing well and your condition disappeared almost instantly after their birth.

- - memo said
  - 16 Jun 2015
    11:17 pm
good to hear all went well for you and the twins.

- - mom113055 said
  - 02 May 2015
    4:02 pm
top story

- - mom57522 said
  - 07 Jan 2015
    11:10 am
I’d never heard if this condition before.

- - aussiemum said
  - 06 Apr 2014
    2:12 pm
I’ve heard about this condition, but I never knew it’s name. Sounds awful, but glad you’re ok.

- - ronis84 said
  - 29 Aug 2013
    3:30 pm
I love your husband reaction in the scan! So glad it all turned out well.