Christina DePino took to Facebook to vent about an irritation she was suffering during pregnancy, she didn’t expect the complaint to possibly save her unborn baby’s life.

The US woman shared her experience in post that has since gone viral, in a bid to warn other mothers that might notice similar symptoms.

“If you’re pregnant & your itching REALLY bad, don’t ignore it!! Started having severe itching a few weeks ago, (it was keeping me up at night) thanks to a little Facebook complaining & the urging of Jennifer, Britney & Monica, I got the itch checked out & found out I had pregnancy Cholestasis, which is basically harmless for me – except for the crazy itching – but could have caused a stillborn after 37 weeks!”

“I was officially diagnosed last week and had to get her out this week,” Christina continued.

“We are so blessed! Thanks guys for giving some amazing advice which may have just saved our precious girl’s life! Yeah we are SO BLESSED & in awe!!!”

At 37 weeks and two days, Christina delivered a healthy baby girl, Lexa Rae.

“I would like to urge pregnant women who are suffering from severe itching to be their own advocate,” Christina told Today. “Know the signs and symptoms and then contact your doctor. Don’t ignore the itch, a simple blood test could save your baby’s life.”

What is Obstetric cholestasis? via SA health

Obstetric cholestasis (OC), sometimes called cholestasis of pregnancy, is a liver disorder that a small number of pregnant women can develop, usually in the last three months (last trimester) of pregnancy.

OC is a condition where the flow of bile from the liver into the gut is reduced, causing a build up of bile salts in the blood.  Bile is a yellow fluid produced by the liver, which contains waste products and chemicals (bile salts) to help digestion.

The main symptom is itching (pruritis) without a skin rash.  The itching will completely disappear within a week or two of the baby’s birth and does not cause ongoing health problems for mothers.

However OC can lead to an increased risk of death of the baby before birth, premature labour, bleeding within the brain of the baby and passage of a bowel movement (meconium) before birth into the fluid around the baby (amniotic fluid). This can get into the lungs of the baby and cause breathing problems after birth.

Please speak with your midwife or doctor if you have any questions about Obstetric Cholestasis.

Have you suffered anything similar during pregnancy?

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