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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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  • It’s good to see social media does have some positives. How lucky she chose to rant in public

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  • Does it cause ongoing respiratory problems for several months or longer??

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  • Ive heard of this condition but had no idea it could lead to stillbirth after 37 weeks and how it affects the baby. So lucky this mum vented & her friends and others alerted her to visit her dr. I’ve had twins and they were premature so had lots of complications with them but the ‘usual’ ones you’re warned about. This would’ve been so scarey and totally out of the blue. Glad mum & bub are both now fine.

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  • Wow, I have never known about this, how scary and lucky for that family!

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  • Thank goodness for the good outcome. Talking about problems always helps.

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  • Wow! I didn’t know about this condition – how awesome that vigilant Facebook friends ensured a happy outcome!

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  • Great her friends on social media knew about this. I had severe itching too during the last trimester of the pregnancy with my son and got treated by the GP.

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  • It’s amazing what people know and can help each other with.

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  • She has very good friends! If you have any worries you should call either the midwives in your local area or nurse on call. They would rather be bothered with nothing than miss something that goes on to end badly.

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  • I didn’t know this. Luckily she followed the advice and got her itch checked. The only idea that she could have lost her child!!! :-(

    Reply

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