Prurigo of pregnancy

Urgg...the stupid rash and itch is back. In the last week or so, I was getting comfortable with the false impression of my rash being under control. Sadly I was mistaken...or maybe it's just that the weather got warmer again. I had the hardest time sleeping last night (despite of having 2 fans blowing in the room with the night temp. of 62 degree) as the itch on my hands and feet was relentless. This morning my hands are swollen again with red bumps that resembles bug bites.

Not that it helps but I think I figured out what I have is not PUPPP. I think it's Prurigo of Pregnancy which is still part of pregnancy rash but slightly different sympton than PUPPP.

Here's what I found out according to Femalepatient.com:

Prurigo of pregnancy (PP) is the most poorly characterized gestational dermatosis. It has also been described as Besnier’s prurigo of pregnancy and papular dermatitis of Spangler. Prurigo of pregnancy is a diagnosis of exclusion, and a large number of pruritic entities unrelated to pregnancy must be considered. It classically occurs in the second half of pregnancy, affecting about 1 in 300 pregnant women.7,9

This condition presents clinically as discrete, bite-like papules on the extremities that resemble scabies or other arthropod bites. The lesions consist of erythematous papules and nodules on the extensor surfaces of extremities and occasionally the abdomen (Figure 6).1 Prurigo of pregnancy is often seen in women with an atopic background, and is associated with increased serum levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE)—supporting the notion that PP may represent a gestational variant of atopic dermatitis occurring as a result of common pruritus gravidarum.7 Liver function studies, including serum bile acids, should be performed to rule out cholestasis or hepatitis. At a minimum, the differential diagnosis also should include an allergic reaction and scabies or other infestation.

Knowing this piece of information, of course, does not help ease my discomfort -- especially knowing that it won't go away until the baby is born.

I am so giving my kid the guilt trip when he gets older...just kidding...maybe. :P

- M

Week 30

Just started week 30. My mom left on Thursday -- back to Singapore. I'm going to miss having her around. She's definitely been a big help -- especially with dinner. It's nice to have mom's cooking when we get home. Well, she'll be back in late October...in time for when the baby is due.

I'm back doing Yoga which is great for my lower backache. Sleeping is still challenging but I guess that's to be expected considering the baby is getting bigger. The weird craving I've been having is ice cream and chocolate -- it's only weird because I don't usually have a sweet tooth.

Paul and I went to the car safety class on Wednesday. I never realize there is so much to consider about car seat -- the type of car seats to purchase, when to transition from infant seat to booster seat, how to secure the seats to the car, etc. I'm glad we took it as I feel better prepared for it.

Oh...I found a cool site recently: www.goodyblog.com -- Great site with ideas for parents.

- M

My Daemon

Here is my daemon from the Golden Compass movie coming up. I am currently listening to the audiobooks and find myself liking them. I do wonder how they will create the worlds if they do the whole trilogy.

Week 28

It has been a very uncomfortable week for me. The rash I developed last weekend keeps spreading and not getting better. I took 2 days off because I was so miserable with the rash. I went to see my Primary Care doctor and a Dermatologist. They are both convinced that I have a form of pregnancy rash called PUPPP. While normally women who gets this type of rash don't get it until towards the end of their pregnancy and it usually starts with your abdominal. I started mine 12 weeks before my due and it's spreading from hands and towards my abdominal -- although I still don't have rash around that area yet.

The good news is it doesn't affect the baby. The bad news is that the rash will continue to spread and will not go away until after the baby is born. It's like having chicken pox for 12 weeks. The doctor recommended that I take Claritin every 12 hours and try to keep cool. Apparently the hydrocortisone won't help much to my discomfort. I found a cooling moisturizer from Aveeno that seems to help some and keep my skin from drying up. It's going to be very challenging at work. The office is rather warm and when I get too warm, my rash tends to flare up. I may have to just take my maternity leave early. Luckily we are going into Fall and the cool weather will be nice.

Paul has been so supportive and caring which makes this bearable. I can't wait for the baby to get here -- can't wait to meet him and can't wait to get rid of the rash!

Glucose Test Result

Well, good news -- I pass my glucose test! Now Paul won't give me as hard of time with my carb in-take. Of course, I'm not going to go crazy with it either.

However, over the weekend I developed some weird rash on my hands and it's been so irritating that I can't sleep. So I went to the Urgent Care doctor this morning. The doctor couldn't quite figure out what's causing the rash. He thinks it' from pregnancy hormones so he prescribed a stronger cream but it's not really doing much. I'm just going to have to wait it out and see what happens. Urgg...It's just so uncomfortable.

Here's a couple of the ultrasound from July 27th -- During 26 week pregnancy.

Week 27

Just started my 27th week. I had my initial glucose test and had to go back again last Thursday for the 3-hour test. That was no fun -- 4 blood tests, one every hour and the glucose drink made me really nauseous. Hopefully I'll know the results next week.

One thing I have to keep reminding myself is that due to the pregnancy, my hormones are all over the place. It seems like there is always one thing or another problem popping out. I had a really bad external hemmorhoid a couple of weeks ago and now apparently I have one internally that's causing bleeding every time I pass stool. And yesterday while I was at the Mariner's game (BTW We lost by a point to the Red Sox), my hands started to itch and now have these tiny hives that I have no idea how I got them. Paul thinks it's food allergy but why only on my hands? The itching subsided last night but I woke up itching all over my hands again...especially in between my fingers.

It's nice to have my mom in town -- she's coming back again late October for when the baby is due and staying for a month or town. We've had nice home-cook meals the last few days. I love my mom but sometimes she drives me nuts which I'm sure is true for everyone. I just wish she gets over the fact that we are having a boy. She was hoping for a grand-daughter and keeps making comments like "oh if you were having a girl we can busy so many more cute outfits". We were at our friend's children's clothing store, Bella & Max, and my mom keeps pointing out girl's clothing. I know she doesn't mean anything by it and she's just unsure about boys since she never had any. Well, it was fun to go to the baseball game with her yesterday...she kept talking to the baby in between the innings.