ICP birth

[sholasealey]

Has anyone been diagnosed early in pregnancy with ICP? I've been diagnosed from 18 weeks with ICP, usually from 28 weeks onwards however I have previous liver damage from an allergic reaction to the contraceptive pill when I was younger. Now 23 weeks and meds haven't made the itching anymore manageable. I'm willing to grin and bear the itching throughout this pregnancy somehow with ice packs and cold flannels however can't find anyone's stories of inductions/ c sections or natural births with ICP. What gestation did you get to before giving birth? Was it vaginal? Or an elective c section?

Hi, I had ICP DS1 but it wasn't picked up on until 38 weeks and was induced there and then before the last bloods even came back from the lab in another hospital. I'd been itchy from about 32 weeks I think but stupidly thought nothing of it. I thought it was a heat rash and would run cold water on my feet at night. Midwife told me after that my bloods were sky high and they were right to induce...I think they would have done earlier if they'd known about it. Baby was fine but he struggled to feed, itchy symptoms went away immediately. Have you got advice on earliest you could have an intervention?

Thank you for responding. It's great to know others stories and experiences. They have said the normal gestation for induction is 37 weeks onwards however my bile acids are sky high at 140+ and not going down. Think I'll be waiting until 37 weeks minimal to be induced after reading more today unless by chance i go into natural labor

I think the symptoms can worsen with stress so try to look after yourself even though the symptoms themselves cause sleep issues and stress! It's something the hospital took very seriously once they knew about it so I would think they'll be ready to induce/C-section at the earliest they can.

I went to the hospital on a Sunday (due to the itch) and they only let me go home to get my bag and started first pessary that evening, had him Tues morning.

My body didn't seem to be super ready to produce milk and the placenta wouldn't pass so had to be manually removed under local anesthetic. I don't know if that would have happened without ICP.

I really wanted to EBF but DS1 lost 14% weight really fast and was stressy so we were readmitted after just one night at home because of the weight loss, turned out to be a bit of a blessing as got a load of help with feeding. He was jaundiced as well, don't know if that was ICP-related but it took a few weeks for that to go with letting him have daylight etc.

Wishing you strength and perseverance, I can't imagine having those symptoms so early in the pregnancy. Whatever you choose, it probably won't pan out exactly as you thought it would! I was induced early for DS2 (not ICP) and was a very different experience, not even comparable. Both occasions was rough but I was still grateful not to need to recover from a C-section..but I know friends who I'd agree an elected C-Section was the right call (both tiny people with big babies!)

I had ICP with my first which was picked up at around 35 weeks, induced at 38 when my levels rocketed.
With my second I was convinced I'd have ICP again as I was itching from early on but no ICP second time around.
It really is rough the itching I hope you can manage to keep it as eased as possible.
I have no doubt they will monitor your levels and make a call on the best time for you to go in to have baby.
I've had both induction and c section, I opted for C-section for second birth as my first birth was traumatic but that wasn't due to ICP or the induction specifically.