Cholestasis in pregnancy

[eggandchips37]

Has anyone else here had cholestasis? I developed it quite late in my first pregnancy and was induced at 37 weeks.

Pregnant again and I've been told there's up to a 90% chance of getting it again. I'm only 18 weeks and I'm already paranoid that I'm itching constantly. Because I know more about the condition this time I am terrified of having a still birth or other issues with baby.

Has anyone had this condition in multiple pregnancies? How was it managed if so? I suspect I will be induced early again if it flares up but obviously that won't be until much later and I don't want to spend my whole pregnancy worrying.

I am under consultant care but I haven't seen anyone yet.

I had it with first baby (winter) and ended up with a c section after failed induction. Didn't get it with second (summer) luckily, although did have blood tests and took milk thistle for liver function. Just a word of caution though, it's not officially recommended in pregnancy although there are no reported side effects. A bit like urso acid I suppose. Winter pregnancies are more affected than summer ones. Both babies fine 💕 With monitoring you will most probably be fine and so will baby.

Oh the itching though 😂 Lying in bed mid winter with packs of frozen peas on my feet!

@chloworm with my first dc I didn't develop it until 35 weeks and was induced at 37 so thankfully I didn't have to put up with the itching for long.

Right now I'm only 18 weeks and I'm already itchy (not sure if I'm hyper aware of it though). There is a lot of information online about it being linked to still birth so it's really quite frightening.

I haven't had any blood tests for liver function or bile acids yet but I think I will ring my midwife and ask for some as I'm getting more and more concerned and I should be monitored this time anyway.

Glad to hear your dc were both fine. My dc was too but as I say, it didn't appear til much later in that pregnancy and I didn't really have much time to worry about it!

They have changed the guidelines for timing of delivery. If bile acids are less than 100, recommended Delivery at 39weeks, if over 100, IOL is usually a lot earlier, anywhere from 34weeks depending how high they are, more usually 36-37wks

@Mummyme87 that's interesting. It has definitely changed then. Is there medication available now to keep bile acid levels under control too?

I had severe OC with my 2nd baby (induced at 35 weeks due to the OC) but not with my first baby - I had absolutely no OC symptoms at all with that one!

My consultant said there's around an 80-90% change of having OC in subsequent pregnancies.

I had it with my 17-month-old and was induced within days of being diagnosed. Began inducing 34+3 but he didn't come until 35 weeks.

I'm 8+1 now and I just expect to get it again so I know what you mean. Seems far away right now but I think I had it for ages before it was diagnosed last time, so I'll be worrying about it before too long.

My boy had passed meconium too before he was born (even though he was born quite early) which is a known risk of OC, but nobody can explain to me why. Why would my liver condition make my baby pass meconium so early??

I just try to remember it worked out okay last time and I took a healthy baby home 🤞

@Holskey you're right there's no point worrying and last time I got through the entire pregnancy without any intervention (until induction). This time at least I'll be monitored. I just feel like because I know more now I will worry more. I especially seem to get itchy on a night time when I'm sat relaxing and I can't work out if I'm just focusing on it more then or if I genuinely am itching.

I'm due to see the consultant in a few weeks so hopefully I can talk about it then but I may contact the midwives before then just to see what they advise. Jeez as if pregnancy wasn't scary enough!

@eggandchips37 Ursodeoxycholic Acid is used to reduced bile acids, my trust have used it for years. My friend had a baby earlier in the year, OC first time and nothing second. It definitely doesn’t always happen in subsequent pregnancies

@eggandchips37 if you're itching, you should tell your midwife tomorrow. It might be all in your mind but it might not and it's better to be monitored if you have it ❤

Bloody hell I'm itching now! Only 8 weeks do definitely just the result of this conversation! 😂

Both pregnancies. Started itching around 12 weeks with both. My bile acid levels for my first one were over 1400 as it wasn't diagnosed for a few weeks. Had both babies at 36 weeks. I remmber my urso prescriptions were such a high doses the pharmacist had to call my consultant each time.

Husband had a vasectomy after the second child as we couldn't go thru it again.

I had OC I'm both my pregnancies, and it caused premature labour with my 2nd baby at 31 weeks. @nettytree my husband had the snip too after our 2nd as couldn't face another similar pregnancy!

@Holskey sorry haha, the power of persuasion 😂