Wednesday, October 29, 2008

sick and itchy

I've had a terrific pregnancy...until the last few days.

My skin started itching late last week, and my throat started hurting Sunday night. The itching has gotten progressively worse and I'm now sporting a rash on my legs. At the OB appointment on Monday, he wanted to run a blood test to make sure the itching wasn't something  bad (this was just at the start of the rash), and I got to sit for 30 minutes for a nonstress test. I just sat in a chair with a heart rate monitor on my stomach picking up the baby's heartrate. That test showed that the baby is doing very well. I even had some contractions during it (that I didn't feel!).

The blood test came back normal today.

On Tuesday morning, I woke up with my throat hurting even worse and some severe congestion. I went to the doctor's and got a strep test - negative. Just a viral infection - that is totally kicking my butt. I had to take today off of  work again after spending less than 40 minutes at a time sleeping last night, waking up 9 times between 11 and 8. My napping has been similarly nonproductive.

I'm just waiting out this virus ending.

In the meantime, I get to deal with the itching. I've discovered that it is most likely PUPPP, a pregnancy-induced itchy rash that doesn't go away until after giving birth. It feels like it's starting to spread to my arms, and there's nothing that really takes it away. Relief can be found with a couple of herbal-ish soaps/lotions according to some popular pregnancy sites. If it's going to be a problem and it's early in the pregnancy, doctors might prescribe steroids.

Luckily, I don't have to deal with this for much longer, but it's making me truly hope that this baby comes early. If not, my skin is going to be quite unhappy.

I'm not dialated at all according to my Monday appointment...so please pray that I make some progress asap!

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