*Please Read* Obstetric Cholestasis

[cuteboots]

I was on urso, vit k and piraton and was also given steriods to develop baby's lungs. I was in hospital for 2 weeks, had daily bloods as meds didn't make a difference and levels were continuing to rise, daily scan's. The wanted to induce at 34 weeks but no neo natal cots in Ireland I was booked to be induced at 34 +6 due to reduced fetal movement which they believed was caused by OC then at 34 +5 bub decided it was time to come by herself.
Second time wasn't as bad bub induced at 36 weeks

 

[mrs_km]

I was on urso, vit k and piraton and was also given steriods to develop baby's lungs. I was in hospital for 2 weeks, had daily bloods as meds didn't make a difference and levels were continuing to rise, daily scan's. The wanted to induce at 34 weeks but no neo natal cots in Ireland I was booked to be induced at 34 +6 due to reduced fetal movement which they believed was caused by OC then at 34 +5 bub decided it was time to come by herself.
Second time wasn't as bad bub induced at 36 weeks

Did you have OC the second time? How far gone were you when it showed up?

x x x x

 

[vaniilla]

I was diagnosed with having OC the week before I went into labour, it took me a while to talk to anybody about it because I thought itching is normal in pregnancy, from 36 weeks though I was waking up at night and scratching for over an hour and being itchy/sore, it continued through out the day and was really unbearable,

one thing I would say is that go and get it checked out, I thought that OC meant you had itchy palms and itchy soles but I didn't, I had really itchy arms and legs though, keep harrasing your midwife if she pays no attention as mine kept fobbing it off as stretching

 

[louise1302]

i was diagnosed today bile acids gone from 8 to 16 overnight and alt is 155 dunno what that all means though

am on urso, vit k. piriton and iron and twice weekly bloods and monitoring

hosp wont induce until 38 weeks though :/

 

[abstersmum]

My lft was 1000 at one point now down to 300 bile acid now at 10 so getting better don't worry they will keep a good eye on you

 

[louise1302]

are they inducing you hun? im pretty scared all this talk of drips and injections after he arrives and the prem labour risks

 

[abstersmum]

Well if my numbers keep coming down no I think I had it with my daughter 9 years ago as I had the itching but I refused the blood test she was born 11 days late and she was fine so I think I will refuse to be induced unless baby is stressed

 

[louise1302]

they think i had it with my second son 12 years ago, i got the itching but by the time i went in for a check up and bloods he was born 12 hours later so it was never confirmed

they scared me into accepting 38 week induction with talk of stillbirth and placenta failure. is this pretty rare then? im honestly completely ignorant and know barely anything about it :/

 

[abstersmum]

They tried to scare me into staying in hospital I refused but went in every day last week I think you have to do what you feel is right and listen to the doctors as all people are different I did have steroids last week just incase but things are going better now

 

[louise1302]

i hope mine go down at the min theyre just going up and up, i suppose i need to give the tablets time to work

thanks for all the info hun xx

 

[Samemka]

I had OC with Emma and was induced at 37 weeks. This time around I am itching, allbeit not as bad as with Emma. My bile acids have come back at 10, then 13 and 2 weeks ago as 14. I'm fuming because EVERYTHING I've read online (I'm talking medical journal articles, not just some random website) say that anything above 10 should be classed as OC - yet my hospital say 0-14 is normal in pregnancy.

IMO to make me wait 2 weeks to repeat the bloods is out of order when I'm past 37 weeks and my last result was 14!

I had bloods done last Friday but somehow the bile acids didn't get sent off (!) so had to have them repeated yesterday. I have an appt with the consultant today at 11:30 s hopefully they'll be back but I doubt it, they usually take a couple of days as have to be sent off. I just want to have some plan because this is a joke, my level was only 17 with Emma yet I was induced, so it's not much different!

 

[aafscsweetie]

I've been miserably itchy for two days now. It seems to be worse at night, I was itchy to the point of TEARS last night. I tried slathering myself in both cocoa butter and benadryl cream- didn't help. Finally I read this sticky and called my MW. I have an emergency appointment tomorrow, and am going to demand blood tests. I'm just worried because my mom, aunt, and grandmother had liver issues during pregnancy (gallstones, and all ended up having their gallbladders removed while in the hospital after labor and delivery). I've been experiencing pain under my right breast and in my back right behind my right rib, which I know is linked to liver problems. I just don't know if it could be OC because although I am mildy itchy on my hands, it seems the bulk of the itching is in my legs and chest area, and my stomach too. Did anyone have OC but have more all-over itching like I'm having???

Thanks OP for the post, I wouldn't have known to call my MW if not for this.

 

[louise1302]

thats ridiculous my hospital say any bile acids above 8 are abnormal and mine went from 8-16 in a day

they arent inducing me until 38 weeks though is this dangerous, since i got oc babies movements are definitely less

 

[abstersmum]

I had itching only on my legs at first

 

[Samemka]

thats ridiculous my hospital say any bile acids above 8 are abnormal and mine went from 8-16 in a day

they arent inducing me until 38 weeks though is this dangerous, since i got oc babies movements are definitely less

Saw the consultant today who has booked me in to be induced next Wednesday. My most recent bile acid results weren't back by then (I don't even think he'd looked at my bloods anyway & just thought cos I'd had it before & was itchy again it was back, cos when I said they were 14 he said 'oh right ok' - he didn't know, but he'd already told the nurse to book me to be induced next Wed!!) so I came home thinking 'if they've gone up anymore I'll be ringing back demanding it be sooner'....rang before and god knows how but they've gone down to 9?! 14 down to 9 when I'm itchier, makes no sense. Anyhow I'm still booked in for Wednesday which is good. The amount that hospitals vary in what is 'normal' for bile acids really pisses me off - how can it be 8 in one place, 10 in another, 14 in another!?

 

[Samemka]

I've been miserably itchy for two days now. It seems to be worse at night, I was itchy to the point of TEARS last night. I tried slathering myself in both cocoa butter and benadryl cream- didn't help. Finally I read this sticky and called my MW. I have an emergency appointment tomorrow, and am going to demand blood tests. I'm just worried because my mom, aunt, and grandmother had liver issues during pregnancy (gallstones, and all ended up having their gallbladders removed while in the hospital after labor and delivery). I've been experiencing pain under my right breast and in my back right behind my right rib, which I know is linked to liver problems. I just don't know if it could be OC because although I am mildy itchy on my hands, it seems the bulk of the itching is in my legs and chest area, and my stomach too. Did anyone have OC but have more all-over itching like I'm having???

Thanks OP for the post, I wouldn't have known to call my MW if not for this.

Mine was on my hands and feet but it was all over too - it definitely wasn't confined to just my hands/feet. Let us know how you get on

 

[kittykittykat]

im currently 25wks with my 2nd baby and i had oc with my 1st and today was diagnosed again with it, as having severe itching. i was induced at 37+4 with my 1st, that was 2008. but now they are saying the rules have changed now and that they dont induce anymore with this condition as no need to. iam now very worried and dont know what to do. with my first they were adament not to let me past 38wks. now they aint fussed. what do i do?

 

[mrs_km]

im currently 25wks with my 2nd baby and i had oc with my 1st and today was diagnosed again with it, as having severe itching. i was induced at 37+4 with my 1st, that was 2008. but now they are saying the rules have changed now and that they dont induce anymore with this condition as no need to. iam now very worried and dont know what to do. with my first they were adament not to let me past 38wks. now they aint fussed. what do i do?

Aww hun, I'd go for a second opinion. I had OC with my first and currently its not showing for this pregnancy even though I'm having severe itching. I'd defo go for a second opinion. x x x

 

[K12B]

Hello Everyone

Have just been reading through some of the latter posts on here and have found it so reassuring - thank you!

I had blood tests a week ago, which showed raised LFT, I was send straight to hospital where they took more bloods, traced baby and gave me the first steroid injection as the suspected obstetric choleostasis.

I have since spent 2 nights in hospital for monitoring, liver scan and had the second steroid injection. They seem to be puzzled though, as my bile levels are not all that high but my LFTs are. Has anyone else been in this position?

Also is it the norm now to have babys induced at 37 weeks if you have OC as I am seeing a consultant on monday and was wondering what to expect?

Thanks xxx

 

[Samemka]

Hello Everyone

Have just been reading through some of the latter posts on here and have found it so reassuring - thank you!

I had blood tests a week ago, which showed raised LFT, I was send straight to hospital where they took more bloods, traced baby and gave me the first steroid injection as the suspected obstetric choleostasis.

I have since spent 2 nights in hospital for monitoring, liver scan and had the second steroid injection. They seem to be puzzled though, as my bile levels are not all that high but my LFTs are. Has anyone else been in this position?

Also is it the norm now to have babys induced at 37 weeks if you have OC as I am seeing a consultant on monday and was wondering what to expect?

Thanks xxx

I'm in a similar position as my LFTs are raised but bile acids have actually gone down, which makes no sense. I had it with my first pregnancy though (raised bile and LFTs) so because of this I think they're more 'accepting' that I have it again so I'm booked in for an induction on Wed (39+1). I was annoyed at this initially because with my daughter I was induced at 37 weeks spot on, but this time around my bile acid levels have remained within the 'normal' range (13, then 10, then 14, now 9?!) so really I guess I'm 'lucky' they have agreed to induce at all.

If your OC is confirmed (generally by raised bile acid level tests) then yes you should definitely be induced at 37 weeks. With Emma I developed OC at 34 weeks, was put on urso-something acid which reduced my bile acid levels (actually bringing them down to within normal range) but I was still induced at spot on 37 weeks because research shows that after 37 weeks the bile acid levels can have a dangerous effect on the babies heart (not in all cases, just this is the reason for inducing as soon as the baby reaches term).

You should ask what your bile acid levels are because unless they are sky high, I'm not too sure why you were given the steriod injections because it's only in exceptional cases that OC patients are induced pre-37 weeks - and then you should have been put on medication first to try to bring your bile acid levels down. Try not to worry, your hospital sound like they are doing a lot but I find it's always best to ask about blood results then you know exactly where you stand!!

Let us know what your consultant says