I just recently had my fourth precious baby, and let me tell you, it was no walk in the ballpark!. Having reached the status of geriatric pregnancy (yes, that is actually what it's referred to in the medical world!!) probably did not help, but neither did my high-risk diagnoses. We will start with the most annoying— cholestasis. Cholestasis decreases liver function and bile build up in your bloodstream which causes insanely intense itching with the worst at nighttime—-you know, that time when most pregnant women should be sleeping because the Lord knows the sleep deprivation they face when baby arrives!?

Not only are you miserable, but your baby is at increased risk for stillbirth, so typically, you will be induced early. The tough part is that many obgyns are not well versed about the diagnosis. For instance, many do not know that for as long as you have the itch (especially on your palms and foot soles) you should have labs done every 1-2 weeks for bile acid counts. Several will just dismiss the diagnosis and state that you do not have Cholestasis after one lab draw, when results can dip and rise sporadically.

Regardless, I am so thankful he is here, and yes, the very day he arrived my itching stopped! Luckily, with the help of my husband, we captured the above maternity photos just before the itching started.