pupps is the pits! - & close call with midwives

[mama in the forest]

Pupps is too mild a word for what it all entails.....and I've got my first ever case of it. They could call it maybe POOPS, or something much worse for this nightmarishly itchy alien skin on my belly!

So......after using a plethora of home remedies for weeks with little success, I stopped by a midwifery clinic I know about & asked about a cream they might recommend. Would have just done a search online, but my internet was down & I was DESPERATE for some relief. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Let's just say I was questioned, rather, interrogated about things.....and it was really awful. I wasn't giving any information to them...just being friendly & trying to keep the conversation about the PUPPS & what kind of cream might be good to try. They put me in a room to bring out the big guns (the doctor) and after they'd walked away I got out of there as fast as I could. I felt like a wild animal in a cage. I really feel like I escaped with my life. And my baby's life. Who in the hell could ever give birth with medwives like these? UGH.

P.S. I realized that there is NO discomfort I could ever potentially experience that would be worse than the feeling I had in that office.

[paxye]

Sorry that you had such a negative experience with the Medwives... Did you get away before the "big gun" came? I hope so!

BTW... Did they give you any advice before you fled the cage? or have you found it on your own?
In any way I hope you are feeling better!

[2bluefish]

Oooo, scary!! Glad you got out of there! And glad you are back online!

I don't know about Pupps - is it yeast or a bug or just dry skin? Hormone thing? I've been using this massage oil called "Mother's Special Blend," because my stretch marks from dd are horrible though pale, and I really didn't want to get more or these to get worse. It seems to help, but I don't know if it really is or not. But it smells nice - like chocolate - it has cocoa butter in it.

[paxye]

Here are a few threads that may help... if you haven't found help already...
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/forums...?TOPIC_ID=3713

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=444706

and there is some info on this page too...
http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/miscdisc.html

but it seems that delivery of the Placenta is the only cure

[crunchy_mama]

Oh, I had to post to sympathize. I had PUPPPs as well, for those not familiar it is like poison ivy x 10, the only thing you can think of is scratching. I ended up doing a steriod pack after trying everything else with no avail. I wish I hadn't of now, but also remember how torturous it was.

[Melda]

i had PUPPPS and it was the friggin pits ... i do feel for you ...

[RootBeerFloat]

Homeopathy, if you haven't tried it. I had it BAD, from my neck down, I had to quit work because I couldn't stand to wear clothes, it was so awful. My doc couldn't help, my midwife couldn't help, but my homeopath helped. We started with Belladonna 30c and then moved onto Sepia 30c. Within days it was bearable. Not gone, but so, so much better.

[mama in the forest]

Thanks so much mamas for your sympathy & support!

I had been trying really hard not to scratch....and then the day I was driven to see the midwives I just gave in and put a hot towel on my belly and just scratched the hell out of it over the towel. I was like some kind of rabid animal! Then I wanted to pour acid or something on it just so it would HURT instead of itching. I poured some witch hazel on it which stung like crazy.....but I was glad of it. And so now we have both pain & itching with a vengence returned.

Thanks for those threads! I was able to see some of them once I got back online & I think I've tried everything in them.....however, I had been trying two different homeopathic remedies - sulphur & antimonium crud (bad spelling I'm sure)........and so I am definitely going to try the sepia & belladona instead now. Though from what I've read it might just be wise to practice some meditation on it! One thing I had some limited success with was some comfrey oil......so I may try just some plain comfrey packs without the oil and see if the more intense healing effects of plain comfrey might help.

My cage? Well, I fled it before the hunter came to get me. And I learned I'm never too old to learn a good lesson.

[doula mary]

I had one mom who found ice packs helped

Mary

[Mama Dragon]

Kind of a long shot here, but maybe get some of that numbing spray (they gave me some in the hospital for my peri area), not exactly all natural, but it might be better then itching so bad. I hope it gets better soon

[Sweetiemommy]

I found that a light coat of tea tree oil works really well. It stopped my itching for about three hours! Also have you tried oatmeal baths?

[sprout 1]

hmm. Not sure if it's the same thing, but I get this horrible, awful itchy rash on my FACE when I'm pg, and I've found it usually comes after a huge dose of stress. All that helps is to rest. Last pg I was working and couldn't rest until my eyes swelled shut and had to take a week off until I could see again :
I don't know if it's the same though, seeing as I only get it on my face/neck. I feel for you, though

[2bluefish]

They gave me Lidocaine spray to put on my puppies sutures to keep them from itching and him picking them out.

How about calamine lotion? Oatmeal baths? Benadryl?

You're really close - how about some calophyllum to get baby to think about coming out? heehee

[vickiecv]

Oh, what a batch of horrible medwives. You go for fleeing that scene!

One thing I make is a paste of sorts from fresh comfrey leaves ground and mashed into vaseline.

[veganf]

PUPPPs is worse than chicken pox, poison ivy and hives combined, IMO! It's horrendous!!! And I only dealt with it for a couple of weeks. I know it can last for months sometimes.
All I can say is, get to a dermatologist NOW. A topical steroid cream will often do the trick. It worked for me. Sometimes taking Atarax helps too, but I managed to avoid taking anything internally, but I got the prescription just in case. Some women have to go the internal steroid route, which I know isn't desirable, but once you've got PUPPPs you'll do almost anything to make it go away.
As far as natural remedies:
- flax oil. A few tablespoons a day.
- dandelion root. a couple of capsules a day.

There are a few soaps marketed specifically for relief of PUPPPs but I haven't tried them.

I was already taking flax oil when I got PUPPPs at 10 days postpartum last time. But this pregnancy I'm taking it along with the dandelion root prophylactically. So far so good at 33 weeks.
Milk thistle is also another herb recommended for PUPPPs, and I'm taking some every few days, but some people say it can cause premature labor, so research it first to decide if it's for you.

And while sometimes the rash disappears after delivery, this is not always the case. So induction due to PUPPPs is not the way to go IMO, but that's what many mainstream doctors recommend.

I really hope you find relief soon!!

- Krista

[Intertwined]

From my doula workshop this past weekend:

Have a compounding pharmacist make a mix of Lidex 60grms, menthol 240 ml, lubriderm 420grms and apply it topically. If you can find any physician to write this script my instructor said it helps many women (but not all). I have the name and # of the pharmacist who came up with this if you wanna PM me!

(((gentle hugs)))