Pregnant with my 6th and PUPPPs AGAIN!

Hi everyone!

Yep, you read that right. I’m 16 weeks along with my 6th baby. 🤰🏼 And my PUPPPs rash started at 13 weeks on my back. I’ve got a game plan this time, though! 

I will plan to share the journey with you as I go along. After I discuss a few things with my midwives tomorrow, I’ll fill you in on the plan! 

There is hope with this condition, and PUPPPs babies are so worth it!

Much love, 

PUPPPs Mom

PUPPPs...For the 5th time!

Well, here I am again, I'm sorry to say. I have PUPPPs again. I made it to 29 weeks this time! I was hopeful that this might be my first pregnancy without PUPPPs! But sadly, I'm 33 weeks now, and I've just reached the keeps-me-up-for-hours-at-night, scratch-til-I-bleed, red-itchy-patches-everywhere, I-might-go-crazy Stage. You know that stage? I'm sure you do. I'm sorry you do. 

For all of you wondering if my oil blend is helping this time (See here for my Cooling Relief Oil Recipe), sadly not enough. As before, it does bring temporary relief. But the rash just keeps getting worse and worse, spreading more each day. 

I'm strongly considering trying topical steroids again this time. You do what you gotta do to stay sane.

There is a strong aspect of the mental game this time. I know what's ahead. I know how much time I have left. It's simply depressing. 

The nights are the worst. Hours and hours awake, scratching with my trusty hairbrush (this fella here), trying not to wake people with the noise and the crying. I know I could bring my cooler of ice packs to bed again, but that is depressing too. To get to that point. After functioning so well last time!

I know you come to this blog looking for answers and hope. So I'm sorry for this little venting session. When I get over the grief and accept that I need to deal with this, I will let you all know what relief I find this time around. 

In the meantime, you once again have my fresh sympathy. Fresh and acute. I say this as I discover a new patch in my HAIR. Sigh. 

Signing off for now.

PUPPPs Mom

Hang in there!

I know most days with PUPPPs are too much. Too much itching. Too many tears. Too many weird remedies. 

But I want to add one more thought to that mess. 

There is a baby coming soon! And that little person is waiting to meet you! To be held in your arms. To get to know how you smell. To hear your heart beating from the outside. Waiting to share their first smile. Waiting to grab your pinky finger and hold on tight. 

And soon, that little person will grow. You will love them more each day. They are with you for the long run. Also, each day (eventually), the memory of your rash will fade a little bit. It really will. The trauma will be in the past.

This is my little chubby lump of love...

She is 7 months old now! That is as long as I had PUPPPs in her pregnancy! I can tell you that the last 7 months went by much faster than the first! 

If you've spent many desperate nights online searching blogs and forums for PUPPPs info, you're probably familiar with my PUPPPs stories (all FOUR of them!). But I would like to hear some of yours!

If you have a tidbit of encouragement for other suffering moms, please leave a comment for them. 

If you're interested in doing a guest post, please email me at pupppsmom@gmail.com. Your story will be read by hundreds of suffering moms every week! It's so helpful to hear from people who have made it to the other side when you're in the middle of it. 

Thanks, ladies! 

Almost 1/2 a year is over...

...since I had my 4th PUPPPs baby! She'll be 6 months old soon! 

I thought it was time to update you all. 

The big question...am I still itching!?!

Well, yes and no. 

I wish I could just say no. But my skin stays...weird for quite a while after a baby. 

Prior to having my first child, I had boringly normal skin. Nothing to report. Not even a touch of eczema. But after each baby, it seems to take quite a while for my skin to normalize. 

The main PUPPPs rash typically goes away around 2 months postpartum. But in it's stead, I have experienced everything from eczema in my elbows and behind my knees to a sudden, strong sensitivity to my wedding ring!

Currently, I have eczema on my arms, an itchy patch of skin on my belly, and and I can't wear my wedding ring at all! My ring finger breaks out in crazy itchy bumps and scaly dry skin if I wear it even for a short time. I've never been allergic to it before a month ago! 

My skin has just never been the same since PUPPPs. I wish some expert could tell me why, but my doctor and midwives haven't a clue. I'm curious if any other post PUPPPs moms out there have had the same experience! Please comment if you have anything to share! 

Postpartum PUPPPs

Well, I'm holding my 1 week old, precious baby girl! We did it! Made it through yet another pregnancy with PUPPPs. 

And guess what? It's back! 

By the end of my pregnancy, it had calmed down again. It was nearly gone. But after a couple days wearing those funky, oh-so-attractive, hospital provided undergarments (you know the ones??), I developed a pretty good rash on my lower belly. In the last few days, I'm back in my PUPPPs-friendly clothes, but it's too late. The damage was done. The rash is spreading. I'm applying my oils like crazy and considering attempting a 7 star hammer treatment. 

It's hard for a picture to capture just how itchy this is!! See the sheen? I had just put my essential oil blend on it. Ahhh, the cooling relief of peppermint!

I wish I could capture those bumps better! 

I know I am not alone. Many of you mommas have had their rash worsen after baby comes. In the past, mine has taken a good 2 months to go away. Hope it's shorter this time!

Nov. 14th, 2014 **UPDATE**

  Once again, my essential oil blend has saved the day again! After treating the rash for a couple days with it, the rash is fading in size and intensity! Hooray!

We made it!

Our tiny little bundle of JOY is here! PUPPPs, it's time to take a hike!!

The story and more details to come later. 

On the home stretch...

Hello, fellow itchy people! 

I know my last post was about how everything was working well. It mostly still is. But something must have shifted hormonally, because one of my pesky patches of rash has flared up again in the last two weeks. It is SO itchy. 

I do wonder if it has so do with the fact that my 1 year old lost my bottle of essential oils for about 3 days. (I found it under her crib, between some toys!) Right after that stretch of having no oils for maintenance, the rash came back! That does seem like quite a coincidence, no?

Anyway, I'm enduring, because my due date is only 12 days away! We're almost there! Pretty soon, I will have a precious newborn in my arms and plenty of distraction from the itch. What a welcome event! 

I'm thinking about all you ladies out there on your own home stretches! Hang in there!

**Fall in my neck of the woods.**

Something Must Be Working

The blog has been quiet lately, hasn't it?

Well, it's because my rash is pretty much under control! It's hard for me to believe! I guess on my 4th pregnancy with this crazy condition, I've finally tweaked my routine to something that helps!

Here's a Link to my current treatment routine, in case you'd like to give it a try. I'm pretty sure my essential oil blend is the key to all, so here's a link to that Recipe. It's worth a try people!

I've got 4 and a half weeks left in this pregnancy, and then probably 2 more months of dealing with the rash. But the end is in sight! I sure hope all that I've learned helps some of you out there!

PUPPPs Essential Oil Blend: Amazing Relief!

As some of you may have noticed, I've been working on researching and testing Essential Oils for PUPPPs relief for some time now. It was important to me to be comfortable with the oils I was using and to be familiar with how they worked before I spread the word. Here are a couple links about Essential Oil safety in pregnancy. (But PLEASE, simply consult your care provider before using Essential Oils while pregnant! My midwives have signed off on my blend, but you'll want to have that assurance from your own provider. Also, I would hold off using any Essential Oils until you're through your first trimester. That is when the risk is greatest for birth defects and miscarriage.)

- Is it safe to use essential oils while I'm pregnant?
- Essential Oils

I've been working on refining a special blend of essential oils for PUPPPs for over 3 months, and I think I have something pretty exciting! It hasn't completely cured my PUPPPs, but it has kept it so minimal that I consider it a practical cure. I am functioning again!

Like I said, I've been using and refining this blend for over 3 months. I am very impressed with the combination of immediate relief and healing relief. The cooling effect is amazing. It calms the itch immediately and much more effectively than ANY other product I've tried over my 4 experiences with PUPPPs. But on top of that, it appears to keep the inflammation at bay! I chose each oil in the blend for it's anti-inflammatory properties. I have seen two other blends out there for PUPPPs that seem to use oils traditional for itchy rashes. My blend focuses on inflammation. From all the research I've done, PUPPPs seems to be some kind of an inflammatory response.

Here's some pretty impressive proof of my relief!

These photos were taken 1 week apart. The first is my rash at it's worst for this pregnancy after 1 day of using the oil blend. Miserable. The second picture is after 1 week of using the oils, and the third is after 2 weeks of using the oils! The photos are NOT edited at all! The lighting difference is simply that the first picture was taken in the evening under artificial light, and the last two were taken in the morning in natural light. 

As I have posted about before, my rash is not completely gone. It seems to be on a monthly cycle. Once a month, it "peaks," and I develop a couple of small patches (1-2 inches across) of rash. The peak lasts roughly a week, and the oils seem to take it away! I have never been this functional with PUPPPs before! Not even with steroid use! You know I've tried it all!

I've decided to make my recipe available to all of you, because it has been SO VERY HELPFUL for me! It has been more effective than the STEROIDS were with Baby #3. I'm so impressed that it is competing with and even beating the big guns! 

Here is my Recipe for Anti-Inflammation Oil Blend:

Materials: Essential Oils, carrier oil, and 1 oz glass roll-on bottle.

(Click HERE for a link to these bottles, which I have been very happy with. Not ONE leak!)

Makes 1 oz of Oil Blend (which last 1-2 weeks, depending on the severity of my rash)

Ingredients:
Peppermint Essential Oil - 45 drops (This number is flexible! I find that I like a more intense cooling effect when my rash is at it's peak, thus 45 drops. However, in-between peaks, I often make the blend with only 30 drops. You can vary this to your preference!)
Lavender Essential Oil - 15 drops
Geranium Essential Oil - 15 drops
Frankincense Essential Oil - 12 drops
Myrrh Essential Oil - 12 drops
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil - 7 drops
Eucalyptus Essential Oil - 5 drops
Tea Tree Essential Oil - 5 drops
Organic Jojoba Oil - Approximately 3/4 Oz.

Directions:
Mix all the Essential Oils in a 1 oz roll on bottle, then add jojoba oil until bottle is full. Cap with roller top and start applying for immediate relief! Apply as needed. Note: Be sensible! PLEASE PLEASE test this blend on a small patch of skin first and avoid use in sensitive areas such as the groin, armpits, nipples, and mucous membranes. The oils are no joke, so be careful! Ask your doctor first before using Essential Oils in pregnancy!

My Happy Bottle of Sanity!

A note on purchasing Essential Oils:

They can be PRICEY! Two companies I am very pleased with are Plant Therapy (available on Amazon) and Beeyoutiful (available here). They have reasonable prices and a high quality product. (Note: I am not associated with either company. I'm just a fan.) I have done some reading on other popular companies, and while I believe they have quality products, I also believe they are over-priced. Please don't take offense if you are a loyal supporter of some particular brand! This is just my personal opinion.

Here is an article from the Beeyoutiful company that does a fantastic job explaining the ins & outs of essentials oil quality: Essential Oil Quality

Even with purchasing from companies with reasonable pricing, getting all the oils you need to make this blend is a financial investment. I have found it to be EXTREMELY worth the money, but I understand that some of you may be wary about spending a bunch of money not knowing if the oils will work for you. I am considering selling my oil blend on Etsy, just for some of you who want to be able to try it before making the plunge to buy all the oils. Is anyone interested in this? If I get a positive response, I'll get serious about setting up an etsy store!

UPDATE (November 1st, 2016): I'm riding out my 5th case of PUPPPs. My oil blend is still helpful for itch relief. I wanted to try making a blend that wasn't so oily, as it tends to make all my clothes oily. I whipped up a batch with witch hazel as the base instead of jojoba oil. My conclusions? It burns more, so don't use it in sensitive areas or on places you've scratched til they bleed. It'll hurt. And the relief doesn't seem to last quite as long. But I like alternating it with the oil-based blend. It cuts down on the greasy factor!

UPDATE #2: A fellow PUPPPs sufferer is selling my blend on Etsy! Find it here: OhioEssentials

PUPPPs & Depression

I've been reading quite a few posts lately on one of the Facebook support groups by mommas expressing that are at the end of their coping abilities. A few have mentioned considering terminating their pregnancies. It makes my heart hurt to read these comments. Partially, I remember feeling awful about my pregnancies when my itch was at it's worst. I remember feeling so sad that I wasn't HAPPY to be pregnant. It didn't seem right to me. But on the other hand, I've made it to the other side 3 times now, so I wanted to encourage some of you that are in that dark place right now.

First, I want you to know that what you are feeling is very real and shouldn't be minimized by anyone. People who haven't experienced the life-altering extreme itch of a PUPPPs rash that doesn't seem to have any hope of going away don't understand the mental place it brings you. You can't imagine facing another day, another sleepless night, with this itch!

But let me tell you about the first time I was alone in a room with my first born daughter.

The day before, I spent 18 hours of absolute agony bringing her into the world. Yes, PUPPPs is horrible. But I did not itch in labor. I hurt. I wasn't prepared for the natural birth I wanted, so when the reality of labor pain hit me, it hit me hard. (Side note: it's worth preparing all you can ahead of time to deal with labor! The Bradley Method is my favorite so far. My second birth was incredible in contrast to my first! It can be different!) I writhed in pain with contractions and then vomited in between them, presumably due to my high anxiety and adrenaline levels. There was no rest, no break, until the hard work was done. But then, she was here, and the joy and RELIEF was like nothing I'd ever felt. I'd done the HARDEST thing of my life so far and received the most amazing, beautiful reward!

We spent the next 24 hours marveling over her every detail. When it was time to go home from the hospital, my husband went down to bring the car around, and I was alone with my daughter for the first time. The situation struck me hard. I began to cry. I was alone with this little girl, a helpless tiny person, and she needed me desperately. I suddenly felt I knew the love of a mother. It took me being alone with her, with no nurses or husband to share the burden, to realize she was mine. She slept so peacefully in my arms, unaware of the dangerous world she had just joined.

And as I thought about that dangerous world, I suddenly had a feeling I had never felt before. It was fierce.

I would DIE for this person if need be.

I would trade my life for this child.

It was fierce! It was the fierce, intense love of a mother!

I could not have known the intensity of this love prior to this moment. If someone would have told me before birth, I would not have understood. In the darkness of my PUPPPs, I could have been in danger of missing it!

Ladies, I know you're suffering! But take heart! There is something SO precious on the other side of this! Your child needs you! You will know it when you hold them, but until then, press on!

Find one more remedy to try. Go ahead and order that one more crazy product to try. Make one more appointment with your doctor...or a different doctor! Or a dermatologist! Take one more icy, cold bath. Take a trip to the store to stock up on some luxurious ice packs and comfort food. (Or send someone to the store if putting on clothes sounds horrible.)

(My 3 little PUPPPs babies.)

Do what you need to do to get through, because there is a precious, tiny person inside, unaware of the dangerous world they are about to enter, that needs YOU! You are his or her only protection in this world. You CAN get through. You WILL get through, and you will get to hold that person and be so thankful you made it. Keep going, Momma. Keep going.

(PS. As always, I'd love more information about PUPPPs, so please feel free to answer my polls on the right side of the page. If you are using the mobile version, scroll to the bottom, click on "view web version" and you'll be able to see the polls. Thanks! ~PUPPPs Mom)

Seven Star Hammer Test!

Well, PUPPPs, you've gone and made me feel crazy again. This time, it's for poking myself repeatedly with itty bitty needles. Need a little explanation for that statement? You can read up on my Seven Star Needle journey here: Seven Star Needle Posts. Anyway, I finally had a patch of rash that deserved some extreme attention. So, I pulled out my "hammer" and gave it a go.

I documented the process, so you all could follow along with the crazy. 

Here's the before picture of a lovely little patch of rash on my hip. Red, raised, and SO itchy. I tried not to scratch before this picture to keep it from looking too inflamed. 

And here's what I used in the process. Cotton balls for sterilizing my skin, the torture device (aka the seven star needle or plum blossom), and some isopropyl alcohol. 

Here I am sterilizing my skin. You need to give it a good long, vigorous scrub for the alcohol to be effective, at least 5 minutes. 

All clean and ready to commence!

Sterilizing the hammer. I let it sit there in a capful of alcohol for 5 minutes. 

Then I went to tapping! I did a little video, but my internet connection is sketchy right now, so I'll have to upload that later. I tapped until there were little spots of blood all over the patch. Yes, it hurt! Let's see, how shall I describe it... Well, it felt like seven tiny needles pricking me over and over and over. I found that the faster I tapped, the less I recognized the pain. I also tried it on a patch of skin in a more "sensitive" area that I didn't feel comfortable photographing. It hurt a lot more there.

Here's the skin right after:

And here it is about an hour later:

And this is a full day later:

Pretty well healed up from the pricks. The hives are less obvious, and I will say that this patch has not bothered me at ALL since the treatment. Unfortunately, the patch in the more sensitive area is still crazy itchy. CRAZY itchy. It could be that I didn't tap as hard, since it hurt more. I even tapped that area for a second time today without success. It still itches!!

I will continue to monitor the patch on my hip to see if the itch returns. I'm not sure what to make of this PUPPPs treatment. It seems very effected for the patch on my hip but hasn't improved the patch in the sensitive area at all.

I guess I would recommend giving it a try, provided you understand the risk of infection and consult with your doctor/midwife ahead of time! I'll let you know if my condition changes in the near future! I'd be quite curious to hear if any of you try it and how it turns out! Please be careful in your efforts!

UPDATE: It's been roughly a week since I tested the hammer, and here's the status...The patch on my hip has disappeared. There is no itch in that spot. However, two patches cropped up right next to that patch. I don't know if it's related to using the hammer, but they sure do itch. I'm considering trying the hammer on them too. Now, the patch in the "sensitive" area is just as itchy as ever, maybe more. I don't understand why it appeared to work in one place but not the other. Very strange. I will post an additional update if I decide to test it again.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Roughly two weeks after the first hammer test, I decided to give it a go again.  I had developed two additional patches on my hip, right next to the original patch. I pulled out the hammer and followed the same steps as before. It's been 3 days since I did this, and those patches are nearly gone! You can tell there used to be rash there, but there are no raised hives, and they do not itch. I'm more and more convinced that there might be something to this remedy! 

The Delay & My Current Treatment Routine

I'm sorry for the delay in the Seven Star Needle test! I've had the wonderful problem of not having a good enough patch of rash to try it on! I anticipate my rash flaring up again in a week or so if it sticks to it's previous pattern. I will be testing it as soon as that happens!

In the mean time, I'm so pleased that my current rash routine is helping! I will soon need to write baby #4's story and tell you all about it! In case you can't wait (and I know what it is to be in a desperate place!!), here is a quick list that I'll elaborate on later.

• Dandelion root capsules: 800 mg 1-2x/day (Oregon's Wild Harvest brand)
• Daily probiotics (Biokult brand)
• Daily superfood supplement (Dr. Schulze brand)
• Magnesium supplement (Professional Formulas Note: I haven't ordered from this website. I buy from a relative, so I am not endorsing this seller. I just wanted you to have a link where you could read more about it.)
• Liquid chlorophyll supplement (Nature's Sunshine brand)
• Topical essential oil treatment that I came up with recently.

The probiotics, superfood, magnesium, and liquid chlorophyll are not specifically for PUPPPs. Those are just my normal vitamin routine, but you never know what is helping! 

The dandelion root capsules and the essential oils are the only things I'm doing specifically for PUPPPs, and they really seem to be helping!

A more detailed post is in the works. :) 

Seven Star Needle Has Arrived!

All the way from China! And a full week before it was expected! Way to go, Amazon!

Here's what the box looked like upon arrival. Anyone know what that says?

And here's what was inside the box...

Um, yikes!! This may prove to be my craziest PUPPPs remedy yet!

Ok, now I must seriously commence research on how to do this right! I can see a big potential for infection. Plus, I only have one, and I don't want to mess it up and have to wait another 2 1/2 weeks for the slow boat from China! I'll get right on that research and hope to post about how it went soon! 

Essential Oil Journey

I'm embarking on a research journey. 

Actually, I've been on the journey for a little while now. I started getting into essential oils when I was pregnant with my first. I made a stretch mark belly butter with lovely smelling oils to prevent scarring. To this day, I've never gotten a stretch mark, though I suspect that has a lot to do with my genetics. 

These days, I use essential oils on a daily basis in my homemade baby wipes and in my homemade deodorant. 

My handy, 2 inch thick reference book. 

It was only recently that I thought of using essential oils for PUPPPs. (How that escaped me for the first 3 bouts with PUPPPs, I do not know...) A reader recently commented that she was finding a little success in small tests with tea tree oil. This inspired me to let you know that I have been in the process of developing and testing a blend of essential oils for my rash. I'm still researching the safety of all the oils, as I want to make sure I know what there is to know on that subject before I start promoting the idea. I'm also testing, testing, testing. I've gone through a LOT of oils! 

Through all my looking, I've only found 2 essential oil products for PUPPPs. The reviews are compelling! (Although, I bet the ladies that it doesn't help aren't as likely to give a reiew at all.) 

I'm guessing that as essential oils are kind of an up and coming thing lately, a lot of people don't even know to try them. 

I'd love to hear your feedback...have you tried essential oils for your PUPPPs rash? Any luck?

Black Cherry Juice Update

I've been testing the Black Cherry Juice remedy for a couple weeks now, and I DO feel like I'm seeing some positive results!

Here's a little info link about why the highly anti-inflammatory Black Cherry Juice is helpful: Black Cherry Juice Info

And here's the gist: Black Cherry Juice contains anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant that helps to block enzymes that cause inflammation. As well we know, PUPPPs is quite the inflammatory process. So, there does seem to be some science behind why this tasty remedy may help!

And boy, is it tasty! Tastes just like eating the canned cherries from my Grandpa's farm when I was a little girl.

I've been drinking 8 oz a day for about 2 weeks. I wasn't consistent at first, due to traveling, but I have been very consistent this last week, and my rash looks quite a bit better. The itch is less severe as well. Unfortunately, it's hard to say whether that is just the natural pattern of my PUPPPs taking its course or the juice really helping. But I'm pretty sure it can't be hurting, and it tastes so good!

I would highly recommend giving it a try!!

This is the brand I'm drinking, in case you're curious. 

Patterns in PUPPPs

Has anyone else noticed a pattern with their rash?

I've had PUPPPs for 3 months now, and I've noticed that once a month, it gets worse. For the most part, my routine keeps it under control, but it has peaked 3 times since the start. At each peak, a new patch starts in a new place! 

That makes me wonder if the inflammatory response in my skin is somehow related to hormone fluctuations. Anybody else experience this?

I Finally Made the Order

I did it! I ordered a seven star needle!

"What on earth is that??" You may ask?

Here's an excerpt from my "Treatments I've Tried" post...

Chinese Medicine 7 Star Needle: supposedly complete healing relief
This is a bizarre one! I recently found out about this treatment through puppps.org. It uses a Chinese medicine device designed to treat hives. Here's a pic...

Crazy looking, no? Apparently, you tap the hive until it starts to bleed, and then that hive NEVER itches again. The testimony on puppps.org is really compelling!!! Otherwise, I don't think I'd even consider this treatment! You can find videos on youtube if you want to see the treatment in action. I'm currently building up the courage to order one from amazon. I'll let you know!

Well, I finally ordered one! $5 on amazon with free shipping. That's pretty cheap if it truly gets rid of the rash. The shipping was abominably slow, sadly. It'll probably be 3-4 weeks before it arrives, but when it does, I'll test it on myself and let you know!

My PUPPPs Story: Baby #3

Baby #3 was my worst case of PUPPPs.

At 15 weeks, the first patch of rash started up in the exact same place as before. I knew what was coming. I couldn't believe it had started so early. I was distraught but still mildly hopeful that the dandelion root would kick it before it got bad.

The belly at 15 weeks, just as the rash began.

No luck. 

It spread, and it spread fast. At 17 weeks, I was in tears. I was bloodied from scratching and not sleeping. I could not perform daily tasks like dressing or meal prep without scratching. It was not something self-control could manage. Once again, I could not NOT scratch! It felt like bugs were crawling under my skin! I was puffy and red all over! I couldn't stand it when anyone touched me, especially my children. 

I could not fathom 5 months of it ahead of me. I was already close to losing my mind. 

So, I let go of any resolve I once had to avoid steroids, and I made an emergency appointment at the dermatologists. (See this post for more details on that.) I bet dermatologists don't get many requests for emergency appointments! 

After many curious staff at the office were sufficiently impressed by my predicament, I got my prescription for topical steroids. Triamcinolone was to be my rescue. And it was.

Mine looked a lot like this. This is not a picture of my tub-o-cream, just a very similar one. 

I went through more than one tub. 

After two days of intense introductory treatments designed to super-saturate my skin with the drug, the rash started lessening. I was beginning to feel relief and a touch of sanity returning. I was SO VERY relieved. The thought had crossed my mind that the steroids might not work, and I didn't know what I'd do! So, finding relief was such a relief!

I continued to use the cream daily throughout the pregnancy. My rash never completely disappeared. It was only tamed. However, I could function, and I could sleep, and I was content with that. I hated to be taking a drug that had no conclusive safety record in pregnancy, but I was sure I'd have been put in some kind of mental facility without it. No exaggeration. 

After I gave birth to my 3rd sweet little girl, my rash did worsen for a month before it cleared up. This was a first for me, but the steroid cream did seem to help keep it from reaching an intolerable state. It disappeared completely after that.

Baby Girl #3, tiny bundle of love.

As far as my body was concerned, I noticed very few side effects from the cream. My skin did become very thin feeling where I used the cream the most. It was delicate. It would bleed easier if I scratched too hard. But that was it. 

My baby, on the other hand, was another story. She was SO yeasty. She had yeast in every fold of skin. The worse areas were her underarms, neck folds, and diaper area. Red skin with a cheesy discharge. We tried quite a few different over the counter things, natural treatments, and one prescription. All of these were topical things and ineffective.  That yeast was stubborn! 

As she got older and had fewer skin folds, it got a little better, but it still hung on. When she started eating solid food, I began a special diet for her. I had researched a bunch and decided she needed gut healing. Babies are colonized with whatever bacteria mommy has in her and on her on their way out into the world. Steroids change your body chemistry and make a happy environment for yeast. While I didn't experience any noticeable yeast symptoms, I'm sure I was harboring a ton of yeast at the time of the birth. They made their home on (and in!) my unsuspecting infant. 

Since yeast is usually a problem that is not just skin deep (it loves the digestive tract), I decided we'd try to heal baby's problem from the inside out. We put her on the GAPS diet (GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology/Physiology syndrome). It's a grain-free diet that uses a lot of bone broth and probiotic food. You can find more info on the GAPS diet here and here. Please comment and let me know if you'd like a post with more details on how we did the diet. 

She remained on the diet for roughly 6 months, and her yeasty rash issues finally cleared up! It was not an easy fix, but it was worth doing.

 Happy yeast-free toddler just after her first birthday.

So, that's baby #3's story, from the beginning of the rash to the cure of the side effects from the steroids. It was quite an ordeal. 

With this current pregnancy, I really didn't want a repeat of the steroid experience. And I haven't needed them yet! At nearly 25 weeks along, I've had PUPPPs for 10 weeks now. I think I've finally figured out a routine that works for me, and I look forward to compiling a summary of it in another post with #4's story!

Disclaimer: I am not recommending the particular drug that worked for me. Please talk to your doctor before starting any course of treatment! 

Treatments I've Tried

Here's my comprehensive list of treatments I've tried in the past. I'll rate them on a scale of 1-10, 1 being not helpful at all and 10 being complete healing. I'll also indicate whether it simply brought temporary relief or actually worked to heal the rash. 

Alternative Treatments:

Oatmeal Baths: Rating - 2, temporary relief
These baths (I used the Aveeno brand) felt ok while I was in them, but left zero lasting relief once I was out.

Epsom Salt Baths: Rating - 1, neither temporary or healing relief
While I normally love a good epsom salt bath, I found no relief from the itching with these.

Herbal Baths: Rating - 2, temporary relief
I had another friend with PUPPPs that found huge relief from herbal baths that included herbs like comfrey, calendula, lavender, plantain, red raspberry, and others. The bath felt sort of nice while I was in it, soothing even. Sadly, there was no change in the itch as a result of the multiple treatments I tried.

Aloe Vera: Rating - 2, temporary relief
Aloe, which I refrigerated to increase the cooling effect, alleviated the itch while it was drying. However, as soon as it dried, I was reaching for something else.

Banana Peels: Rating - 1, neither temporary or healing relief
I read somewhere that someone found relief from rubbing banana peels on their rash. Pretty bizarre. That was not the case for me. It stung a bit, but did not decrease the itch at all. Here is a link to one momma that DID find relief with banana peels: Click Here.

Sun Bathing: Rating - 1, neither temporary or healing relief
I think the theory here is that the UV or the release of vitamin D is supposed to help. Not for me! No help at all. I tried multiple sessions just to be sure.

Charcoal Poultices: Rating - 1, neither temporary or healing relief
This one makes me laugh, just because of the giant mess it made. Charcoal in general is like a zillion tiny sponges. It's awesome treating food poisoning, because it actually soaks up the toxins and bad bugs that are making you ill. I read that charcoal poultices also help some skin conditions in that same way. You paint yourself with a paste of charcoal and water and cover the mixture so that it doesn't dry out. It doesn't work dry. That becomes tricky when the rash is ALL over! I decided to try it on my worst patch, which was at the top of my belly. My mom help paint me with the paste, and then we wrapped me in plastic stretch wrap to keep it from drying out! What a sight! Black goo wrapped up like yesterday's leftovers! Anyway, I tried it for a couple days and then gave up. It wasn't helping, and it was torture to have my itchiest spot covered where I couldn't get to it!

Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap: Rating - 1, neither temporary or healing relief
I'm sorry to say that the soap that seems to help so many people gave me no relief! I didn't notice ANY reduction in the itch. Glad it helps so many others though! If I were starting over, I would still try it, as it seems to bring relief for lots of PUPPPs people!

Sulfur Soap: Rating - 1, neither temporary or healing relief
This soap is recommended for rashes like poison oak, so I thought I'd try it. It was no help, and it was stinky.

Dandelion Root: Rating - 6, healing relief
I drank the tea and took the tincture. When the rash was bad, I tried to drink a cup of tea a day and take 2 droppers of tincture 3x/day. (This was at my midwife's recommendation.) During the 4 times that I've had PUPPPs, this remedy hasn't always worked. I do believe it was the reason my rash became tolerable with my 2nd pregnancy, but it wasn't enough to help my rash on my 3rd pregnancy. I am currently taking it with my 4th pregnancy, and it seems to be contributing to keeping my rash from driving me crazy. I am sleeping through the night.

Nettle Tea: Rating - unsure, healing relief
I drink this tea off and on, but drank it consistently in my second pregnancy. It may have contributed to the healing. It's easy to add a teabag of this stuff when you are already steeping a bag of dandelion tea. Traditional Medicines is the brand I used.

Apis Mellifera homeopathics: Rating - 1, neither temporary or healing relief
Once again, I was disappointed to find that a remedy that seemed to help a lot of women did nothing for me.

Acupuncture: Rating - 1, neither temporary or healing relief
I really gave this one a shot, because lots of people said you can't tell with just a few treatments. I even tried a couple different practitioners. I know it has helped some people, but it did nothing for me.

Ice Packs: Rating - 8, temporary relief
This is definitely my favorite treatment for temporary relief. I have a whole post on it here. Icing the itch would calm it down sometimes for hours. This meant sleep! Keep a cooler of ice packs by your bed so you don't have to get up in the night.

Essential Oils: Rating - 9, temporary AND healing relief!
This has been revolutionary in my 4th pregnancy with PUPPPs! I wish I had experimented with it in earlier pregnancies! I made a blend of peppermint, lavender, geranium, frankincense, myrrh, eucalyptus, tea tree, and ylang ylang essential oils. The cooling effect of the oils calms the itch immediately and keeps it calm for hours and hours. The anti-inflammatory properties of all the oils seems to heal the rash! It's awesome!! Here's a link to my recent, thorough explanation of this treatment and a recipe for the blend: Click HERE.

Not-So-Natural Things I've Tried:

Sarna Cream: Rating - 2, temporary relief

This lotion, found at most drugstores, uses menthol and camphor to calm itches. Unfortunately for me, it brought little relief. I would describe it as a mild cooling effect that lasted roughly 5 minutes.

Benadryl: Rating - 1, neither temporary or healing relief
I noticed absolutely zero reduction in symptoms from benadryl pills, either 25 mg or 50 mg doses.

Over the counter hydrocortisone cream: Rating - 3, healing relief
I've found that this brings mild relief. It is NOT an instant relief, but if used consistently, I noticed a slight reduction in the intensity of the itch. I would estimate it took 3-5 days to notice any effect.

Benadryl cream: Rating - 1, neither temporary or healing relief
Again, similar to the pill form, I found zero relief from this antihistamine cream.

Vistaril (hydroxyzine): Rating - 1, neither temporary or healing relief
This heavy-duty prescription antihistamine did nothing for me. It was intended as a sleep aid, and it didn't work for me. The thought is that it makes you sleepy enough that the itch doesn't wake you up. I noticed zero improvement in my sleep from this pill.

Prednisone: Rating - 5, healing relief
Sadly, this nasty steroid did work for me, but my experience was brief. 2 days before giving birth to my first baby, I broke down and took this. By the time I went into labor, I did notice a big drop in the itch. I was feeling much better. I stopped the drug after my girl was born, and the itch did return, though not as intensely for about a month. Talk to you doctor or midwife extensively and give careful consideration before you go forward with this steroid.

Topical triamcinolone 0.1%: Rating - 7, healing relief
This is a topical steroid that was my saving grace with Baby #3. Within 2-3 days of starting treatment, I found a huge reduction in the symptoms. I was more comfortable with this than taking oral Prednisone, because the general opinion of the medical world is that less of the drug gets into your system when it's applied to your skin versus taking a pill. I still had flare-ups periodically, but I would just increase my usage temporarily, and it would calm things down. However, though I didn't notice any side-effect for myself, my baby was born was some serious yeast issues. She had yeast in her diaper area, arms pits, and neck folds until she was roughly 9 months old. Steroids suppress your immune system and allow bad bugs like yeast to grow. It is my understanding that the steroids caused my natural flora (my personal collection of bacteria on my skin, in my gut, and even in my birth canal) to change. Thus, when my baby was born, she was colonized with more bad bacteria than good. We spent months battling this yeast. I will tell her story in more detail in a future post. For now, please know that steroids have side effects worth considering before using them. I learned my lesson with baby #3 and have done everything possible to avoid taking them with this current pregnancy rash. 

Alternative Treatments on my list of things to try:

Chinese Medicine 7 Star Needle: Rating - 4, temporary & healing relief
This is a bizarre one! I recently found out about this treatment through puppps.org. It uses a Chinese medicine device designed to treat hives. Here's a pic...

Crazy looking, no? Apparently, you tap the hive until it starts to bleed, and then that hive NEVER itches again. The testimony on puppps.org is really compelling!!! Otherwise, I don't think I'd even consider this treatment! You can find videos on youtube if you want to see the treatment in action. I'm currently building up the courage to order one from amazon. I'll let you know! UPDATE: I tried it!! Click HERE for the review!

Black Cherry Juice: theoretical healing relief UPDATE: rating - 4, healing relief
Apparently this juice is supposed to heal the rash due to its anti-inflammatory properties. A little juice drinking in exchange for rash healing sounds awesome! I think I found this one on a babycenter forum. I'll keep you posted! UPDATE: see THIS POST for my experience trying the Black Cherry Juice remedy!

The Dermatologist

What I'm about to relate is probably a common experience for PUPPPs sufferers. Now you'll know you're not alone!

During my 3rd pregnancy with PUPPPs, I was at the end of my resolve to avoid steroids and headed into a dermatologist appointment. My PUPPPs was the worst it has ever been. Having to put on socially acceptable clothing for the appointment had been torture. I couldn't even fill out the admission forms without setting down the clipboard to scratch. I could feel the eyes of the other patients in the waiting room on me and my squirmy self.

When they called me back, the nurse felt so bad for me that she immediately went to find some ice packs to get me through the appointment. As I cooled the burning itch, more and more people kept filing in to the exam room.

I was feeling a bit like a spectacle! 

Apparently, PUPPPs is rare enough that many of the staff hadn't seen it! There were a couple different nurses, two or three doctors, and a nurse practitioner. They Oooed and Ahhed. They all expressed how sorry they were for me. And then they all consulted on what to prescribe.

That wasn't exactly confidence inspiring. I went home with my steroid and got into a routine of "slathering" it on. But that's a story for another day.

Going along with feeling of being a spectacle at the dermatologists...

When I was 16, I had a horrible zit. Oh, it was bad. My mom actually let me skip school and ballet class. It was on the very tip of my nose. I was giving Rudolph a run for his money. My mom felt so sorry for me that she took me right in to the dermatologist that day. The doctor was an older man. I got the impression that he'd been practicing for decades. He came in and sat down without glancing up at me.

But when he did? Oh my.

He actually exclaimed. Loudly. His exact words were "That's the biggest one I've ever seen!" The dermatologist that had been practicing for decades said my zit was the biggest he'd ever seen!!

The biggest zit he'd ever seen. Wow.

I was a strange combination of mortified and gratified. I may have had a horrific growth on my beak, but at least I wasn't overreacting! He proceeded to get out some kind of medical binoculars, tilt my head toward the light, and go in for a close up. Talk about a spectacle. It wasn't exactly a boost to my teenage self-esteem. I must have recovered somehow, but visiting the dermatologist for PUPPPs definitely brought back old memories!