Around the 36-37th week mark, I started noticing my belly getting a rash that was itchy mainly in the part where my skin was most stretched. I kept it at bay until delivery. Then it reared its ugly head.
The rash spread everywhere. Even on my scalp. As soon as one area healed, more popped up.
Let’s just say the days after giving birth were spent navigating through post partum recovery, breastfeeding challenges, hormonal changes on top of the itching. It was bad. I was a complete mess.
There are many theories behind the root cause and after much research and countless appointments with all kinds of practitioners—general, dermatologist, naturopath, homeopath, acupuncturist and herbalist— I believe that it is strongly associated with liver dysfunction, autoimmunity and having an imbalance of beneficial bacteria in the gut. But hey I’m no specialist— only a google scholar LOL.
One thing I know is that your darkest days can turn into a blessing. My naturopath said that it was good I am able to listen to what my body is communicating to me. And that I still had the chance to heal my body through food.
If you are going through something similar, I hope this helps somehow.
1 Dandelion root capsules in large quantities. Dandelion is a bitter herb that is a gentle support to the liver. I took 2 capsules at breakfast, 2 at lunch and 2 before sleep. For a time I took an extra 2 in the afternoon when I felt itchy. As soon as I took the right dose, I saw the rashes slowly fade. Right dose is key I think. More is better!
2 Definitely the serious detox and healthy eating helped. Remember I was breastfeeding the entire time so I still had to get my calories in. I had celery juice and lemon water in the morning, greens and good quality meat and broths and zero sugar and processed foods and then cucumber juice at night. Even my fruits had to be limited to 1-2 fruits only everyday.
3 Chinese herbs from a Traditional Chinese Herbs (TCM) practitioner. After the hives have settled, I still had a bit of itch that was taking a while to go away. I think it was because of the hormones from breastfeeding. But I have been taking these herbs and noticing a few things: energy is back, sleep very good, hair growing and many more. He said that my body is very dry and needs cooling.
4 Along with the diet, I took a natural anti fungal to deal with any infection. Oil of Oregano capsules 2 tablets, 3 times a day. When that finished, I had to repopulate gut with good bacteria. 2 types of probiotics twice a day: S.Boulardi and Bifido/Lactobacilli strains. 4 tablets of magnesium also helped a lot with getting better sleep and feeling more relaxed. And Vitamin D 3 capsules a day.
5 Zyrtec is what helped me endure the itch. I took different strengths depending on how itchy I would be during the day. Then slowly weaned until I didn’t really need them anymore. Naturopath said the antihistamines are helpful because Pupps is related to the immunity. Made sense as antihistamines suppress the body’s immune response to allergens. I’d be cautious with antihistamines as some people can have a reaction when weaning from it.
I also did try a list of other things like:
Pine tar sop- dried up skin too much
Oral Steroids-only for a week and didn’t take it away completely
Cherry juice and v8-not much help
Peppermint oil
Tea tree oil
Coconut oil
Aveeno oatmeal lotion
Cerave lotion
Accupuncture-good for stress release I guess
Steroid creams-did nothing
I really believe that the gut protocol and a lot of detoxing (for the liver) was what my body needed to deal with the itch effectively. Topical or steroidal solutions will only last until the next flare up. The body is capable of healing on its own but it needs time and the right supplements.
Currently, 17 months post partum, my skin has pretty much gone back to normal, at least by 95%. I leave 5% because the tiny bit of itch lingers.
I’ve also weaned from nursing when my baby turned one so I’m giving my hormones time to settle.
This ordeal gave me so much anxiety and trauma on top of post partum concerns (you know breastfeeding and hormones and many more) I had to deal with but I decided that pupps will not be the end of my story. My story will end with the goodness and mercy of God in my life for having gone through it.
More than anything, I really wanted to get this out there to help anyone. If you are reading this and have questions or just need someone to talk to, I would be more than happy to chat. Feel free to email me at irismonterde@gmail.com.
Thinking of you…🤍
