Friday, October 01, 2010

dandelion root


I must share this just in case you ever have the misfortune of experiencing puppps or if you know someone who has. At about nine weeks of pregnancy I noticed a rash that looked kind of like hives and almost like something was biting me. I will spare you the pictures but let me just say Google image is pretty accurate. It spread each day and was unbearably itchy. It was interrupting everything and making sleep very difficult. After about a week it was everywhere on my body except my neck and face. After endless research and ruling things out I am pretty convinced it was an early case of puppps, a somewhat rare and horribly itchy pregnancy related rash. I obviously didn't want to take medication if I didn't have to while pregnant, and it seemed like medicine might help with symptoms but not really get rid of it. I finally found some homeopathic remedies and I had nothing to lose. I talked to a local midwife who is very knowledgeable in the field and she verified the amounts I should take. She seemed quite confident that strongly infused dandelion tea would help with my rash. So each night I would brew a quart each of dandelion and nettle tea which is also supposed to be wonderful for pregnancy. Four bags of tea to a quart and it needs to steep at least four hours. Dandelion tea is extremely bitter. I could only drink it cold with the juice of about half a lemon and a touch of sweetener. I drank a quart of these teas a day, took one dandelion capsule, and flax seed and fish oil and within a week the itching stopped and it is totally clearing up. In the mean time I rubbed a generic zinc based diaper ointment on the worst patches which seemed to sooth it and help with itching. It is amazing to me how little health care professionals seemed to know about this condition. Once I had it, I heard of more and more people that had suffered with it. My sister had it terribly several years ago and was sent from one doctor and dermatologist to the next, never getting any relief until a few weeks after the baby was born. So spread the word that God gave us medicinal herbs for a reason and their benefits are endless! Anyway I would be lying if I said it was not a little discouraging to be tired, nauseous and also covered in a horrendous looking rash. I am just not one of those women who feels and looks amazing straight through the whole nine months. But I will say this, every single day I thank God for this new life and the gift that it is to me. No amount of temporary uncomfortableness will change that. In my weakness and lack of control I cling to God who is an ever present help in time of trouble. I have also been reading The Natural Pregnancy which is a wonderful source of information and positive language regarding all the things you face in pregnancy.
Even with certain hard things about pregnancy, each day I marvel that God is knitting someone inside me... a whole person with veins and bones, a beating heart, an entire story , a hope and a future, already so very loved.
A few weeks ago, I got a little peek of the baby, and it is indescribable seeing this little wriggling thing.
I walked out with this sweet picture and a huge smile on my itching blotchy self.

4 comments:

Susan said...

Linda, I am so thankful that the dandelion tea was a success in helping rid you of this terrible rash. I have my picture that Juden drew for me of God knitting the baby together - it makes me smile! We are so excited and so thankful. Love you!

Christine said...

I'm so sorry you've been uncomfortable! But that ADORABLE ultrasound photo made me smile! So tiny and perfect!

Kelly said...

So sorry, Linda. I know that must have been so uncomfortable. Yes, what a joyous photo - are those little legs kicking around?

Michelle D said...

I had PUPPS in my 3rd trimester with Ian but mostly after he was born - thought I would lose my mind! This might sound creepy but I finally tried breast milk on the rash and it worked better than anything else. I love that book too! It was in my top 5 favorite books during my pregnancy:)