Hello everyone! Hope everyone is doing great.
I so wanted to write about this because there are very few articles about this on Internet especially for women who just gave birth experiencing this. I already wrote this long time ago when my hives are still in full bloom ;( but because time is my enemy it is only now that I was able to published.
So what is POST PARTUM HIVES? I am not aware of this until I experienced this by myself. We all knew what hives is. It is something you don’t want to have because of its itchiness and swollen skin. Hives can happen to everyone and according to what I’ve read it affects at least 20% of women after giving birth. Unfortunately, that includes me. It’s a mystery for me as I never had allergies in my life. It’s very disturbing and horrible.
I am not an expert so let’s be clear. According to http://acaai.org/allergies/types/skin-allergies/hives-urticaria
Hives, also known as urticaria, affects about 20 percent of people at some time during their lives. It can be triggered by many substances or situations and usually starts as an itchy patch of skin that turns into swollen red welts. The itching may be mild to severe. Scratching, alcoholic beverages, exercise and emotional stress may worsen the itching.
Hives Symptoms
- Raised itchy bumps, either red or skin-colored
- “Blanching” (when pressed, the center of a red hive turns white)
Hives Triggers
- Some food (especially peanuts, eggs, nuts and shellfish)
- Medications, such as antibiotics (especially penicillin and sulfa), aspirin and ibuprofen
- Insect stings or bites
- Physical stimuli, such as pressure, cold, heat, exercise or sun exposure
- Latex
- Blood transfusions
- Bacterial infections, including urinary tract infections and strep throat
- Viral infections, including the common cold, infectious mononucleosis and hepatitis
- Pet dander
- Pollen
- Some plants, such as poison oak and poison ivy As I don’t know how to deal with and it is very disturbing. I went to the allergist and have myself tested for allergy. I knew it from the start that I don’t have any allergy at all. But of course the doctor is not discounting the fact that I may have develop an allergy during the pregnancy and after giving birth. Another suspect is environment as she thought I came from a tropical country and moving to Europe means I am new to four season weather and she also told me that even people born in cold countries have allergies during spring and winter. But but but… it’s been three years that I’m living in Europe and I never had single problem about the changing seasons so I think the theory that I am allergic to the environment is not true.
Believe me, I am becoming crazy doing research and finding solution of what to do. I should be enjoying my baby instead of dealing with this.
Each day is a struggle.
Imagine you got a new baby so you are very happy and then you got these HIVES all over your body that is very itchy that you need to scratch like there is no tomorrow (although I try to avoid) aahhh too difficult not to scratch.
After I went to the allergy doctor, she suggested I take more magnesium as I lack of it and I obliged. Also I went to our family physician and she gave me medicine for temporary relief and it is safe for breastfeeding mother like me. If I remember it right, BILASKA is the name of the medicine. (I live in France so I don’t know if it has equivalent in other countries) It is in small tablets. It is a temporary relief. Actually hives and swollen parts disappears after I take a doze of it and when the effect went away the hives goes back. I also noticed that the hives started to go slow and not that big volume anymore. Though I am still worried if it will go away permanently at least I can now go out without my swollen body parts and hives.
Good for temporary relief of hives (photo source: google)
One of the lotion I used for Hives relief
One of the lotion I used for Hives relief
one of the lotion I used for Hives relief
We went to the Philippines for a vacation and I went to skin doctor to make sure all my hives go away. She gave me tablets of medicine and lotion for anti itchiness. It is good actually. After I came back the hives went away and I don’t have to take medicines anymore. I just continue taking the magnesium supplement and now even if I forgot to take it other times…I am still fine.. My skin is back to normal and I don’t have to deal with hives anymore.
Although doctors does not confirm it but I guess it has something to do with breastfeeding. When baby started eating solid foods at 6 months the hives slowly disappears and when he is in full breastfeeding there you go, hives all over again. I am thankful I got the right solution for it. I did not stop breastfeeding because of that. These medicines helped me get through.
This is the magnesium content supplement I am currently taking.
I hope I’d be of help to someone dealing with Post Partum hives…hang in there mommies…All will be well. I am hoping that it will not come back anymore even if I give birth again. Everything has come to an end. 🙂 I am now happy that I don’t have to deal with it and all is back to normal.
Sending you some positive thoughts.
Love,
Anne
Just to add, that it was like it was related with breast milking.. indeed when you started to reduce milking to the baby also the itch reduced, when the baby got a bit ill, could not swallen solid food and had to temporary go back to breast milk, you had a ressurgence of the itchy..
Hi I’m 17 weeks postpartum and I’m breastfeeding my hives are so bad! It’s like I’m on fire! None of my doctors know what it is and have never dealt with this 🙁 it’s getting me down I’m so glad you wrote this I no longer feel like I’m the only person in the world with postpartum hives!!! X
I feel you!!! It will passed. I got pregnant again and gave birth twice after this horrible experienced but the hives never came back after my second postpartum so I guess lack of magnesium is the culprit. Hang in there it will end. xoxo