think i have pupps and not the cute cuddly kind

meliss33

So I have been itching real bad on my stomach near stretch marks since yesterday am. I woke up this am to red bumps in this area. Yuck! I believe this is pupps? I have seen posts about this on here before but of course didn't pay much attention since I wasn't experiencing it at the time. Any advice? I only have a week and a half to go due to a scheduled c since baby is breech. TIA!

luvdv8

Here's my standard list of suggestions:

The coldest showers you can take- heat will irritate it.

Toss out all scented products including laundry soap- raid baby's stash for now.

Don't exfoliate or itch it. It's hard, but you're you going to make it worse that way.

Ice it. It's temporary relief but it works.

STOP lotioning your skin! Unless you're super dry most lotions just sit on top of the skin trapping in heat and moisture and making the situation worse! I know it's tempting to slather in lotion but it really isn't giving you any long term relief.

Lose fitting clothing- nothing that's going to rub and irritate the areas more.

Topical stuff will give you temporary relief, so will oatmeal baths. You dr may even prescribe you a steroid, but it only gives some women a little reprieve.

 Don't expect it to be over on delivery day- I was still scratching to the point of bleeding at my 6 weeks post-partum appointment. The good news is they can give you slightly better medication once LO is out and even better stuff if you opt not to breast feed.

Keep it together- PUPPPS can cause you to stress to the point of spiking your blood pressure and putting LO at risk, so as awful as it is just remember to keep cool and soak (even in the middle of the night) for the sake of baby.

 

Swimfly35

I've had this before, and I'm starting to feel the itch around my belly button where my stretch marks are again! I get an annual heat rash when I'm not pregnant, so I figured this is it too... I never figured it to be anything more than a rash. Maybe I should look into this.

smit3807

I had a rash all over the top of my belly that definitely looked like the pictures of PUPPPS I found online.  I was never officially diagnosed but one doctor who looked at it thought it was PUPPPS.  Anyway, a few people on here recommended Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap.  My rash started to get better right away (although it took about a week for it to go away).  I've since learned that I need to keep using the soap or the rash will come back.  Good luck!

meliss33

Thanks for the advice girls!