Crazy Itchy

Only 1% of pregnant women experience the condition known as PUPPP (pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy) and even fewer of them experience it in subsequent pregnancies. That makes me a pretty rare specimen. Not only did I suffer with PUPPP for the last three weeks of Lucas's pregnancy, it appears that I'm going to suffer the last three months with Butterbean.
The only part of the acronym that matters is the pruritic part - that means wildly, insanely, crazy itchy. Those three weeks with Lucas were the longest weeks of my life - no sleep, no relief. At the time, I remember saying that they should use this condition as a method of torture. The cure for said condition? Only delivery - and even then is may take a couple weeks.
The condition means that I experience terribly itchy rashes and hive-like bumps all over my body. There is some research that suggests it is due to the stretching of the skin as it usually begins on the belly, however, my case began on my shins this time (and I don't think they are stretching at the moment), travelled to my chest and is just beginning behind my knees. Oh joy!
Granted, I have found some relief with flax seed oil and having just switched over to the more potent oil form versus capsules, I think I will steadily improve. Dandelion is supposed to work too so I plan to stock up on that as well. I can soothe the condition of my skin, but nothing will fully eliminate the urge to itch until Butterbean arrives.
Heat and sun are my enemies so I am a little leery of our coming summer. I guess I'll be quarantined to the indoors a lot.
I just had to complain and seek sympathy. I promise this will be my one and only mention of PUPPP here. It does no good to complain and, besides, I'm grateful it has no harmful effect on Butterbean at all. So many women go through things much worse. All I have to remember is Don't Itch!!