PUPPS

Hi guys.

So...39 weeks today. The countdown begins. Literally, I may be just days away from becoming a mother.... At my last doctors appointment 2 days ago I found out that I could be a mother in 3 days time. Why 3 days? Well they may induce me on Monday and here is why: I have this pregnancy rash called PUPPS. Never heard of it? Me neither. I woke up last Sunday and looked at my belly and was surprised at what I saw...like 20 new stretch marks appeared overnight. I just thought "hum, this baby must be going through a growth spurt" and then didn't think anything of it again. These new stretch marks itch and burn like CRAZY. I thought it was normal because they just came so fast, I just thought it was from the skin stretching in such a fast time period. BUT when I went to my doctor's appointment and asked her if there is anything I could do to stop the itching and burning she looked at my tummy and said "Hum...you have PUPPS."......."What is that?" I asked. Well, apparently PUPPS is an infection that some pregnant women get in their stretch marks and then it spreads to their whole body. Fun. The upside to this is that it doesn't affect me or baby. It's just uncomfortable for me and will go away once I have the baby, Along with the itching and burning I also have huge welts on my tummy that look like a ton of mosquito bites. It's pretty miserable. How I thought that was normal I don't know. =) However, the doctor said that I can be induced if I want because I have PUPPS....now I have to make a choice. Do I get induced on Monday at 39.2 weeks or stick it out another week and be induced at 40.2 weeks?...or stick it out even more and get induced at 41.2 days if Landon decides not to come until then?

There are pluses and minuses for all these. If I get induced in 2 days the baby will be fine- he is full term and healthy but is he ready to come out? Will it put stress on him to be induced? And what if my cervix isn't ready? What if it doesn't cooperate? What if it does? Then hooray I will have this baby earlier than planned, Landon will be a tad smaller and easier to deliver, I will be able to walk for graduation on May 5th, and my rash will go away.

If I wait to be induced at 40.2 weeks then Landon will have a little more time to develop and my cervix will be more ready (maybe). But, I will also have to live with this rash another week (which I can do), take the chance of having it spread, deliver a little bigger baby, and probably not be able to walk for graduation (something I've looked forward to doing for 6 years now...I never thought I would graduate college or even go to college for that matter. Being able to walk is a huge deal to me but then again when compared to having a baby it isn't a big deal at all).

If I wait to be induced at 41.2 weeks then all of the above will be even more intensified...

I fought with these decisions the whole way home from the doctors, called my mom and the sisters to see what they think and then called the doctor's office back again and told them I don't feel comfortable being induced this Monday without knowing if the baby is ready yet. So as for now I have an appointment on Monday to see how my cervix is, to see how the baby is (weight, position, etc.) and then I will make my decision. I have prayed about it and feel that I won't really get an answer until my doctor's appointment on Monday when I see how my cervix is doing and how baby is doing. So for now I am just waiting.

After my doctor's appointment I went home and googled PUPPS and found some pretty shocking pictures. Compared to what it could be, my rash isn't bad at all. Here are some pictures of OTHER women's PUPPS:

OTHER WOMEN'S PUPPS:

OTHER WOMEN'S PUPPS:

OTHER WOMEN'S PUPPS:

I took a picture of mine for my own records and thought about posting it but since this is an open blog I don't feel comfortable sharing my stretch-marky rashy belly with the whole world...but to give you an idea, look at the above picture and divide it by 3...maybe 2 and you will get what mine looks like. It looks pretty bad huh? It feels pretty bad.

The upside is this: I have found a temporary cure. My doctor said that no drug really helps and that is what everyone on the internet says too. So I googled home remedies and found that women swear up and down that drinking V8 stops the itch and showering 3 times a day with this soap called Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap stops the itch as well.

BASICALLY:

THIS x 4 OR 5:

+ THIS x 3:

= THIS:

However, I've found that if I don't drink at least 4 or 5 big glasses of V8 a day and use this soap 3 times a day the itch and burn comes right back. BUT it does help tremendously. If it weren't for these home remedies that have helped subside the itch then I would definitely be telling you right now that I am being induced in 2 days because I couldn't stand it anymore. That is how bad this itches and burns. It's miserable. I can't imagine what these poor women pictured above feel like because mine isn't as bad as theirs.

So that is my dilemma. I can bear this burden for a couple more weeks by drinking a whole lot of V8 and by using this smelly soap (it smells exactly like campfire...kind of funny when you think about it- don't people usually bathe to get campfire smell off of them and not put it on?). Even though it is a pain I can do it. However, when I think about holding my baby in my arms in just 3 days time I really like that idea too. I just don't know what is best for me and best for the baby. I would tell you that I know I will go into labor on my own but I know that I won't. My family has a history of long pregnancies and very big babies and I feel like I am not an exception. My mom's smallest baby was 8 lbs. 13 oz. and her biggest at 10 lbs. something oz. I was 9 lbs. 13 oz. She was induced with every one of her kids (except the first). My sisters were the exact same way with their babies and also have had to be induced as well. My sister, Melinda's first baby finally came at 42 weeks...just 3 hours before her induction time and they had to induce her on her 2nd baby because of how big her first was. My sister, Amber was also induced with her first at 40 weeks and he was a very big baby too. All of their stories with being induced are different and both had very hard labors- some ending in c-sections.

I feel that if I have a chance to labor with a slightly smaller baby then I should take that chance but I am worried about putting stress on the baby if he or my cervix isn't ready. My doctor told me that she isn't worried about the baby at all and that if I decide to be induced in 2 days that the only thing I will have to worry about (and plan for) is a very long labor with starting me on Pitocin, etc. She says it will most likely take a whole day from start to finish and could take even longer. My cervix is 75% effaced now but I am not dilated at all. I just don't know if that is enough for the Pitocin to work. I will have to ask her on Monday and get better details.

I have heard great stories of being induced and horrible stories about being induced. I know that the best is for the baby to come on his own but what if (and I feel) I am like the rest of my family and he decides not to come at all and I will end up having to be induced anyways and then have to push a huge baby out and rip like crazy...or end up having a c-section? Shouldn't I do it now if I have to chance? I just don't know. I feel like I will know better on Monday after I talk to the doctor again and check the status of cervix and baby. Until then... keep us in your prayers. I will update you on Monday.