Hello, thank you for writing in, and for telling us your history so clearly. Knowing about your earlier ICP is really helpful, and acting on this early is the best thing you can do for yourself and your baby.
Itching in the second trimester, after ICP in your first pregnancy, should be taken seriously and checked soon. ICP is more likely to come back in a second pregnancy, and the itching often appears before the
liver reports change. I'd like to be honest with you: there is no reliable evidence that homeopathy can control liver values or bile acids in ICP, so I wouldn't want you to depend on it to "maintain your LFTs". Homeopathy can sit alongside your care for general wellbeing in pregnancy, but your obstetrician's monitoring is the part that protects your baby. The good news is that when ICP is caught early and monitored, most women go on to have healthy babies.
Next Steps
Please contact your obstetrician in the next day or two and tell them about the itching and your history of ICP. Ask for a
liver function test and a serum bile acid test, and a plan for follow-up scans and monitoring. Don't wait for the itching to get worse. Please seek care the same day if you notice reduced baby movements, dark urine, pale stools, yellowing of the eyes or skin, or itching that is intense, especially on the palms and soles or at night. Once you have your plan from your doctor, a video consult with me can help with the supportive side: diet, comfort measures and wellbeing through the rest of your pregnancy.
Health Tips
- Wear loose, soft cotton clothes, and keep your skin cool
- Take lukewarm showers, and pat skin dry gently without rubbing
- Keep your skin moisturised with a mild, fragrance-free moisturiser
- Avoid scratching, and keep your nails short
- Eat light, home-cooked, low-oil meals, with plenty of fluids, fruit and vegetables
- Avoid heavy, fried and spicy food, which can make you feel worse
- Track your baby's movements daily and note any change
- Keep all your antenatal visits and scans, and carry your old ICP reports with you
If you're still worried, do book a consult and we can look at it together. Take care.