“Good morning, wifey,” said Gautham in a pleasant tone with a cup of warm milk in his hand. He helped Thara get up from bed. She was 28 weeks pregnant.
“Here, you take this milk.” Gautham said, giving a kiss on her baby bump.
“But I don’t want it. I am feeling nauseous.” Said Thara, a little worried.
“Hey! You did not take lunch or dinner properly the day before. I cannot let you skip your milk, too dear. You remember what the Doctor said, right? There is a mandatory weight gain for the mother during pregnancy. Before pregnancy, you were 55kg; now you are 53 kg. This is neither good for you nor the baby.” Said a concerned Gautham.
“But I don’t feel the appetite, Gautham. Why don’t you understand, please? All I know is, I feel itchy,” cried Thara. “Yes, Gautham, itchy. First, I thought it might be because of the summer and the sweat. But no. I observed. Even if I am sitting in an AC room, I feel very itchy.”
“Itching? Where?” asked Gautham, keeping down the glass of milk on the table.
“Mostly it itches on the palms and soles. It’s so itchy that I feel like scratching it out to the fullest. Sometimes I feel like I have an itch on my whole body. It’s the worst feeling ever, Gautham. I don’t feel like eating anything. Even if I try to eat something, I feel nauseous or I vomit it out. What do you think? I am not concerned about our baby. Of course I am! I am concerned. But I am helpless, Gautham. I am unable to do even my daily life activities because of this itching. It’s getting aggravated day by day, too.” Finished Thara crying her heart out.
“Hey, don’t cry. We will figure it out together. We can see the Doctor. Why didn’t you talk about this to me earlier?” asked Gautham.
“I thought, it’s just an itch, and it will go away by itself. But it’s not.” said Thara, hugging Gautham, and tears flowed down her face.
“I will phone the doctor right now.” Said Gautham and dialed Doctor Meera’s number. Doctor Meera heard about the symptoms. She asked, “Why did you not say such symptoms in the last visit?” “I am sure this did not develop overnight. Anyway, I need you to do some blood tests. I need you to check your Liver function test and make sure that you check your Serum Bile acids. Once the blood results come, you can visit me at the hospital.”
“Get ready then… We will go to the hospital right now. Remember one thing. You are more important to me than the baby. Your health matters. I am just sad that you didn’t tell your discomfort when you first felt it. You don’t have to tolerate your discomfort…” said Gautham, wiping off her tears. “Now… Get ready.” Said Gautham, opening the Almirah and passing a maternity wear to his wife.
At the hospital, Doctor Meera welcomed them with a warm smile. After comforting Thara, she said, “Hey…let me explain to you about your condition. You are having cholestasis of pregnancy. Don’t get afraid of hearing the long name. It’s a condition that affects your liver. It leads to decreased bile flow from the liver, causing a buildup of bile acids in the blood. This accumulated bile causes symptoms like intense itching, dark urine, pale or clay coloured stools, fatigue, and loss of appetite. It can also cause yellowing of the eyes and skin in some cases. Currently, the serum bile acids in your blood sample are found to be high. SGOT, SGPT, and Total Protein are also found to be raised. Your Ultrasound scanning shows that Fetal long bones continue to be on a downward trend.”
“Should I be afraid of all those? Will my baby get affected?” asked a worried Thara.
“I would never say that there is nothing to be worried about. It’s just that you could have informed all your problems earlier. Now, even though it’s difficult to manage the condition, we will manage it through Ayurveda. Your blood reports show only slightly elevated values. It has not gone beyond the limits where it gets difficult to tackle it. Considering the ultrasound scan report of the baby, we need to investigate further, and I will suggest an Amniocentesis for you. Meanwhile, we will treat you to bring you back to a normal pregnancy.”
“Please, Doctor, this baby is our ray of hope. We got this baby after four abortions. We have been trying to conceive since she age of 25. Now she is 34. Please guide us, doctor.” Said Gautham, holding the hands of Thara.
“I am going to prescribe some medications. Make sure that you take it without fail.” Siad Doctor Meera.
“Whatever you tell we will follow, Doctor. We will do anything for the health of mother and child,” said Gautham.
“First thing in the morning, you need to take 10 mL of Bhoomiamalaki (Phyllanthus niruri) fresh juice on an empty stomach. Make sure that you eat your breakfast 1 hour after taking that medicine. By 11 a.m., you can take 1 glass of banana stem juice. It is mandatory to help clear your metabolism. In the morning, noon, and evening, take Arogyavardhini vati, one tablet each thrice daily after food.” Said Doctor Meera
“I will make sure that she follows everything in order.” Said Gautham.
“As your doctor, I want you both to know that while cholestasis of pregnancy can sound frightening, it is manageable with good care and timely monitoring. The most important thing is to stay calm and follow the medical plan we’ve laid out together. We will keep a close watch on the baby’s well-being and take action if needed sometimes that means an early delivery to ensure safety. With your cooperation and trust, we can navigate this smoothly. Remember, you are not alone in this, I’m right here with you every step of the way.”
