As I’ve mentioned in the past, my pregnancy with Julia was pretty much smooth sailing, right up until the last trimester.

I hadn’t really developed any stretch marks until I was about 32 weeks and then they came on like crazy. However, once I was around 37/38 weeks I started noticing the marks on my belly were becoming very itchy. Before I knew it, I had a rash that covered my belly, upper arms, legs, and thighs. It was miserably itchy and I was so uncomfortable. I brought my concern to my midwife because I knew that in pregnancy there are a couple of rashes you can get, the more serious of them being ICP, or Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy. (if you haven’t heard about it please educate yourself! It has very mild symptoms but can very life threatening to your baby). My levels were tested and thankful it was not ICP, however, I had PUPPS.

PUPPS, or Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy, is a rash that can show up during pregnancy. Unfortunately, there is not much that your doctor can give you to help. Some women get prescription anti-itch creams, but from my personal experience and research, most of us can agree that they don’t do too much to relieve the discomfort.

I suffered from PUPPS for about 3 weeks until I finally found a remedy that helped relieve the itch and then eventually, clear up the rashes.

I tried a variety of things before I found what worked, but I’ll mention the things that didn’t work for me, because they may work for you! I tried aloe vera gel, which temporarily relieved the itch, and an oatmeal soap. The oatmeal soap (Aveeno) did nothing for me. I also tried the most commonly recommended remedy online, “The Grandpa Pine Tar Soap” (which smells about as awful as it sounds haha). This soap helped the most before I found what TRULY helped me. The soap helped relieve my itching for a couple of hours as opposed to maybe, 30-45 minutes tops with the aloe vera gel.

The thing that basically not only relieved but CURED my PUPPS rash was coconut oil! I have become kind of a coconut oil freak ever since it helped me with PUPPS ( I use it as a night moisturizer currently but it’s also great for hair).

I had searched online for other peoples experiences with PUPPS and came across one woman who swore that rubbing coconut oil onto her rashes helped to relieve and clear up the rash. I sent my husband out to the pharmacy late one day to pick up a jar for me. He got me the Shea Moisture 100% Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. (I linked their website, but we found it at our local pharmacy) It is all natural, organic, cruelty-free and basically was a life save for me. I slathered it all over where the rashes were (basically all my extremities, thighs and belly. It was awful at this point) and hoped for the best. Within about a week, of faithfully applying coconut oil all day long as I felt needed, my rashes began to clear up.

I’m not sure entirely WHY coconut oil worked, and doctors aren’t even sure why PUPPS occurs in the first place but all I know is that I am so thankful for it! I’m not sure if I’ll be having another baby in the future, but sometimes it appears again in future pregnancies so I’m glad to know of a remedy that works for me.

I hope this post was helpful if you’ve found yourself with PUPPS and googling for a cure! If you’ve had PUPPS and know of something else that helps, please share in the comments below!

Lastly, June is Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy Awareness Month. I want to reiterate that if you are pregnant, to please look up and read about this pregnancy complication. I never heard about this until a few years ago scrolling on Instagram I read about a woman who had lost her son shortly after birth due to an undetected case of ICP. I mentioned this in this post because one of the symptoms is itchiness of the hands/palms and feet. I had some itching in these areas when I had PUPPS so I insisted on getting my levels checked. Doctors can usually detect ICP by checking your blood levels. Please educate yourself! I know reading about pregnancy complications can be scary when you’re pregnant but it is so important to be informed and know what to look for, should something go wrong. I hope you have found this post helpful, and have a wonderful day!