#4 - PUPPPS or PEP rash

It’s the rash you’ve never heard of…. In fact it’s so obscure many professionals have no idea what it is either.

Whenever I mentioned it I would be met with a puzzled shrug and no answers… … which is somewhat strange considering it’s quite a common rash in first time mums. Well the forums don’t lie.

This appeared on my stomach only in the last week of my pregnancy if I recall, it wasn’t itchy at that point..Only the senior doctor at QC was able to confirm the diagnosis of PUPPPS.

Then post birth it hit me like a ton of itchy bricks.. it was an itch I’ve never experienced before… I literally wanted to rip my skin off, I would be taking a shower and make the water scalding hot to relieve this devil itch, emerging from the bathroom red and raw!

My Gp prescribed some steroid creams, antihistamines and moisturiser… this didn’t cut it..

In addition to having to deal with a newborn, being sleep deprived and all the other things that come with being a new mum , I was itching through nappy changes.

Even at my appointments the midwives would give me concerned looks and ask if I was ok now that it had spread to my arms and legs.

To my surprise when I told my best friend she said she had been subjected to it as well in her first pregnancy!

I couldn’t believe it, none of my family or friends had ever heard or experienced it .

She told me what helped her was pine tar soap so of course I bought loads of it and DIY wrapped my skin with soaked bandages which was pretty effective.

I was also drinking tons of dandelion root tea as recommended by the Internet forum mums… I was determined to obliterate it.

After a week or so the rash did stop itching, it got darker and then faded away to rash hell where it belongs.

You’re not alone, this too shall pass!