My husband and I have a bustling household with our three kids (all ICP pregnancies) Lillian, Gemma, and Iver. It was a long journey of starting a family as we struggled getting pregnant and having miscarriages before having my rainbow baby, Lillian, in June 2016. Overall, I had a healthy pregnancy with her until I started itching around 35 weeks pregnant. I thought the itching was from the summer heat, but it was so relentless where I couldn’t sleep and constantly thought bugs were crawling all over my body. Then at my 37 week appointment, I couldn’t take it anymore and finally mentioned the itching to my doctor thinking there was a “magic” cream she could give to provide relief. Thankfully, my doctor was well-versed in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy and sent me to the lab for bloodwork as a precaution. Then four days later, I received a call when the results came back with Bile Acid levels elevated and was told to come in immediately for a NST and was induced that night. I had no idea what ICP was and never heard of it before my diagnosis.

After I had my oldest, I wanted more answers about this condition and stumbled upon icpcare.org and the ICP Care Facebook Community, which was so important for after-care support and vital with my next two pregnancies to have that level of support and community. A friend of mine, who I ran track and field with in college, also had intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy around the same time I did so we were able to support each other during our pregnancies in addition to the resources that ICP Care provided for us. The more I talked about my journey with other moms, friends, and family I learned that I was not alone and was grateful to have a MFM, a supportive doctor, and the ICP Care Community to get me through the physical and emotional toll that ICP can bring.

In 2012, I graduated from Dakota State University with a degree in Business Marketing and a minor in Graphic Design / Art.