If you’re looking at the title of this episode thinking, “I’ve never heard of cholestasis”… you’re not alone! That being said, it’s important to know about as it can occur in 1-2 in every 1,000 pregnancies. So let’s talk about cholestasis in pregnancy- the symptoms, the treatment, how it is diagnosed, and how one can deal with this in pregnancy.
To have this conversation with me today on Yoga | Birth | Babies, I have Donna Benavides. Donna is a mother who experienced Cholestasis of Pregnancy and is now blessed with two healthy teens, Branden & Evan, and her angel baby Jorden. She’s dedicated her time and advocacy to Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP), and is the Founder of ICP Care 501(c)(3) nonprofit. She is also a registered prenatal yoga teacher!
Donna has had ICP in all 3 of her pregnancies, and she graciously shares the knowledge and experience she’s gained on the diagnosis through our honest conversation. If you have ICP or it comes up later on in your pregnancy, we want you to know how to advocate for yourself in order to find the support you need in guiding you through a healthy pregnancy.
**CW: In this episode, there is mention of a stillbirth. This experience is shared about within the first 16 minutes of the episode. Please feel free to skip ahead, as there is so much good advice offered throughout the rest of our conversation as well.**
In this episode, you will learn:
- About Donna and her experience with cholestasis during pregnancy
- What cholestasis is
- Some of the symptoms of cholestasis
- If having cholestasis in one pregnancy would make you high risk in subsequent pregnancies
- How cholestasis is diagnosed
- Treatment for cholestasis
- Self help tips for someone experiencing cholestasis
- Resourses and support groups for those with cholestasis
- One final tip or piece of advice Donna would like to offer new and expectant parents
- Where you can find Donna’s work and the work she does with her nonprofit ICP Care
Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com
About Donna:
Donna Benavides is a mother who experienced Cholestasis of Pregnancy and is blessed with two healthy teens Branden & Evan and angel baby Jorden. Her time is dedicated to her family, and advocacy for Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP). She is the Founder of ICP Care 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a Bachelor of Science degree. She enjoys teaching prenatal yoga and has practiced Yoga for 14 years completing her RYT® 200 Yoga Teacher training and RPYT Prenatal Yoga Teacher.
Connect with Donna:
Website: https://icpcare.org/
Facebook Group: ICP Care
Instagram: @icpcare
Twitter/X: @icpcare
Youtube: ICP Care
Support Group: https://icpcare.org/icp-community/support-groups/
Check out similar Yoga| Birth| Babies episodes:
- Scratching the Itch: Cholestasis of Pregnancy
- Demystifying Genetic Prenatal Testing
- How To Advocate for Yourself During Pregnancy and Birth with HeHe Stewart
- Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE
- If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies (Apple) or on Spotify!
To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:
Instagram & Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter
Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center
