Postpartum allergies: Anyone else dealing with this?

I need some advice. I’ve never dealt with allergies my whole life, but since giving birth, these spots keep breaking out on my skin. My doctor mentioned they’re only appearing on my left side.
Since I haven't changed my diet at all, I'm wondering if it might be something related to the baby's food (formula, specific teas...)
I stopped drinking those lactation teas, but the rash still came back. I had my last injection seven days ago, but I can't take any more because I'm breastfeeding.
Has anyone else gone through this? Any experiences you can share?
It starts off small, looking like a couple of mosquito bites, and then after about four days, it looks like what's in these photos.
I won't be able to get allergy testing done until this clears up, but it's been lingering for over ten days now.

Here are the pictures.
[IMAGE DELETED] [IMAGE DELETED]

Unfortunately, it’s pretty much like dealing with most doctors here—you’re mostly on your own to figure out what’s actually triggering this 😢... My best bet? Try ditching the fabric softener. To really see if it works, you'll need to run everything through the wash without any additives for a few days, including your bedding. If that doesn't do the trick, try switching detergents. Those are usually the big culprits when your immune system takes a hit
Did you happen to wear something new without washing it first?
If it isn't the soap or the softener, you might have to start playing detective with your diet... Are you noticing anything else, like a cough, a runny nose, or some itching?

Just because you haven't changed your eating habits doesn't mean you aren't allergic to something you're consuming. Allergies tend to flare up right when your immune system is down. It happened to my daughter—she developed a diaper rash allergy at two years old, even though we hadn't switched brands once 🤷

Olivia Murphy24 said:Unfortunately, just like with most things involving our doctors, you’re going to have to figure out what’s bothering you on your own 😢...try cutting out fabric softener (but for actual results, you need to wear clothes washed without it for a few days, and definitely wash your bedding this way), then if that isn't it, try switching detergents... those are the most common allergens when your immune system takes a hit.
Did you wear anything new that hadn't been washed yet?
If it's not the detergent or softener, you might need to experiment with food... are you having any other symptoms (coughing, runny nose, itching, etc.)?

Just because you haven't changed your diet doesn't mean you aren't allergic to something you eat... allergies often flare up when your immunity drops... my daughter developed a diaper allergy at two years old, even though we always used the exact same brand.🤷

Aside from the rash, there aren't any other symptoms. I'm using the same softener and detergent as before.
I thought it was the mustard at first, so I tossed it, but now it's back. I also stopped drinking nursing teas seven days ago, but today it's even worse.
I'm wearing the same t-shirts, so nothing has changed there. The only things that come to mind are the tea and Novolac, but if it were caused by those, wouldn't it have flared up from the start?
And it always shows up more on my left side than the right.

restlesscobra22 said:Aside from the skin stuff, nothing else is acting up. I'm using the same detergent and softener I always have.
I honestly thought it was the mustard at first, so I tossed that out, but now it’s back. I even cut out those nursing teas about a week ago, and today it feels even worse.
It's the same clothes, so there hasn't been any change there. The only things I can think of are the tea or maybe the Novolac, but if it were that, wouldn't I have broken out right from the start?
And it always shows up on my left side, just a little bit on the right too.

What is Novolac? 🤔

It doesn't necessarily mean you'd break out immediately. Everyone's body reacts differently...

Are you sleeping on your left side?

Yeah, do you actually use any skincare products specifically for that—you know, stuff for stretch marks, cellulite, or whatever?

Novolac baby food. I’m mostly breastfeeding, and as for skincare, I haven't used anything special—just some Johnson's baby wash and the same basic deodorant I've always used.

I had a similar issue once, which turned out to be caused by laundry detergent. I was hand-washing everything and just didn't rinse it out properly enough.

Look, if this keeps happening, just ask your doctor for a referral to a dermatologist. Call your OB-GYN, check their waitlist, and mention you’ve recently given birth—that usually helps move things along. Alternatively, you could just book a private specialist. How long has it been since you had the baby?

restlesscobra22 said:Novolac baby food.

I don't see what that has to do with you. It's not like you're eating it. 🤔

Look, try switching up your laundry detergent and fabric softener. I don't care if you've been using the same brands for years; I'm telling you, an allergy can flare up out of nowhere whenever it feels like it.

I don't really have this specific type of allergy myself, so I might be totally off base here—but after my pregnancy about two years ago, I suddenly started reacting to ragweed. My doctor mentioned that the whole pregnancy thing basically just trashed my immune system.🤷

I’m not sure if it’s the exact same thing... honestly, my kid had similar patches earlier this year. We took him to the pediatrician and she said it was... uh... some kind of strep... or something similar. Some kind of bacteria? I can't quite recall the specific name they used.

It was pretty awful... I actually still have photos of it on my phone... and man, it dragged on for a while.

She recommended using BETRION

along with that OCTENISEPT spray ($12 you know, the one that works)

And that cleared him right up... maybe try asking your doctor about those.

If that isn't it... sorry... I just want to help.

I asked her why it happened in the first place... but I didn't get a straight answer. Then again, everyone carries their own stuff inside, I guess, and sometimes it just surfaces.🤷

rapidrider3 said:I’m not sure if it’s the exact same thing... honestly, my kid had similar patches this year. We went to the pediatrician and she said it was... uh... some kind of strep... or something like that. Some kind of bacteria, I can't quite remember the specific name.

It was pretty brutal... I actually still have photos on my phone... and it dragged on for a while too.

She suggested using BETRION

along with some Octenisept spray ($12 which works)

and that cleared him right up... maybe try asking your doctor about those.

If I'm wrong... sorry... just trying to help out here.

I asked her why it even happened in the first place... but I didn't get a straight answer. It's like everyone has their own little theories they hold onto, and eventually, it all comes to the surface.🤷

Strep usually causes those nasty, pus-filled sores, and just a heads up—Betrion is an antibiotic ointment, so you shouldn't use it if there's an allergic reaction involved.😉

Olivia Murphy24 said:Streptococcus usually causes those nasty, pus-filled sores, and you shouldn't be using Betrion on any kind of allergic reaction😉

Mine didn't have any pus or anything... just these weird patches... I can't even remember the right word for them... some kind of rash or whatever...

And honestly, it doesn't necessarily mean it's an allergy...

rapidrider3 said:Mine didn't have any pus-filled sores... just spots that looked similar... I can't even remember the word for it... some kind of rash or whatever...

And that doesn't necessarily mean it's an allergy...

My bad, I didn't mean strep, I meant staph.😵

All I was getting at is that you shouldn't just go slathering on Betrion without checking with a doctor first.😉

Does that itch?

Nicole Alvarez69 said:Basically, if this keeps happening, get a referral for a dermatologist. Call your primary care doctor, ask about the wait time, and mention you recently gave birth. Or just see a private specialist. How long has it been since the baby arrived?

It's been 3 months.

Olivia Murphy24 said:What does that have to do with you? You aren't drinking it.🤔

Try switching out your fabric softener and detergent. It doesn't matter how long you've used them; I'm telling you an allergy can hit at any moment.

I don't drink Novolac, I gulp it down (just to check if it's warm by testing it on my hand first).

rapidrider3 said:Mine didn't have pus-filled sores... just patches that looked similar... I can't remember the word... some kind of rash or something...

And it doesn't necessarily mean it's an allergy...

That's what I'm afraid of. My doctor is convinced it's an allergy, but why is it appearing on the left side while the right side looks fine?🤷 🤷

Kate Reyes48 said:Is it itchy?

It’s not exactly itchy, but I try not to scratch, and once I start, I just can't stop. Why is that?

You seriously need to go see a dermatologist ASAP!

I’ve seen so many people deal with sudden breakouts right before or during pregnancy.

It could be anything—an allergy, some kind of skin condition, or even a fungal infection. You really can't guess with this stuff; you have to get a pro to take a look and figure out exactly what you're dealing with so you can actually treat it properly.

Good luck!

This looks like hives—allergies are often the underlying culprit here. You should definitely see a dermatologist to figure out what's actually going on. My sister-in-law dealt with an urticarial rash a few months after she gave birth; she still has no idea what triggered it because she never had the chance to get allergy testing done. It’s been two and a half years since her delivery, and while she still gets flare-ups occasionally, they aren't nearly as frequent as they used to be.

So, I grabbed this photo off my phone from back when my little guy was dealing with that whole mess... first it started out as these random spots, then they turned into blisters, then scabs, then just patches of dry, rough skin. It lasted forever...

This shot is from when those blisters were flaring up—definitely the absolute worst part. It looked pretty gross, honestly... she’s got some stuff on her shoulder too, though it's just that dry, sandpaper-like skin there, plus a few other tiny spots here and there...

I'll drop the link since the picture isn't exactly pleasant to look at, so consider this a fair warning... if you have a weak stomach...

http://i29.tinypic.com/k3r58j.jpg

rapidrider3 said:Here, I grabbed a photo from my phone of when my little one had this mess... first he broke out in spots, then they turned into blisters, then scabs, then just patches of dry skin—it was rough and lasted forever...

This was right when those blisters popped up, the absolute worst phase... it looked disgusting... it's also on his shoulder, though that's just dry, rough skin, along with a few other small spots...

I'm posting the link because the image isn't pretty, so consider this a warning if you have a weak stomach...

http://i29.tinypic.com/k3r58j.jpg

Lindy, this has nothing to do with an allergy. Based on what I'm seeing, it’s either a bacterial infection—which seems less likely—or more likely herpes, maybe even shingles, depending on whether he's already had chickenpox. What the OP is dealing with is something else entirely.
I hope your child is doing better!