I've always had a little bit of dermatitis on my hands and a little on my cheek. Mainly on 3 fingers. I used to apply a little steroid cream (elocon) and problem solved. When I found out I was PG I tried using natural options to avoid steroid based creams. By week 8 I was at my wits end and my GP/dermatologist both said to use Egocort on my face and elocon sparingly on my hands. Well as my PG progressed the dermatitis seemed to spread over my hands to the point where majority of my right hand was affected to the point of blisters that itched like crazy. My left hand got a little worse but not too bad.

My face however took on a whole new life of it's own. I started to have reactions, not dermatitis - so no blisters, but alot of swelling and then going through the process of peeling. I had to finally put this down to some type of food allergy as the intense itching would often occur after eating. My face looked hideous for majority of my pregnancy. It was embarrasing and I certainly did not have that pregnant glow. My eyes were constantly swelling up, peeling, then they would be good for a day or two and the process would occur again. My lips also have suffered. I began to get alot of itching around my lips, they would peel and then start the process again. I was having to live with vaseline near me to apply to my lips to stop the extreme dry feeling. When i had no vaseline nearby I took to licking my lips which of course didn't help the cause.

During all of this I just assumed that once bubba arrived it would all settle back down to how I was before PG. Well it hasn't. Don't get me wrong, it's gotten alot better. I haven't had my eyes swell since DD was born. But my lips are still flaring up with itchying and dryness and my hands are still shocking and still spreading. I now have a dermatitis (blisters) around my wrist where I test my DD's milk temp which I find bizarre.

Last week I ate a few spoons of yoghurt (which I eat very very regularly and did my entire PG) plus a few biscuits which again I ate while PG and about 20 minutes later my lips flared up again. Bizarre considering I've eaten those foods often before with no affects. I also was dog sitting my parents dog and after she licked me and I was patting her, the dermatitis on my hands flared up really badly. I have a dog also and never had a reaction from her, but twice when I was with my parents dog my dermatitis flared up..

During PG i used QV Repair Cream as well as numerous other products. I found QV had the most noticeable affect but didn't solve anything long term. I'm now back using my elocon and egocort plus back to my Vaseline Intensive Care or Sorbolene Cream for moisturising.

I have an appointment with my dermatologist next week in an attempt to try and work out if i do actually have a food allergy and also to try and get my dermatitis under control but wondering if anyone has any advice or has experienced something similar.