Itchy Skin!

[Ngala]

OK.. I am going nuts because of my itchy skin!! All I want to do is scratch it but I know I cant because I could make stretch marks worse. I dont know what is itchy - could be stretch marks, could be spider veins or it could just be my skin! And I cant inspect it myself because I got no full size mirror!

All I know is that is it driving me nuts and I want it to stop!! Can anyone recommend any creams that would be good or do I need to put cotton balls on my fingers so I dont scratch?!

[l2ettlez]

I would suggest a body wash without any soap. That's what I use and it seems to help a bit.. As to what is itching, I don't know. I have the same prob. Always scratching but nothing really there to scratch. I think mine is old stretchmarks coming back to haunt me with this preg as well :-\ lol
I hope things get better. Maybe calamine (sp?) lotion might help when at home, but its not the prettiest of stuff to wear out, lol.
Good luck

[renee84]

There is a nice spray oil thing out there specifically for itchy skin, I think its made by palmers, I'm going to get some myself

Got the name, it's Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Soothing Oil

[Karina]

I got really itchy skin while pregnant, especilally on my belly. I think mine was due to the stretching and because my skin was so dry. I did find it helped when I changed to a differnt body wash (St Ives brand, with moisturising stuff in it) and it also helped to use lots of moisturiser on the itchy areas too. I used Palmers Cocoa stuff on my itchy skin.

[reneenay]

I have had this problem over the past few days on my legs & back. I think it is my skin becoming dry because of the pregnancy. Like Renee said Palmers have a product out for itchy skin which I will be buying this Thursday. Also try not to have your showers too hot because that may be making it worse. Also the chlorine at the pool may be drying your skin too? Do you jump straight into the car & go home for a shower or do you shower straight after at the pools? Just a few possibilities. Also maybe shower with a olive body wash like Palmolive?

[AnyDream]

Karina, I loooooove the St Ives Vanilla body wash, my all time shower favorite, it's one of the few "moisturising" body washes that actually moisturises!!

I remember using sorbolene with a drop of lavender and chamomile oils mixed through it in my last Pg, especially my breasts which were WILDLY itchy the entire way thru. It was the *only* thing that gave them any relief. As to tummy itching, I reckon any good moisturiser with a decent plant oil in it, like Shea Butter or Olive oil, or any of those things, would do the trick!

Good luck, nothing worse than going insane in a meeting cos you can't scratch!

[Ngala]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys!! I will write them down and go out this weekend and get something - hopefully I wont be in the nut house by then.

I would say that most of the itchiness on my legs and behind are stretch marks I had a lil squizz after my shower and OMG I think I am going to be covered in them by the time this pregnancy is over. But then that doesnt explain why my arms and neck and hands are itchy, so probably need to find a good moisteriser!

Renee - yes I do jump in to the car after being in the pool! I used to shower afterwards but have just gotten lazy. And how can I afford hot showers when it is so cold in the mornings?!

[Claire]

This is exactly what I was about to post on!

I'm just at the end of my first trimester and have very itchy ankles and lower legs. Very specific. I'm drinking as much water as I can and moisturising aswell. My skin doesn't feel dry but itches like mad.

I think there's a special name for this in pregnancy?

[chrysalis]

Hey V
Hope you have not scratched yourself into oblivion yet.
I have endured the same thing (admittedly I do suffer from eczema too - maybe you should be checked by dr before spending too much more on creams etc just in case it is a mild form of dermatitis apparently it can develop during pregnancy? )
Anyway - I have found the following things have helped:
1. Slather a layer of moisturiser or body oil (atm i am using hamilton body oil its in the itchy skin section of the chemist) before i go to the pool, it creates a barrier on the skin so the chlorine does not dry the skin out too much - i have been able to make it home to shower since doing this;
2. Cooler and shorter showers, pat dry and then moisturise whilst skin a little damp to try and retain the moisture on the skin;
3. On advice of naturopath - add flaxseed oil to diet - you can buy blackmores capsules to take with your vitamins or the oil in the bottle - if you buy the latter add a little to smoothies or on salad as a dressing. Try and eat a have some each day. Its a bit nutty in flavour, quite nice really. My skin settled alot when i started this (my hair is heaps more shiny too).
4. try and wear natural fibres which breathe and keep surface of skin cool and aerated eg cotton rather than synthetics.
5. Worst case scenario if you are struggling really badly you could go to chemist and buy over the counter polaramine tablets,they are class A therefore ok to take during preggo, warning they do make you sleepy but might be ok if you are finding your sleep is interrupted by the itch ie you could take one go to bed early.
Good luck
B

[Cherie]

I sympathise Ngala! Itching is the absolute pits ... and it's probably wise to at least mention it to your OB next time you see them, so that they can rule out anything more serious.

I think in my thread about hurting stretch marks/PUPPP, I wrote down what worked for me, but I can't emphasise enough how great Pinetarsol in a cold bath/shower has been. I usually wake up at least once during the night incredibly itchy and end up scratching myself into a frenzy - getting out of bed and into a cold bath (whilst it doesn't sound like the most appealing thing to be doing at 3am in the morning) usually gets me back to sleep within 15 mins or so. Hot, or even warm baths/showers immediately made my itching worse.

Hugs for you honey I hope it goes away soon because it's horrible to be that itchy!

[reneenay]

Im saving up to buy one of those fan/heater lights for the bathroom It should only take me a few years to get one LOL, ill just add it to the list of all the things I want to get done on the house before bubs arrives haha!

[Ngala]

Belinda - thanks for those tips!! I might follow them cause it sounds pretty good. I am an eczema suffer too, nothing too bad. And I do get dermatitis on my hands but docs creams never worked.

I will mention the itchiness to my doc and see what he says, if he isnt too concerned I will following what you said.

Pretty much my morning and afternoon shower routine is, showing with a natural soap. Dry myself and massage Bio-oil on to belly, thighs, legs and now behind. And then everything else I moisterise with a nivea cream for normal skin. I might look in to getting cream for itchy skin.

Claire - there is a condition called PUPPP or something even worse that is in a post created by Cherie, but these develop at the end of pregnancy. My skin isnt dry either! Maybe mention this next time you go for a check up.

Cherie - cold bath at 3am doesnt sound very nice but if it helps - then we'll do anything hey!

[linny]

Hi girls,

I have been having this problem too intense itching without a rash.Also my hands and feet are sweating really bad(yuk i know) i went in last Wed to have some tests done and they are looking for a thing called Cholestasis which is something to do with the liver being sensitive to hormones and therefore doesnt release bile,fats etc out of body properly.I have been put on Polaramine even though it worries me heaps taking it but i couldnt stand the symptoms any longer.I find out tomorrow if it is that or not so fingers crossed it isnt.It is worth mentioning any itching without a rash to your Dr as if it is something more serious they can get onto it fast.Im not saying this to scare anyone just giving my experience.

[Ngala]

Hey Linny, thanks for the information. I've noticed my hands swelling a bit the past week but it isnt so bad today and I dont really have an itch either! But I will mention in to my doc. Good luck tomorrow, I hope its not cholestasis!! *hugs*

[Liz]

Hey Veronica, sorry to hear you're so uncomfortable!

You might find using a plain oil or butter useful. Perhaps just rub in some olive oil, or get hold of some shea butter - this is really good for the skin, safe in pg, and can soothe itchiness. Cocoa butter can actually dry some people's skin, and can also be a sensitiser if you're prone to allergies. So it's one that should probably be patch tested first.

Cholestasis which is something to do with the liver being sensitive to hormones and therefore doesnt release bile,fats etc out of body properly.

Yep - if the liver isn't keeping up, then toxins come out the skin - and interestingly, moreso at night. We learnt this when my dad had liver cancer, and was yellow from the bile in his system. The naturpath said that during the day, the liver does its best to rid the body of toxins.. expelling it mostly through wee & poo, but at night, that kinda shuts down, and if there's leftovers, the skin starts working overtime. He had loads of pills and concoctions that he had my dad take, and he didn't suffer with the itching that other people seem to get when they're jaundiced.

Anyway - that is an extreme scenario! hehe..but just wanted to say that if that's the case with the skin expelling hormones & toxins.. then avoid mineral oils! Check your ingredients in anything you're putting on your skin, coz if it contains petrochemicals or mineral oils, your skin will not breathe (the theory behind mineral oils is that it stops your skin losing moisture) and this could prevent your skin doing what it needs to do.

I hope you all find some relief soon.

[Ngala]

Hey Liz,
I got the soap from you the evening that I posted this so I think the soap may have helped, as well as changing my moisterising routine. I will probably look at buying some shea butter when my stuff now runs out, but at the moment, things are all good

[Liz]

Oh good If you need help finding pure shea butter let me know, coz I could send you a container of it from our raw materials if you can't find any.

[1st time mummy 2 be]

Im having that problem right at this very moment in time i have been very lucky with stretch marks as i hardly have ne at all but the few i have around my belly button have become very itchy and so irratating i told my midwife about it a week ago and she advised me to get e45 itch relief cream and my god has it worked miracles and the redness has gone and i dnt even feel the itchyness now!