Insanely itchy stretchmarks... nothing helps!!!

I can't find my original "itchy stretchmarks" post I made about 10 weeks ago so I've started this new one.....

I had REEEEEALLY itchy stretchmarks at about 30 weeks PG but then after 2 weeks they finally settled down and they were fine!! Now... the last week they have flared up again and I am in so much agony trying not to scratch and itch them all day long..... :(

NOTHING helps! Cold packs, anti-itch cream, ezcema creams don't help, stretchmark cream doesn't help..... BLAH!!!!!!!! :( the pain is getting me a bit down :(

I don't expect anyone to offer any suggestions as I've probably exhausted all my options but just really needed a whinge I guess......

As soon as I've had my baby, will these itchy stretchmarks stop itching??? As the skin shrinks back down is it going to be just as itchy??? Please say no.... :dunno: I've really copped it with the whole stretchmarks thing!!! Some of them look like big whelts and are swollen... its so awful :crying:

bugger! that sounds awful!

I remeber hearing somewhere to Try oil?

Lets hope that you don't get to read this as you are not at home. If you are, has the Dr, midwife given you any help.
If its just as itchy after make sure they know about it and give you something for the relief. Nothing is worse than being itchy, well nearly nothing....

All the best with your upcoming birth.

awww hun, sorry you're in pain & so itchy!!!

I'd say it would stop itching once you have bubs (sorry cant be sure as I never experienced this)

I'll keep my fingers crossed it stops soon xxx

Come on bub.... make your enterance already... we're all dying to see you!!!!!!

:hug: Ren, that must be terrible!!
Come out baby!!

Oh Ren, you poor thing! Can I suggest whatever cream you have, to keep it in the fridge. It might give you a little soothing relief, even if it is for 5 minutes..

Nic

Alrighty Ren, you want my rememdies?! Actually first let me check, do you have a rash in your stretch marks like a bumpy red icky rash?

I'm sorry your stretch marks are so itchy. That sucks.
Mine only got a little bit itchy when I was pg with #2 and I thought that was bad. :redface:
They did stop itchy after he was born, and they don't itch any other time either for me.
I hope your bubba makes their grand entrance soon.

:hug:

xx

:

---

Alrighty Ren, you want my rememdies?! Actually first let me check, do you have a rash in your stretch marks like a bumpy red icky rash?

---

YES!!!!!!

By the sounds you have PUPPPS. Stupid name for the worst itchiness EVER!!!!

I tried absolutely everything & there were two things that managed to calm it down, not fix it, but calm it down enough to get a few hours sleep at night. Take Polaramine. It is perfectly fine at this stage of pregnancy. Take one in the morning & one at night, don't forget even if you're not itchy, you miss one & you're history ;) The other thing is Dandelion Root, you can get capsules or tea from the health food store. It doesn't help sooo much with the itchiness but it takes the redness & heat out of the rash. My rash was almost halved by the time I had taken three doses, itchiness still there but the lumpy bumpy hot rash was going away.

You can try Aqueas Menthol which is a liquid stuff the chemist can make up for you but it only takes the heat out of it & does not a lot else. Try to keep your bump exposed to the air a bit, the hard part is that a breeze over it will make it itch more :rolleyes: Sunlight is good too, but try not to get burnt, sunburn & itchy I can imagine would be even more unbearable. Aloe Vera is good, use the gel not the spray for some reason the spray did nothing for me. Essentially anything that keeps it moisturised *should* help for a bit, maybe just 1/2 an hour at a time, but it's better than nothing. Definitely do not use calomine lotion, it will dry your skin & make it waaaay worse. Tepid baths with pinetarsal are a relief while you're in there, make sure it's not too hot.

My only way to keep it under control was the polaramine, dandelion root & putting creams on every hour or so day & night if I needed to. Hang in there hun it will calm down fairly soon after bub is born if not immediately after birth.

*hugs*

Thanks Sarah... it's so bad!!! :( Stretchmarks shouldn't be this painful should they?

But if it is PUPPPS, shouldn't that be all over my body? I'm not itchy anywhere else, only on my tummy where my stretchmarks are...?!

Thank you for your help I might head to the natural health food store tomorrow and talk to them.

In the meantime, been rubbing my Bio-Oil on it and it seems to help if i keep it greasy and oily.... if i brush up against my tummy OMG it hurts....

Did your's go as soon as you had the baby?

Thanks everyone for your posts too. Might try the Ezcema cream in the fridge too.

PUPPPS is usually in the stretch marks & can move to other parts, but not always. Mine was 90% in my stretch marks & a little bit on my thighs & forearms. Normally no, stretch marks don't hurt but PUPPPS is different.

This is a photo I took of mine at 39 weeks, I had had PUPPPS for three weeks by then and had it for a futher two and a half weeks when I gave birth to Juliette. This was the day I had started on the Dandelion Root so the rash was getting better, LOL yes it was worse than that!

That's EXACTLY what mine looks like!! in fact, mine looks a bit worse TBH.... as in more red.... I will post a pic of it when i get home (I'm at our shop at the moment so can't).....

:hug: so you know how I feel!!!! I must have PUPPPS! Crikey.... any wonder it's so painful.... so it can flare up at any time... cos i had it badly at 30 weeks and then it left and they werent itchy anymore.... and now its come back!!!

Oh you poor thing. I had PUPPPS when I was pregnant. It drove me insane. Mine started in my stretch marks then moved to other parts of my body. I found pinetarsel baths helped but as Sarah has said not too hot. Talk to your ob and get some cream for it, that was really the only thing that relieved the itchyness for me. Good news is that it will dissapear after the birth. I didn't feel mine again after the twins arrived but I still had the rash on my skin for about a week or so.

Good luck for the upcoming birth. Sending labour vibes your way!!!

Would a corticosteroid work? And would it be safe in the latter stages of pg? Could be worth asking for a script.
I hear that in most cases PUPPPS clears up really soon after the birth. (Sometimes not, but those cases are rarer.) You are almost there, mate.

Here's my photos I uploaded.... hard to get the full shot in but gives you an idea..... they are all over around my tummy button.
Woke at 2am in incredible pain with it itching for ages and took me about 2hrs to get back to sleep finally i had a cool shower it helped..... rubbed creams in, cold wet towels, cold packs, NOTHING helped i was just about ready to pull my skin off!!!!!
So Cruel!!! :(
I'm ringing my Acupuncturist today to see if I can get in to see her Monday to help bring on labour (if hasnt happened by then!!!) 7 days over by then.... and also to see if she can help the rash.....

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...hp?photo=12345

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...hp?photo=12344

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...hp?photo=12343

No good hun, hopefully you get to meet your little bundle of joy soon.
I booked an accupuncturist app the day before I had Emily. Needless to say, I didn't need it :D Hopefully that happens with you too!

:( Ren that looks so itchy!
I hope this baby gets its butt out here soon to give you some relief!!

Thank goodness. I have an appointment with my Acupuncturist at 2pm today. :pray:

Hey Ren, I had stretch marks really badly with my DD, they were about 5 cm long and at least 1 cm wide. OUCH! They did ache a bit after birth but I kept using cremes on them for few months till they didn't hurt so much. I also used Vit E tablets, i cut them open and used the oil from the tablet - that felt great!

To help the skin get smooth again i use a very gentle exfoliating flannel every morning in the shower and then put a creme on it afterwards - it has really helped them and I'm even doing that in this preggers.

I hope baby gets a move on for you soon!

Great news Ren, I hope she can evict the little one for you!! And help that rash!

Oooh, ouch Renee, you poor thing :hug:.

I hope the acupuncturist can work some magic for you.

Come out little baby! Mummy needs her body back LOL!

far out Sarah, that photo made me cringe! that looks so painful!
Ren, you look itchy too.

Hope your little one can get a wriggle on out of there!

Had my appointment at 10am! Someone cancelled so i got in (thankgod) and it went well... even had a few small contractions during the session and lower back pressure. Feel more relaxed after the session hopefully i can get some sleep in today.

I feel more positive and happier now. Not so itchy. I was given some aloe vera plant to put on my tummy when the itchiness comes back..... at the moment i'm just ignoring the pain.

thanks girls

:cheer: Sounds very positive!! Have a relaxing weekend, and hopefully you get to meet bubba real soon :pray:

Hopefully you've laboured beautifully over the weekend and this will all be a mute point BUT...

I had this also throughout all 3 of my pregnancies and found Pinetarsol wash (made by ego, available at the chemist) provided some relief and I used a mild steroid cream (prescribed by my Midwife) called Dermaid, but you can now get it over the counter at the chemist (just the lowest dose, 1% I think....)

Good luck.

Cheers

Kellie

:

---

far out Sarah, that photo made me cringe! that looks so painful!

---

And that was after it started to fade with the Dandelion Root!!

I was just reading this post and thought I would look in the birth announcements.

Yeah, congratulations on the birth of your beautiful daughter. Just hope this means that there will be no more itching.