Expectant Moms
A general group for all expectant moms....
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Created:
May 15, 2007
Question
Please help, I have extremely itchy skin
I am about 16 weeks along and my skin is unbearably itchy. I use lotion after my showers but apparently that is not enough. Anyone have anything that really helped them?? I think I'm losing my mind!
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14 Answers
I had that so bad it kept me up all night. No fun. If you can soak in an oatmeal bath that helps at least for a time. For lotion, I love Eucerin and Avenno, they both make creams that are formulated for this. Eucerin has one that is called something like Emergency itch creme, or something extreme on the label and it works well.
Also, especially if it's your legs itching, that can be a swelling under the skin (edema?) and ice packs on your legs feels so good.
In the Fall and Winter months, my skin used to be so itchy that I'd wake up to find myself CLAWING at my legs to the point where I'd draw blood-YIKES! It was awful-my Dad has always told me I get it form my grandmother and that he gets it too. He's tried lotions, ointments, you name it!
So, I got pregnant last year and my doctor prescribed me these prenatal vitamins called CitraNatal.
Itchy skin GONE. I think it's the DHA in them. There are 2 pills with these prenatals: one is a plain white one (I'm guessing that's the vitamins B, C, D, etc) and the other is an orange gel capsule which I think is the DHA oil. You're getting the Omega-3s, but no fish oil (which you shouldn't have when pregnant). For me it was like moisturizing my skin from the inside!
Ask your doctor about these prenantal vitamins and see it they can help!
Thanks, these are two great ideas for me to try. Polkadot: how horrible for you to be bleeding! So glad you found some relief. I'll definitely find out about those vitamins. Do you take them even when you're not pregnant? Sounds like they've been a great help.
Mommywaters: the doc already checked for edema, no sign of it. I'll keep the ice pack thing in mind though!
Thank you, yes, it is so nice to be rid of the "night scratching"!
I did keep taking them after I had my baby because I was nursing her and wanted her to get all that good stuff in them through my milk
I'm also glad that I kept taking them because not only do they keep me on a mega-dosage of vitamins and give some to my baby, but when she was 9 months old I got pregnant again and it was a surprise!
I was happy to think about how I had been taking them from the begining of the pregnancy
I just keep calling my doctor to give me refill after refill!
I noticed that you mentioned making sure you could give your baby the "good stuff" through your milk. The "good stuff" equates to your immune system. Since there are reports of this H1N1 striking pregnant women in a very bad way, as well as infants, I thought you might be interested in the information on this website: www.4life.com.
There is a natural alternative available to not only protect but to increase the immune system up to 437%, but unfortunately, the medical community will never inform the general public of this alternative because they cannot profit from it. This natural alternative is listed in the PDR, physician's desk reference manual, but again, it's not going to help them make money if you are well. They are in the business of sickness.
Since this natural alternative builds up the immune system, it would then be able to defend your body at a higher level, attacking any invaders. I mention this here because if you are having a problem with your skin itching, and this wasn't happening before or is not the norm, then its apparent that there is something foreign attacking your skin or maybe even your endocrine system, and the itching could be symptomatic of that.
Your immune system is compromised if any invader is attacking your body successfully. You do not want your immune system to remain in a compromised state, because as such, you could be suseptible to not only any viruses or bacterial strains from external sources, but also from any such invader you may have a proclivity towards (such as cancer) because of hereditary family history.
If you read the information on that site, you will see that there is another way to protect both yourself and your child, whether pregnant or an infant. If you have questions after viewing the information, feel free to contact me, and I will try to answer any questions you have.
I'd also suggest that if you want more info on the science behind this, google Dr. Sheppard Lawrence, who was a well known immunologist that first made the discovery of this process in 1949. It is nothing new; its just not being utilized by the medical community because they don't profit from wellness, but from sickness. Peace and blessings to all.
Have you ever tried Melaleuca's Renew lotion? It is awesome and is all natural with no chemicals. It works great on my daughters eczema.
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I just saw a thing in Entertainment Weekly that says Top Chef host Pdma Lakshmi rubs butter on her pregnant belly to stop the itching!
Can't hurt!
I don't have itchy skin....yet .....but I had a friend who had severe itching during her pregnancy, and had to take benadryl.....she had a rash on her belly. If it gets bad, call your obgyn and get it checked out. Hope you feel better soon!!
Okay, some people will think this is really gross, but one way to treat dry, itchy skin is to shower less. We actually wash away the beneficial oils on our skin when we shower, which can really contribute to the problem. If you currently shower once a day, can you consider doing it every other day? You can always buy those personal wipes (or heck, even use baby wipes) to clean, well the areas we all like to be clean. Or you could try a sponge-bath or just a super-quick shower. Also try putting on oil instead of lotion. It absorbs better. Use baby oil or, if you're concerned about using petroleum products, mineral oil. Good luck! It's terrible to be uncomfortable when you're pregnant.