Itch while being pregnant is nothing to
worry about and it usually appears in the 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy.
This symptom can be from many causes and
happen in some parts such as palm, feet, but most is at the belly.
Several causes
The
development of uterus
This is the most common causes of pregnancy
itch. The development of uterus to make place for the fetus will make the skin
dry (xerosis) and stretched, and become irritating, itchy.
Rash
Hormones produced during pregnancy affect
your body and are very hot. The fact that skin rubs itself or rub to clothes
will create sweat, so the humidity is formed and it causes prickly heat and
rash. They usually appear in the folds of skin and wrinkles, which can cause itch
and unpleasant feelings.
Frustration
of Itching During Pregnancy
Urticarial
In the final stage of pregnancy, large
patches of itch in the form of urticarial (PUPP) appear in some women. It
starts from the stomach and spreads out to other parts of the body such as
belly, thighs and arm. The signs are excessive itch, but they cause no harm to
you and your baby. Only 1% of women get PUPP, so you need to have a check-up at
the gynaecologist’ s to confirm if you really have PUPP or not.
Lumpy
itch
Some women develops an uncommon disease
called lumpy itch. This leads to the formation of “goose-pimples” on your body.
It usually appears at legs, arms, sides of legs and arms. This disease causes
no harm to you and your baby, but it will bring you unpleasant feelings.
Herpes
Some pregnant women have to suffer another
condition known as pemphigoid during pregnancy (herpes while being pregnant).
This condition is characterized by urticarial, with the types of damage that is
like light bulb. Herpes usually appears in three stages of pregnancy, but
several cases may happen in the first stage. It can cause complications
following by the poor growth of the fetus and preterm birth.
Yeast
infection
Some women may have itching vagina during
pregnancy. This is caused due to the changes of vagina’s pH, or from STDs and
microbial infections. Yeast infections are very common during pregnancy and can
cause mild to severe itch.
Intrahepatic
cholestasis
It’s another condition of itch happening
during pregnancy, and about 2% of pregnant women have to suffer this kind of
sickness. This is due to the mix of bile salt, the liver problem. Bile runs
unusually inside the small ducts of the liver, piles up inside the body and
causes excessive itch. Sometimes, it’s is so serious that people will have to
scratch till graze and damage their skin.
Itch
often appears at the 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy.
All the body itching conditions during
pregnancy mentioned above will disappear after giving birth and won’t repeat at
the next pregnancy. However, intrahepatic cholestasis is an exception and usually happens in the next pregnancy.
Treatments
You can use some treatments at home to
treat itch. However, before using any treatments, you should ask doctors for
advice to know exactly the causes and the most suitable, safe treatments. If
you are itchy because of different periods of pregnancy, you can apply one of
these treatments below:
Avoid
using hot water when bathing
Bathing with hot water or bathing too much
can make your skin dry. If you have a hot bath, you should use products from
oat because they can ease itch. While bathing, avoid using brushes to rub your
skin. You should use moisturizer to soften your skin, or use mild and odorless
soap to bathe.
Use
moisturizer
After bathing, put a bit of high-quality
moisturizer onto the itchy skin while it’s still moist. This will help your
skin absorb more moisture. The high-quality moisturizer
such as Cocoa Butter Cream moisturizer, aloe extract… is good and suitable
for itchy skin. Put these moisturizers on the affected skin, especially the
belly; will help to prevent stretch marks significantly during pregnancy.
Use
baking soda
Mix baking soda and water and put the
compress containing this mixture onto the itch area to make you relax and
comfortable. Using anti-itch cream such as cream containing calamine is also
effective.
Wear
well-aired and large clothes
You should remember to wear wide cotton
clothes and stay away from synthetic clothes (such as polyester) because they
have a tendency to keep wetness.
Take
care of the vagina
Have a gynaecological examination to
exclude fungal vaginitis during gestation. You need to wear cotton underwear
and always clean and care for the vagina to make it dry and clean. Don’t use
shower to clean your body; dry the vagina from front to back to avoid bacteria.
Drink
enough water
To keep the body moist, you should drink
enough water every day, at least 2 liters. Concurrently, you need to maintain a
balance, nutritional and reasonable diet to make your skin healthy.
To
keep the body moist, you should drink enough water every day, at least 2
liters.
Apply
odorless powder
In case you have PUPP, put this powder onto
the folds in the lower chest and middle thigh to reduce the stimulation of your
skin.
Itch during pregnancy is normal, but it
always brings unpleasant feeling to pregnant women and some side-effects. This
is a normal thing that most pregnant women have to stand. It can be reduced by
using the methods above. Therefore, you need to know how to care for yourself
to overcome pregnancy period vigorously, safely and happily.
