Itching During Pregnancy — Causes, Treatment, Home Remedies & More

Mild itching during pregnancy is a common symptom that results from numerous metabolic and hormonal changes taking place in your body during these 9 months. As your pregnancy progresses, you may experience itchiness around your abdomen and breasts, as the skin around these areas is stretching to accommodate the growing fetus. In addition, if you have dry skin, the itchiness becomes intense and more pronounced. This blog will help you understand the various possible causes of itching during pregnancy and why some mommies experience more itching than others.

Causes Of Itching During Pregnancy

In most cases, itching during pregnancy is natural and a result of all the changes your body is going through during this period. However, in rare cases, it could be linked to an underlying medical condition that requires proper medical attention.

It is important to understand that the underlying cause of itching during pregnancy, in some cases, can be determined by the area involved. For instance, itching in the vaginal area is often linked to an infection whereas that around the anal area is often caused by haemorrhoids.

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Other possible causes of itching during pregnancy include:

1. Eczema: It happens to be the most common skin condition seen in pregnant women and is usually due to increased skin sensitivity, which is experienced in areas that are more prone to dryness, such as wrists, ankles, elbow creases, and even face.

2. Prurigo of Pregnancy: Also known as atopic eruption of pregnancy, it is characterized by tiny, itchy, fluid-filled bumps that look somewhat like insect bites or pimples. These are common in the 1st and 2nd trimesters and usually disappear after the baby is born.

3. Cholestasis: It is a condition in which the liver function is disrupted, affecting the removal of wastes and toxins from the blood, which eventually causes itching. It is most common in the hands and feet and aggravates at night. Other symptoms associated with cholestasis include dark urine, pale stools, and yellow eyes and skin.

4. Polymorphic Eruption of Pregnancy: Often referred to as pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy, it is characterized by a bumpy, red, itchy rash that usually appears on the abdomen in the last trimester.

5. Pemphigoid gestationis: It is a rare condition seen in pregnant women, which is characterized by red bumps and itchy blisters. Although it can develop at any stage of pregnancy, it is most common in the second trimester.    

Also Read: Should You Have Benadryl During Pregnancy

Can Itching During Pregnancy Cause Stretch Marks?

It is not the itching itself that causes stretch marks, but the scratching you do to ease the itch. Imagine a full-blown balloon, and you scratch it with your fingertips, and you get some marks on the skin of the balloon. The same is the case with your pregnant belly. Your stomach muscles are stretched, and if you scratch to ease the itch, you will leave marks on your abdomen, and these marks become more pronounced post-delivery, thus taking the form of stretch marks.

How To Treat Constant Itching During Pregnancy?

Constant itching during pregnancy can be both frustrating and troublesome. So, how can you control or treat the constant itching? Here are 4 simple steps to ease constant itching.

1. Stay hydrated: Keep yourself hydrated, as that helps in keeping the skin soft and supple, thus reducing the itch

2. Light oil massage: Use coconut oil on the itchy area to keep it moisturised

3. Towel dry gently: Don't rub yourself dry; instead, gently dry yourself, and post-drying apply oil all over the body to reduce the itch. Believe me, it works wonders and leaves your skin well-hydrated and less prone to itching

4. Use mild detergents: While washing, ensure that you are using a mild detergent and the clothes are thoroughly clean with no soap residue left on the clothes, as that can aggravate itching

Why Does My Pregnant Belly Itch At Night?

While mild itching is quite common during pregnancy, if the itching is severe and troubling you at night, then it is better to consult your doctor, as it could be a medical condition that may require immediate medical intervention. So if your belly is itching in the night despite doing everything to reduce the itch, then it is high time you consulted your doctor.

Is Itching During Pregnancy Indicative Of Baby Gender?

Well, it is essentially a myth that your itch can predict the gender of your baby. There are numerous tales about it. When I was pregnant with my child, I was told that if you are itching on the left, it is a girl, and if on the right, then it is a boy. Oh boy!! But I was itching all over my abdomen! So, ladies pay no heed to it and treat the itchiness; there is no truth in this statement.

Itchy Legs During Pregnancy

Wearing tights or clothes that are irritating to the skin can cause legs to itch during pregnancy. Itchy legs can also be observed as a side effect of diabetes or kidney disease. Though mild itching is common in pregnancy and not a cause of concern, severe itching should be reported to the doctor. Your doctor can check for 'obstetric cholestasis', or 'intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy' (ICP), which is rare and affects about 1% of all pregnant women.

Home Remedies For Itching During Pregnancy

Although there are some natural therapies that you can do at home to ease the itching during pregnancy, I would still suggest that if you experience severe itching, please consult your gynaecologist for the same. Below are 7 ways to ease itching during pregnancy. I would like to share a few tips to help relieve itching during pregnancy:

1. Cold packs help: Whenever you experience itching around your abdomen and breast areas, take some ice cubes in a muslin cloth and rub them over the itching area till the itching subsides

2. Moisturise well: Keep your skin hydrated with a good perfume-free moisturiser, you may also like to use cocoa butter as it keeps the skin soft, supple, and itch-free for a long time

3. Keep yourself well hydrated: Well, like your skin needs to stay soft and moisturized from the outside, it also needs the same hydration from within as well. So drink plenty of water so that the toxins are flushed out, and your skin is soft and supple

4. Natural fabrics are your best bet: Go for fabrics that are made of natural fibres, especially cotton, as that lets your skin breathe easily thus not adding to the itch and minimising the itching to some extent

5. Avoid anything fragrant: Yes, that includes your soaps, perfumes, and even deodorants, as all this increases the irritation in the skin, thus further making your skin itch. So go for mild soaps and perfumes. In fact, avoid perfumes and deodorants if you can

6. Say no to hot showers: Yes, hot showers tend to aggravate itching by drying the skin and thus making it worse. So avoid taking hot showers or baths. In case you are addicted to hot showers or baths, then you can opt for warm or lukewarm baths so that there is no sudden dryness of the skin that results in itching

7. Aloe Vera to rescue: You may also apply aloe vera gel to soothe the itchy skin and inflammation, as it is a natural healer. You can directly take the gel from the plant and apply it to the itchy skin, or you can buy it from a pharmacy shop

If you have a serious rash or are extremely itchy, these measures alone are probably not enough to give you adequate relief. Talk to your doctor. You may need topical or oral medication, or both.

Happy, healthy pregnancy mommies!

Did you find this blog useful? How did you relieve itching during your pregnancy? Do leave your comments…. We love hearing from you!