Itching Skin Is Driving Me Crazy!

For the past three or four weeks, I've been suffering really bad with itching skin. I know that this is a common early pregnancy symptom as my skin is obviously stretching and making room for baby. It's should only ever be an issue if the palms of your hands or soles of your feet become severely itchy or if you suddenly come out in red spot-like lesions. Thankfully the itching has been restricted to my torso, backside and upper arms.
At first I thought it would go away. I wasn't a moisturise-every-day kind of person before I became pregnant and only now understand why it's so important to moisturise every day. I've tried everything I possibly can to stop the itch and it was starting to drive me crazy. The worst time was at Christmas when I was visiting family and had forgotten my heavy moisturiser, needless to say it had made me very very miserable. I took to asking good old Facebook friends if they had any suggestions and was glad to receive quite a few responses and good suggestions (one of which being WD40 which did make me laugh). 

Up until that point I had been using Sudocrem but as it's such a heavy barrier cream it had started to bring me out in spots which were getting sore as I scratched. Not fun I can tell you. I had got to the point where I didn't want to leave the house because I was so miserable. Everywhere itched, burned and was immensely sore.

I was told that you shouldn't put anything on your pregnant body that you wouldn't put on a baby, so that's when I decided to try Johnsons Baby Lotion. My reasoning was simple - good enough for babies, good enough for me. It has been an absolute godsend let me tell you. It took a few days to show any effects but now I use it three times a day and my skin feels glorious compared to what it was. It's now smooth, moisturised and much more supple, meaning that it will stretch a lot easier than before. I apply it in the morning, around lunchtime if I get itchy in work and before bed. The night time application is thick and I give it a few minutes of breathing space to soak in, otherwise my PJs/bedclothes stick to me, urgh! 

I have found that airing your skin works wonders so when you've got a private moment, strip off and let the air get to you, do it! I sometimes go to the toilet in work and whip my top off just to get a breathe of air to me when I'm itching - works a treat! (my colleagues obviously don't know I do that!)


So for a few weeks I have been feeling rotten but it is starting to get better. Itching skin during pregnancy has been a real issue but I've managed to combat it with a few simple steps:

• Wear loose fitting cotton clothing, especially to bed. You want your skin to breathe.
• Apply a moisturiser suitable for babies and children to your skin every day and top up when you get itchy.
• When applying the moisturiser, rub on in smooth and gentle circular motions , ensuring that it is being absorbed fully into your skin.
• Keep your fingernails short and clean so if you do scratch, you won't break the skin and cause an infection.
• Let the air get to your skin as often as you can. (My husband has been seeing a lot of flesh lately!
• Avoid hot and steamy baths  and showers, this will dry your skin out much more and make your itch worse.
• Keep your skin as clean as possible and use a light exfoliator once a week to remove any dead/dry skin that may be troubling you.
• Avoid using any shampoo/shower gel/bath foam with lots of chemicals and perfume in, there will more than likely make your skin worse.
• If the itching spreads beyond your torso - go to the doctor/midwife. It could be the sign of a liver problem which is easily treated but can cause serious problems if ignored.

Do you have any suggestions for treating itching skin? What worked for you? 

*all opinions contained within this post are my own. I am not a medical professional. If you are concerned at any time during your pregnancy visit your doctor or midwife. I was not asked to recommend brand products nor was I provided with any products to use.