Help! First Time pregnancy/Mom at 36...whats with This Rash and My Feet?

Hi Chistina,

I too had the rash under my breasts. It was itchy and painful. I used the antibacterial soap and the hydro-cortisone. It would come and go throughout my pregnancy. As for the feet, I had what I could only describe as restless leg syndrome. At the end of my pregnancy, my feet were so itchy and felt like something was creeping-crawling under my skin. I tried every cream, spray, but nothing worked because it was under the skin. I used to get so upset, it kept me from getting to sleep. The only semi-relief I got was cold packs. I would elevate my feet and place them on top of either cold towels or ice packs. It sounds crazy but my fiance went to Walmart one late night and that's what the pharmacist recommended. It got me through it. The good news is it did end after my pregnancy. The swelling went down too. Hang in there and congrats!
N. W

I had itchy, chafing skin right under my breasts -- not really a rash, per se. I used Monistat anti-chafing powder gel and it was amazing. Felt like a layer of silk between my bra and my skin.

Bad swelling, too, starting about month 8...Nothing really helped except rest and elevate (lucky husband got to do all of the cooking and housework!)

Hello Christina. My name is Bobbi and I know exactly what you are going through with that rash. I used CORN STARCH the best thing in the world to help it from itching and to get rid of it. Get a powder puff and a bowl, dump some in the bowl with the puff. Before you put your bra on just go to town with it, even when you sweat it'll keep that area dry and thats what you want. Also try wearing a loose fitting sports bra untill its cleared up. At night time while your sleeping use your cream to help clear up what you have now, and when its all gone use the corn starch. I wish you luck and I hope it gets better. As for your feet, try elevating them fifteen minutes for every hour your on your feet and use ICE PACKS for that fifteen minutes. It won't take all the swelling out but it should help the tightness of the skin and the pain. I have two children and my feet were always swollen and they stiil get that way after being on them all day. Thank god for my foot spa and pedicures I get. Congrats! Hope you feel better!!

make sure you let your doctor know and look at it - most of the time its ok but sometimes it can be a symptom of a condition during pregnancy

Hi Christina,
I work for a vrey good doctor and we usually tell our patients to try Nyastatin powder or even Gold Bond Medicated powder if the hydro-cortisone cream doesn't work. Try to not wear the gauze because rashes sometimes need to breath to heal. Sometimes the dry powder works better then creams.
Good Luck!

Those are also signs of HELPP, a serious condition. You may want to ask your doctor about it. How's your blood pressure? I hope you feel better soon.

Christina,
I just wanted to let you know that when I was pregnant I ended up ruining my feet. I was already overweight and then I got pregnant with twins. I always went barefoot b/c I hate shoes and because of the swelling I got. I ended up getting plantar faschitis. It hurts in my heels really bad whenever I stand up. When I walk it hurts for a while until I stretch it out. I still have problems with it, but I would definitely go to a podiatrist if this is what you are experiencing. They will show different stretches to do to help and recommend getting a really good pair of sneakers with special insteps, at least that's what I needed. Plus they can give you different tips on things to do to help out. Please let me know what happens. I know how painful it is!

I get a rash under my breasts too. I found that using a solid deodorant after showering and drying really helped. I also wear all cotton bras. The two together has eliminated the rash. If I skip the deodorant for a few days under my breasts because I'm in a hurry, I'm usually sorry because the rash comes back.

As far as the edema goes, be sure you are getting plenty of high quality, low fat protein. Keeping your feet elevated for 20 minutes at a time 3 or 4 times a day should be enough. No added salt, take your prenatal vitamin, drink skim milk twice a day and 8 - 10 glasses of water per day. Sleep on your left side at night to aid circulation. An 11 year old is at a perfect age to start learning how to do things like dishes and vacuuming.

I hope you see improvement and begin to feel better. Congratulations on your baby boy!!

I unfortunately don't have advice for the rash because i never experienced it when I was pregnant. However, I know how you feel with the feet. When I was pregnant (especially towards the end), the nurse at my OB stressed to me about my salt intake because my feet were really swollen. I WAS watching my salt but I wasn't watching my activity. I worked up until I went into labor and had to walk stairs to get to my office, I was very active outside of the house, too - on my days off I never wanted to sit still. (The day my water unexpectidly broke I had been on my feet ALL DAY LONG shopping and by the end of the day my feet were KILLING ME!). But, all I could do was lay down and prop my feet up and drink lots of water. From time to time they were itching, burning and pounding but I had to just do what I could (and suck up the pain because nothing was getting done around the house - like in your situation) to ease the swelling. I hope this helps a bit (it's nothing really that you haven't been told). Good Luck with your pregnancy. :-)

Hi Christina D...How are you? Hope better..Try putting baby powder with cornstarch under your breast. I have done this myself and it has worked for me. As for your feet, elevate them for 30 minutes several times a day. Swelling comes with carring a child and can be a pain, I know. I am 38 and I have 3 children. Mine are not babies anymore. My oldest a daughter age 18 just graduated, I have 2 sons ages 16 and 14. Well, I hope I have helped you in some way. Remember, the swelling will go down and away once you have your little boy. Best of luck.
Take Care & God Bless,
T. H.

try the hydro-cortisone but also use some powder to keep the dryness away from that area. I can't tell you what to do about your feet I never had that problems but do keep off your feet as often as you can.

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Motherhood is such a joy. Now, I had an unbearable rash all over while I was pregnant. The doctor finally had to give me atarax. As for your feet, I had trouble with swelling, too. My BP was high. They also hurt something awful. Baths and try to keep off the as much as you can. Also, an oatmeal bath may help your rash.

Hello Christina,
Congrats and Good Luck with your new bundle of joy! During my first pregnancy at 28, I also developed a rash under my breasts and was informed that it was a yeast infection. I was told this was due to my large size D and how they rest on my skin. I used was given an expensive prescription from my OB and it cleared it right up. I am now pregnant again and am experiencing the same resh under my breasts again, but I have increased to a DD. I have a new OB and was informed to use any over the counter athletes foot cream, b/c it works the same as the expensive prescription. Try any of the creams first and see how they work, you should be cleared up in about 2 days. Place the cream on after each shower and let it air dry, then place your bra on. I little trick I found to work too will sound funny, but no one else needs to now. Before I would leave the hous, I would place baby powder with corn starch under my breasts and then I'd use a really soft wash rag and cut it in half and place it under each breasts and then place my bra on. This was when I'd sweat, it would collect on the wash rag instead of on my skin, therefore giving me the rash from sweating.
Sorry this is long, but it really works. Let me know how you make out and Good Luck! Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questiosn regarding this issue, I've been there and am there again.
A.

hey, I've had the rash before, not when i was pregnant just becuase i have big boobies. IT sounds like a fungal infection. just apply some over the conter anti fungual cream and it'll clear up in a few days.

As for the swelling, that does tound like a serious problem if you dont' start taking better care of yourself! i understand that you're worried about the cooking and the housework but the baby and your health are more important.

Dont worry about the housework just to spot cleaning to keep things livable. As for the cooking, make easy things that last awhile ie baked chicken, spaggetti, shepards pie. trust me, the laundry is not worth your health.

Good luck and have a good time on your babymoon!

You definitely want to pay attention to swelling in your legs as late in the pregnancy that can be a symptom of serious complications. A key that there is a complication would be if your blood pressure would rise as well as the swelling. Also, if you begin swelling in other parts of your body.

I don't know if it's the same thing and I can't remember if I was pregnant or not when this happened to me. (I'm on my third pregnancy in the past 4 years so it's hard to keep track of when I was or wasn't pregnant.)But I had some really bad pains - like needles or razors on the bottoms of my feet when I put pressure on them in the past few years. It felt like it was under my skin. I know it probably sounds really bazaar, but the pains I was having her cured instantly at a visit to my chiropractor. I go regular for maintanence and happened to mention the feet thing to him not really knowing how he'd help. He adjusted my ankles and feet several ways - no pain with any of it. After he finished, I stood up and it was completely better. I think I had some mild discomfort return and he adjusted it again the next time to help it stabilize, but after that it's been fine. Maybe 2 or 3 times - like 6 months apart - I've had times when I was on my feet a great deal and they'd begin to hurt a bit. Now if I start to feel any discomfort, I ask him to check my feet when I'm in for a regular visit. I know it may sound really weird, but if you are having the same pains that I had, it was like a miracle cure and I was so thankful that I had mentioned it to him even though I felt silly asking about the bottoms of my feet. It didn't feel like a bone or joint issue - more like something in my skin, but it worked is all I can say...weird as it may sound.

Hi Christina
I, too, am 36 & gave birth to my 1st child, a boy, in Aug.
I had the horrendous swelling of the feet & the pain & the rash under my breasts.
For the swelling & pain, I was fortunate enough to be put out of work 3 weeks early and I just stayed in bed.
As for the rash, I used Overnight Desitin. Worked like a charm! Would clear up overnight.
Hope that helps!!

Christina
The thing I found that seemed to work about the rash is vasaline at night and sounds alittle strange but a mild deodarnt. The whole feet thing When I was pregnant with my daughter my feet swelled so much I had to buy shoes that were two and a half sizes bigger than I normally wore. Please have your sugar checked for gestastional Diabetes also take at least one warm bath every day. Make time now. Childeren are a blessingyet take alot of energy. I'm sure you have heard that a lot. May God bless you and your new beautiful little boy.

H. In Pa

Unfortuantly, what the Dr. said is true. When you are sitting your feet need to be up. The hydrocortizone creme works. Keep using it.

The most natural healthy thing you can do is to powder the area after showering with baking soda. It might sting at first for a couple of days while it naturally disinfects that area, but it will help keep that area from rashing due to bacteria growth.
I also use this as a deodorant. It's better than any deodorant I've used and completely safe, non-toxic and natural (won't contribute to breast cancer like most of the commercial 'beauty' and 'hygiene' products out there.
Hope that helps!
Dr. Steph

I used to get a rash under my breasts that was a fungal (yeast) rash. It would be bright red and peely. Hydrocortisone would make it worse because it just feeds the fungus. Did your doctor do a culture on it to see what it was? If he didn't and you think it may be yeast and want to try something else, try Lotrimin or something similar. Anything for jock itch or athlete's foot.

Are you following any particular dietary guidelines? Increasing protein may help. http://www.blueribbonbaby.org/ is a great pregnancy diet IMO.

Can you enlist friends and family to give a hand with the housework? And lower your expectations a bit. ;) Just figure out what's absolutely vital and concentrate on that.

A little OT, but you mentioned that you're having a boy. Have you researched circumcision? http://oknocirc.blogspot.com/ is a good start. :)

I had my daughter last year. I stood alot on the job. My feet and back hurt real bad. I was anemic. My doctor who is a specialist told me if it didn't get better he would take me off work. Well he did. It was the best thing for us. My first pregnancy was so enjoyable then. Because I worked full time I didn't feel like doing anything afterward. Being off work was so relaxing. I cooked and cleaned daily. My insurance paid me 66%, really I didn't notice the rest. Good Luck

Hi Christina,

My name is D. and I am a mother of two..During my second pregnancy I developed a rash as well. On my legs,chest under my breast and even on my face. I did everything that my doc suggested and then some..NOTHING WORKED..But almost as soon as I gave birth it WENT AWAY !!! :o) But here is one thing that you might try. Lotrimin " athletes foot creme " I know it's hard to believe but it does work on alot of things..It is even GREAT on really bad diaper rash. I hope I was able to help,And good luck on the upcoming event.

D.

Christina I understand the 60 plus hours my husband does school photography so on top of the him being gone at 3 to 5 am and not coming home till 7 or even 8 most nights he works in MD, DC, VA, DE, and PA. Having him gone and being pregent stunk however he came up with what helped me with my rash i would wash with very mild soap then dry very good then take a small washrag and place them under my breast and when it would get damp i would get a new one it worked. As for the feet i wanted to go crazy they hurt so bad but I did learn if you try to go barefoot as much as possible or wear losse shoes its not so bad and soak them every night if possible. It also helped when my husband would give me a foot massage before bed. sorry this is soo long.

Hi. My name is G. and i have three children. The rash you are getting under your breast is actually a fungas and normal what you want to do is wash it with antibactiral soap dry it really well then put some medicated powder on it the next day it will be all cleared up and its actually a better solution then the athelets foot cream because you are putting the powder on that keeps it dry. As for your feet I can't help you much there. My feet only swelled up in the evenings and i would just put them up. i do know that to much salt and not enough water does contribute to that. well i hope this helps. let me know if it works.