Itchy Stomach

I had PUPP with my first one. I pretty much just PAINTED my stomach with calamine lotion.

It will go away as soon as you deliver..... Hang in there!

DO not use cortisone! I used it and it CREATED stretch marks! It is on of the side effects! That is how I got mine.MY stomach was itching for months and then I started putting cortisone on like a mad person becasue i couldn't handle it then I started to feel my skin crack and I got them all over. Just keep lotion on htme at all times!

More than likely it is strech marks, I itched like crazy with my first one and sure enough stretch marks, try a cream like eucerin or aquaphor or cocoa butter. Both worked for me
M.

Hi S.-

I had the same thing throughout my pregnancy. I think it was my skin stretching. I used shea butter most of the time but when it got bad the doctor suggested a cortisone cream. Sometimes I think I made it rashy from the constant scratching. It really helped.

D.

Congratulations :o) Take a lot of pictures because the time just flies by. Try using cocoa butter,shea butter,corizone or if you have itched so much that its bleeding use neosporin.

Good luck and don't forget bringing the lotion(the hospital lotions are terrible) and cameras

I am a huge fan of the Aquafor. It heals and moisturizes.

I had the same thing when I was pregnant. It was so annoying and my doctor said it was due to the skin stretching. I used Curel CONSTANTLY and that seemed to help. Good luck!

try cocoa butter cream, always worked for me.

J.
www.noahbyjodi.com

Hi S.,
It's likely from the skin stretching. Try some Palmers cream, it's very moisturizing. Perhaps it's an allergic reaction too. Talk to your doctor if you can take an antihistimine (I believe Benadryl is safe for pregnancy, but it can make you sleepy. I am on Zyrtec & I am 13 weeks along.) Check with your doc & see if you can use hydrocortizone cream or calamine lotion, as those both help itching. Good luck & hope your delivery runs smoothly.

Esp with the weather how it is now it is probably a combo of the stretching and the dryness that comes along with Winter. Slather yourself in cocoa butter or shea butter lotion when you get out of the shower to try to keep the moisture in as much as possible.

S.,
Just like everyone else said . ..lotion, lotion, lotion. It will also help keep your skin supple once you deliver and want that skin to get back to its original shape.

Good Luck with your delivery . ..any day now? How exciting!!
B.

HI S.,

I used St. Ives Collegen Elastin cream every day during my pregnancy after I showered and I never had an itchy stomach and never got a single stretch mark !!

Good Luck

M.

Hi,(I had PUPPS during my 8th month and I found this on a google search hope it helps)
It's not uncommon to feel itchy, particularly around your growing belly and breasts as your skin stretches to accommodate them. Hormonal changes may also be partly to blame.
Some pregnant women find that their palms and the soles of their feet get red and sometimes itchy. This common condition may be caused by an increase in estrogen. It usually disappears right after delivery.
You may also find that things that normally make you itchy — dry skin, eczema, food allergies — make you even itchier when you're pregnant. Finally, there are certain conditions that occur during pregnancy that may cause you to feel itchy (see below). How can I get relief from the itching?
Avoid hot showers and baths, which can dry out your skin and make the itching worse. Use mild soap and be sure to rinse it off well and towel off lightly. Then slather on an unscented moisturizer — some scents can cause irritation. Try an occasional warm oatmeal bath. (You can buy oatmeal bath preparations in drugstores.) Wear loose cotton clothing and avoid going out in the heat of the day, since heat can intensify the itching. Is it common to get itchy bumps on your abdomen? Up to 1 percent of pregnant women develop a condition characterized by itchy, red bumps and larger patches of a hive-like rash on their bellies. This is called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP) or polymorphic eruption of pregnancy. PUPPP usually begins in the third trimester and is more common among women carrying twins and those having their first baby. The eruptions usually show up first on the abdomen around or in stretch marks (if you have any) and may spread to your thighs, buttocks, and arms. PUPPP is harmless for you and your baby, but it can itch like crazy!
Your doctor or midwife will want to see you for a diagnosis and will probably prescribe a topical ointment to give you some relief. She may also recommend an antihistamine. In severe cases, you may need a course of oral steroids.
PUPPP usually disappears within a few days after delivery, although it sometimes persists for several weeks. (In rare cases, it may even begin after you give birth.) Fortunately, it seldom appears again in subsequent pregnancies. Even more rare than PUPPP is a skin condition called prurigo of pregnancy (or papular eruptions of pregnancy), which is characterized by many tiny bumps that may look like bug bites. These eruptions can occur anywhere on your body, but you're most likely to get them on your hands, feet, arms, and legs.
Although the eruptions can be itchy and annoying, prurigo of pregnancy appears to pose no risk to your baby. This condition generally starts around the beginning of the third trimester and may last for up to three months after you give birth.
In very rare cases, a pregnant woman will develop very itchy eruptions that start out like hives and then turn into large blistering lesions. This rash is called pemphigoid gestationis (or herpes gestationis, although it has nothing to do with herpes virus). The eruptions often start on the abdomen and spread to the arms and legs. This condition is considered more serious than PUPPP because it may be associated with an increased risk for preterm delivery and fetal growth problems. It usually begins in the second or third trimester, but it can start anytime — even in the first week or two after you have your baby. Pemphigoid gestationis can come and go throughout pregnancy, and it often flares up after delivery as well. It usually happens again in subsequent pregnancies and tends to be more severe.

Hi,

I had PUPPs in my last trimester. It started on my belly, but it spread to the entirity of my body. If you have this, you will know. It just about drove me out of my mind. I would wake up crying from the itchyness. I tried oatmeal baths, lotion, topical steriods, and eventually an oral steriod that my obgyn prescribed. It didn't let up until after I delivered. Whatever you do, don't scratch too hard. I couldn't help myself and now I have scars from the rash.

Since I was 4 months pregnant until the day that I delivered, I used pure shea butter and shea butter lotion on top of that. To contain the topical treatment, I wore a stretchy camisole (bought at Mimi Maternity). I NEVER had any itching problems that other pregnant woman complain about.

You know what works great for any kind of itchiness? Eucerin calming cream. I love it. You put it on and the itch really does just go away. I hope this helps.

S. Bailey CLD
Aurora
www.tendermomentsdoula.com