So my friend is about 18 weeks pregnant and is having some severe itching problems. She literally has bruises all over from itching so much. Its her face, arms, legs, all over. She went to her OB and she suggested a baking soda bath.... did not help. She went to a skin doctor and they suggested cortizone injections, but cannot give them to her until the baby is fully developed and even then, there could be side effects. She has tried everything. Has anyone experienced anything like this or knkow of anything she can do?
You might try taking her to a doctor who specializes in allergies as that is usually the most common cause of skin itching. I'm surprised that her doctor did not recommend one.
Your friend's problem may be beyond this, but you itch during pregnancy because your skin is stretching. I found that using Body Butter regularly really helped. (I preferred the Brazil Nut stuff the Body Shop makes, but any brand for extra-dry skin should do the trick).
Have her try an Aveno bath & tell her to follow up with Aveno lotion. It really works great! Sounds like she may have developed an allergy. That can happen sometimes. Pregancy can cause you to become sensitive to things that never bothered you before. That might be pretty hard to pinpoint, but if she has days that are worse than others maybe she should start keeping track of what she's eating. It could be that maybe she just needs to switch laundry detergent. I would start with the detergent and any soap that she uses in the shower. Try to buy something with no dyes or purfumes. Good luck to her.
Your friend should read this info from babycenter.com -- it lists some of the conditions that can cause itching during pregnancy, and one can be quite serious for the baby.
http://www.babycenter.com/0_itchy-skin-during-pregnancy_9...
Yes, make sure she is well hydrated at least 10 glasses per day and she can use coconut oil on her skin. It is really the best natural moisturizer for her. If it continues to persist, she should look into some possible food allergies that are being triggered by pregnancy. If anyone has the slightest reactions to foods (even without them knowing it), because of the suppressed immunity, the trigger is heightened during pregnancy. Dr. Oz says itching is an immune response (but in pregnancies, the skin stretching can cause some itching, but should not be "severe").
Hope that helps,
J. W. MPH
Maternal and Child Health Educator
National Pregnancy Health Examiner
Probably not what she wants to hear, but I would cut out all sugar from the diet. Start with all processed sugar to begin with. Pure maple syrup, organic honey and agave nectar should only be present in her diet if any sugar at all. When I was pregnant, I got an awful rash, too. I really think it has to do with yeast in the body and sugar feeds yeast. For some reason it goes wild when I'm pregnant and manifests itself in my skin with a rash. A rash is your body's way of letting you know there's a bigger problem. There's an imbalance somewhere. She might also want to find a preggy friendly liver cleansing supplement to support detoxification. Maybe her liver is stressed. She may want to call Dr. Michelle at Mainstreet Chiropractic in downtown Plainfield. She specializes in women's health. 815/230-9070
I had the same problem during pregnancy, but not as severe. I thought I was drinking enough water with my 8 glasses a day, but was told that was not enough. When I started drinking more water the itching eased up.
Tell her to make sure she is as hydrated as possible and use a good lotion. Then she can take Benedryl at night so she is actually able to sleep.
