About a quarter of women will experience itching in pregnancy. There are ways to help ease itchy skin during pregnancy. Read on to find out how. About a quarter of women will experience itching when pregnant - it is a common pregnancy symptom.
Although it will usually resolve itself once your baby has been born, there are ways to ease itchy skin caused by pregnancy. Some of these remedies may also help with leg and foot swelling and cramps. Itching when pregnant can be present from early pregnancy until your baby is born. Here we explain why changes in the body can cause itchy skin.
When you are pregnant, your body goes through lots of changes to support your growing baby. Increases in hormone levels and blood volume start in the first trimester of your pregnancy, and both can produce changes to your skin. You may also experience swollen legs and feet, which can cause irritation and itchiness as the skin stretches.
If you notice itchy red spots that spread to your arms and legs, this could be pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy PUPPP. Ask your doctor or midwife to look at it to confirm, but this is harmless to you and your baby and will disappear after your baby is born. The condition temporarily impairs liver function, causing bile acid to build up in your body, leading to severe itching. It affects around 1 in women in the UK. Women with ICP will usually begin to experience symptoms around week 30 of pregnancy, although they can start as early as 8 weeks of pregnancy.
If you think you may have this condition, consult your midwife or doctor. Most itching during pregnancy is harmless.
