Itchy!!!

[emma b]

Hi Everyone

I am 32 weeks pregnant.

I have a very random question, over the last month and half my body, mostly my legs have become extremely itchy and they keep twitching with the itchiness.

I am just wondering if anyone else has experienced anything like this, or know someone who has, that can give me some advice. I haven't changed any of my washing up products so I know it's not that irritating my skin.

Thanks
Itchy Emma

[Schmushe]

Hi Emma. I have moved this to our midwife section and hopefully she'll be along to give you some advice.

I would say some is normal as your skin can dry out a fair bit in pregnancies / change in soaps or powders may make it worse but I would recommend mentioning it to your midwife or popping and seeing your GP just to check it out.

[BrandonsMum08]

My friends wife suffers from a condition in pregnancy that causes her to be itchy. The later in pregnancy you get, the worse it can get and they usually induce you around 36-38 weeks as it is a condition of the liver. She has had it every pregnancy so far and is being induced soon because it has been worse for her 3rd pregnancy. Another lady i know from the school has also had it in all 5 of her pregnancies. It is called Cholestasis. Here is a link to the nhs website about it http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy- ... gnant.aspx

[Jenn]

I was very itchy during the last trimester of pregnancy . I did read that it can be normal for some women - so I mentioned it to my midwife (who asked a few questions about it) and then just used lots of cold creams to try and soothe it.

Have you mentioned it to your midwife?

[emma b]

Thanks everyone. Really helpful, I will mention it to my midwife when I see her next Wednesday! The heat at the moment probably isn't helping either!

6 and a half weeks till due date!

[BirthAffinity]

Obstetric cholestasis (OC) is the liver condition described in an earlier post. This is associated with itchy palms and soles of the feet rather than of the legs, and i think it is unlikely to be the cause of your symptoms.(it also now has a new name, but that has escaped me at the monent!!). If it does happen to be OC there are ways of managing this, so please don't worry!! There are a number of pregnancy conditions that can cause itching and most of them are benign. Dry skin is the most common cause, and it sounds like you might have a touch of restless legs syndrome superimposed on the itchIng too. These are both fairly easily rectified - as i said it is unlikely to be OC, but do contact your midwife or gp ASAP who will be able to both reassure you and give an appropriate diagnosis / treatment xx