I'm Pregnant and EXTREMELY Itchy *All* Over My Body: Should I Be Concerned?

QUESTION:

I’m currently 24 weeks pregnant — third pregnancy. I know itching on your stomach and breasts are completely normal. While I’ve been dealing with that a lot within the last few weeks, I’ve noticed something. It’s not just my belly or breasts. It’s LITERALLY my whole body.

I’m constantly itching to the point where I’m not going to lie. I get frustrated and want to cry because it doesn’t stop for a long time. Especially in the creases of my elbows, all over my hands, the palm of my hands, my feet, and I’ve even had to pull over this afternoon to take off my shoe and scratch the bottoms of my feet.

Y’all it’s bad. It keeps me up at night. I barely sleep. I’ve used nothing different; my clothes are not too tight, I’ve done absolutely nothing different or use anything new. Do y’all think it’s a pregnancy thing and should be brought up to my doctor my next appt? Anyone else experiences this?"

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TOP ANSWERS (AS SELECTED BY MODERATOR):

“Sounds like Cholestatsis - call your doctor ASAP. They’ll most likely send you in immediately for labs as it can be EXTREMELY dangerous or even fatal for your baby.”

“CHOLESTASIS. This what the sign I had it! Very dangerous. You need blood work asap. I was not allowed to go past 35 weeks because my liver was not functioning correctly which made it dangerous for my son. They say the chances of him coming out stillborn were very high. Stress tests every week after diagnosis. Take this serious lady.”

“Ignore all of the comments regarding Benadryl, creams, this is cholestasis, a liver condition that can be fatal to the baby. Call and get in do your doctor right away.”

“I experienced this in my last pregnancy and thought I’d look past it but my husband told my midwife and she had some blood tests run and turns out I had Choleostasis and was given meds for it and I had to be induced at 37 weeks or I was told my baby could be stillborn. Let the doctor know.”

“Get in touch with your doctor ASAP. I had the same issue last with my last pregnancy. My liver enzymes were elevated which can affect your safety and your baby’s. Even if it’s nothing, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“Itching can be common; it’s hormones. But if hands and feet could be cholestasis; I’ve had it 3 times but that is mainly hands and feet and unbearably itchy.”

“I had extreme itching and it was diagnosed as pregnancy itching. Liver function and everything was normal. Made me miserable.”

“I was super itchy with all my pregnancies and didn’t have any health issues (or dry skin). It can just be a side effect of pregnancy!! I used body wash with oatmeal (St. Ives has one) and same with the lotion (doctor-recommended products with oatmeal to calm the itch.)”

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Its probably puppp I had it, go get seen for some cream.

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I would go get checked there is a name for it and it can b dangerous if not treated

puppps, it’s miserable!

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Go see your dr or call an advice nurse asap!

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I know it sounds dumb but my sister had the same thing almost 7 years ago. The DR told her she was allergic to her own baby or something like that.

You need to go to doctor and get checked, it could be liver condition called intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP)

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Call your doctor now!

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cholestasis! Go see your doctor ASAP! It can take your babies life.

Yes I agree with other comments go get checked out

Even if it’s not a baby issue your baby doctor can probably still help you out or send you to someone who can. You should call them.

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Sounds like very dry skin. Put some good moisturizer that hydrates your skin

CHOLESTASIS. This what the sign I had it! Very dangerous. You need blood work asap. I was not allowed to go past 35 weeks because my liver was not functioning correctly which made it dangerous for my son. They say the chances of him coming out stillborn were very high. Stress tests every week after diagnosis. Take this serious lady👏

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Ask your doctor about this

I had extreme itching and it was diagnosed as pregnancy itching. Liver function and everything was normal. Made me miserable.

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I had this at the end of my last pregnancy. Dr done some blood work ( don’t remember what it was called) anyway some levels came back higher than normal. That was causing the itch

I had that too call the Dr. ASAP to have your liver enzymes and levels checked

Call the OB immediately and get labs checked

Call your doctor asap or go to the ER its Cholestatsis. I had it with all 4 babies. Its very dangerous for baby

Contact your doctor or go to the ER!!!

Mention it to your dr, there’s something with a c that you might need medicine for to make the itchy stop

Pupps. Had it with both of my kids. It was miserable

Cholestasis. I had the very exact thing. I couldn’t even sleep at night it would itch so much. Call your doctor ASAP

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I did this with my first. It was so annoying. I literally scratched holes in my stomach and everywhere else while I was askeep

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Yes I had PUPPS do you have a rash?

Cholestasis… I wanted to tear my feet off!!!

It could be anything, I was like that with my first pregnancy last year. Could be dry skin I applied oil ( coconut oil or from bath and body works) and then cocobutter or lotion at night and in the morning.

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Are you drinking coconut milk?

It could be a number of things. I had a PUPPS rash and I never heard of it before i had it! But with itching on the palms of your hands and bottom of your feet it could be a worse issue than you may realize. I would definitely bring it up!! They might want to run some tests to make sure your kidneys are functioning properly. Bring it up! Dont wait until its too late!! If its something normal then great but if not then youll be glad you caught it before it did something really bad to you or even baby

Grandpas Pine Tar Soap::
Lather up and let it sit on your skin for 60 seconds then rinse.
Repeat through out the day.
Research PUPPPS.

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Talk to your midwife or ob ASAP. Itching can be nothing or it can be a symptom of something very serious.

I had a ton of itching for like 2 days late in my pregnancy and an oatmeal lotion helped but for real at this stage in your pregnancy to be thiiis itchy it could be indicitive of a major underlying issue and you wanna go talk to you’re OB doctor as soon as possible. If you notice yellowing of your skin or eyes then go to the emergency room immediately. Do not play with this.

I had this with my last pregnancy. I rang the maternity ward & the midwives asked me to go up. I ended up being diagnosed with HELLP syndrome.

My first pregnancy in 1969, drove me crazy, tell your doctor

If you have hives it could be PUPPPS. I had it with my first. It was the most awful thing in the world.

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I had that with my Cholestasis with my most recent pregnancy, it was horrible. My doctor induced me early because of it.:cold_sweat:

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I use to suffer from this. I had to take anti allergy medication only then it would stop.

Puppps it’s hell. I took lots of baths to help stop it. Benedryl May help but speak with your ob first.

Sounds like Cholestatsis- call your doctor ASAP. They’ll most likely send you in immediately for labs as it can be EXTREMELY dangerous or even fatal for your baby.

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Sounds like cholestasis of pregnancy. I had it with all of my pregnancies. It can be very serious, please call your doctor.

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I was diagnosed with cholestatsis my liver enzymes were really high and i had to have a emergency c section at 37 weeks cuz it was fatal to the baby.

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Go get checked
Itching in pregnancy can be normal but it can also be a sign of a serious condition called obstetric cholestasis which affects your liver.

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Bring it up immediately

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Get in touch with your doctor ASAP. I had the same issue last with my last pregnancy. My liver enzymes were elevated which can affect your safety and your baby’s. Even if it’s nothing, it’s better to be safe than sorry. :heart:

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Prayers for you in Jesus name Amene

My sister in-law has this and found out she was allergic to the placenta and the baby was smaller then what the doctors liked. So because of all of that they induced her early.

Okay so none of us are drs. So yeah you need to call yours. Now. Like a week ago.

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Cholestasis…and its dangerous…i got induced at 34 weeks because of it…

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I had a rash all over my body thinking it was hormone induced eczema come to find out it was an allergic reaction to something and I didn’t change anything for 15 yrs it started on my thigh and by me scratching it i made it spread everywhere the only place I didnt have it was my face and neck. I took benadryl everyday it was the only thing that worked until my doctor prescribed me the cream and the lotion but I still took benadryl while using the creams

I had what my doc called pups. It looks like little bumps all over my stomach and chest and they itched like a mf. It’ll go away after you give birth. Just sucks though. Lotion up multiple times a day

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Call your Dr ASAP to rule out dangerous conditions. Is it possible that it’s an itch mite?

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It’s called PUPPS. It’s an absolute nightmare. No cause and the only cure is the baby being born. Definitely go to the doc to make sure it isn’t cholestasis though. I thought I would go mad with the itching. The only thing that helped me was a combination of aloe gel and calamine lotion. Good luck!

21 weeks pregnant-2nd pregnancy and same thing has been going this whole pregnancy! My dr said it’s normal and it’s a pregnancy rash and go just use rash cream and constantly apply lotion

Contacting your doctor is always best !

This is what I had when I was pregnant. Benadryl was my best friend!

So through my 3 pregnancies the only stuff thst relieved it ( I didnt have a medical condition just itched myself til I accidently bled unless I did this) I was with Olay body ribbon body wash every shower and used bath and bodywork body lotion or body butter. Only things thst works not separately but together I still have the dozens of other remedies o tried while prego just sitting on my shelf​:joy::joy:

Go to doc asap. Thats a sign of a liver condition that doesnt affect u but can kill your baby.

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My niece had this and it can be very serious. Its called cholestasis I believe. In th this case call your dr.

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Ignore all of the comments regarding Benadryl, creams, this is choleostasis, a liver condition that can be fatal to the baby. Call and get in do your doctor right away.

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When I was pregnant I was super itchy all over to the point that I would itch my skin raw/bloody and still have scars. I got told I was fine and it was normal

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I was super itchy with all my pregnancies and didn’t have any health issues (or dry skin)… It can just be a side effect of pregnancy!! I used body wash with oatmeal (St. Ives has one) and same with the lotion (doctor recommended products with oatmeal to calm the itch)

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Get your liver checked

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I experienced this in my last pregnancy and thought I’d look past it but my husband told my midwife and she had some blood tests run and turns out I had Choleostasis and was given meds for it and I had to be induced at 37 weeks or I was told my baby could be still born. Let the Dr know

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Go get checked now fatal

Get checked serioudly

Itching can be common its hormones.but if hands and feet could be choliostasis ive had it 3 times but that is mainly hands and feet and unbearably itchy.

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I had that as well during my whole pregnancy and it was frustrating and keeps me up at night. Scratch marks were all over my arms, legs etc. Glad it stopped straight after i gave birth!

See a doctor.He can order a blood test for you .

You need to go to the doctors I had this and it was a liver thing, can’t remember what it was called but I had to be induced

Go to the doctor…that is a serious sign. Seriously doctor. Cholestasis could be what you got

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If it is severe enough you can’t sleep I would not wait till next appt. I would the Dr.

I had this my last pregnancy and someone suggested baby lotion. It helped. I had to apply it a lot but it did get better

Go to hospital this could be pupps and that is very dangerous

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Keep your skin hydrated. Your skin is stretching.

Agree with cholestasis. I had it with my last pregnancy and needed medication and frequent visits to check on the baby - if he was in distress we would’ve been looking at delivering early.

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Cholestasis! I had it, my dr didnt listen to me. Extreme itching in feet and palms. I know exactly what you mean

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I used tubs of coca butter. Don’t scratch

Go to doctor! At the end of my pregnancy I got itchy every where I’d scratch myself raw and eventually got a rash so they had to do blood work and make sure it wasn’t anything bad! Hydrate lots with good lotion and see a doctor. Do not let them dismiss it until your comfortable with the outcome

It happened to me as well. My situation wasn’t super serious. The doc said the fragrance in w.e. I was using was causing an allergic reaction. Switched to Shea moisture black soap and it helped. You should talk to your Dr tho just incase.

I got really itchy after I gave birth. My doctor said it was from stress and hormones. The two products that helped the most for me were 1% Hydrocortisone cream and Aveeno Eczema Therapy lotion with colloidal oatmeal.

Look up Obstetric Cholestasis of Pregnancy, or Intrahepatic cholestasis of Pregnancy. I’ve had it in 2 out of my 3 pregnancies. VERY itchy palms and soles of feet is a chief indicator, as well as DARK urine and light colored stools. Ask them to check not only liver function, but this is very important, they need to check BILE Acid salts. My first pregnancy this happened to me and I had to show my doctor printed out information before they actually believed me and tested me. Best of luck to you!

I’d definitely call the dr! Make sure you are staying hydrated. I also use cocoanut oil for EVERYTHING its been a miracle cure for me. Doesn’t help stretch marks but can provide relief for itching!

I had this same thing with my son. Your dr will take it very serious. I had to take meds and went for weekly baby checks and ultrasounds was diagnosed with cholestasis. They also induced at 38 weeks. 1 year post baby I had to have my gall bladder removed.

Go to the doctor. You could have Scabies (bed bugs)

Cholestasis… Get it checked!!

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I had preclamsia and high blood pressure with my daughter , constantly itchy and thirsty. The only thing that fixed it was staying in the shower. It was horrible.

Also, the only thing that brought me any relief was ice cold water baths. Lotions and topicals do NOTHING because the cause is internal.

Could be cholestasis, definitely get to the doctor

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It might be cholestasis! I had it with both of my pregnancies. It itches so bad but it’s like under your skin to itching and creams don’t help. It’s toxins being released in to your bloodstream…go to the doctor ASAP this needs to be monitored!

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Go to the Dr. That isn’t normal

Dr IMMEDIATELY. Being that itchy during pregnancy can be incredibly serious.

I just had dry skin on my belly from skin stretching. Lotion that baby up! Lol

If it was me I would go to the doctor. You don’t want to mess around and have something wrong with the baby .beacuse we have been their.

Talk to your doctor, mine told me that regular old benadryl was safe and helped my itching, but yours sounds worse and I’m by no means a doctor.

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I’m pregnant and found out I have scabies. It started as horrible itching to the point where I was balling my eyes out and recently started getting horrible bites and such. It’s worth a doctors trip for sure. I wish I went sooner but I thought I was just going crazy

You should tell your doctor or Google it

I had cholestatis and my symptoms were the same with the itching mostly in my hands, feet, and stomach keeping me up at night but it started between 35-36 weeks and kept me up at night and was induced as soon as my results came back positive. Just my experience, but I’d definitely bring it up to your doctor.

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I had that and was diagnosed with cholestasis

Call your doctor, but in the meantime coconut oil might help. My skin was itchy my last pregnancy and I used coconut oil to relieve the itch

I had this with my twins and thought it was cholestasis so I made an immediate appointment where they ran all the test and everything came back fine and they told me use to cream they prescribed, gave me a pill to take, and told me soak in epsome salt. But that was my hardest pregnancy also and had a lot of complications. Better safe than sorry.