I’m so itchy

[Funkypolar]

Especially at night. Driving me mad!

Have you called your midwife about it? I had awful itching in my last trimester and had to go for monitoring and blood tests at hospital. There is a risk with itching that it could be intraheptic cholestasis.

Mine turned out to be hormonal and I found that anti-histamines helped me to sleep through the worst of it.

Isn’t itching a sign of preeclampsia?

Don't want to alarm you but there is a condition called cholestasis that can occur and itching is a symptom, maybe get checked.? Or maybe you are hot and it's dry skin? Hope it improves soon x

How far along are you?

Any particular area, i.e feet / hands?
For me severely itchy feet was a symptom of OC.

As others have said, itching particularly hands and feet can be a sign of obstetric cholestasis. I would speak to your midwife about it - she will most likely want to do a blood test to check your liver function is normal.

Phone the midwife
It could be OC.
They can treat that but they will monitor your pregnancy more closely.
Good luck op.

I've just been to the midwife today for a blood test as my feet and ankles have been itchy for weeks, especially at night. No rash, happens no matter what bath products I use etc. I felt silly calling them to say "oh, I'm itchy!" But they took it seriously and really reassured me. How many weeks are you?

I’m 22 weeks. Can it wait until I see the midwife in a couple of weeks or do I need to ring her tomorrow? No itchy feet or hands specifically, I just itch all over.

No it doesn't sound like you should wait. My only itching was where my skin was stretching, you should definitely get checked out.

Hello
I had extreme itching with my first pregnancy around this time of year. I told my midwife and went in for monitoring and was fine (told it was hormones and was given a menthol cream to soothe it).

It can be a sign of something more serious so I wouldn’t wait and would call your midwife ASAP. Do they have an on call service where you can chat through your concerns?

I have her mobile number so I can text her if she’s on shift. Or do I need to ring the MAU?

Honestly I totally get the feeling of not wanting to make a fuss, it feels like such a silly thing to bother them for but it sometimes can be serious and they'd rather you contacted them for the not-serious versions than you didn't contact them for the serious versions. Give them a call though, that's what they're there for. I called at 4pm yesterday, was seen at 9.30am today, and was told if it hadn't been my midwife clinic day today they would have asked me to go to the hospital, they didn't want me to wait at all.

@Funkypolar

I am soooooo itchy too!!! It started a couple of days ago. I am going crazy.
Belly, arms, legs and at night it's insane 😭

I have noticed some tiny red spots on my skin where it's itching the most.
Do you also have that?

Also don't wanna ring the midwife for this as i have looked online and don't really have any worrying symptoms.
I am seeing her next week for 26w appt and GTT and will definitely mention the itching then!

I had polymorphic eruption in pregnancy with my 1st - severe itching - apparently more common in boy pregnancies - they gave me steroid cream in the end which helped but took them ages to find something. It felt like tiny ants under my skin

I would mention it to your midwife. She may send you for a blood test to rule out obstetric cholestasis (also called intrahepatic Cholestasis of pregnancy or ICP) -- they need to test your bile acids. I would phone your midwife this week (itching in pregnancy, even OC/ICP isn't a medical emergency at your gestation - it can wait until the morning unless you have other issues)

I had OC/ICP in my last pregnancy with DD2 (2019) - I used to find I was itchy at night - mainly my hands - but it came and went really. Its not treatable but was well managed and went as soon as she was born at 37+1 (and she was absolutely fine).

I had extreme itching with my first, started around the 20 something week mark, it was so bad I made my arms and legs bleed. I told my midwife about it and showed her my “wounds” and described how intense it was, particularly at night, that I couldn’t sleep properly etc etc. She told me not to worry, it’s normal, get used to it it’s hormones. I had prenatal depression (undiagnosed but having had depression before I knew what it was). I’d lost my house, job and car and other things going on so didn’t push (I didn’t use google then).
Anyway, during labour I noticed the staff were very twitchy taking bloods etc turns out it was OC, luckily for me and my dd it was ok and as soon as she was born the itching stopped.

Second pregnancy, it’s on my records now. At about the same gestation the itching started. I called the maternity department and was in so quick my feet didn’t touch the ground. It was quickly confirmed that the OC was back for another pop and I had very frequent tests/monitoring, I was given antihistamines and cream so it wasn’t as awful that time, I had to be induced at 37 weeks which was fine. In your position I would absolutely call the maternity department, they won’t think you’re wasting their time and if I hadn’t been so uninformed the first time around I wouldn’t have hesitated in calling, they much prefer that as they can do what they need to.
Good luck, I remember that itching all too well.

@SunnySideUp2020

Also don't wanna ring the midwife for this as i have looked online and don't really have any worrying symptoms. I am seeing her next week for 26w appt and GTT and will definitely mention the itching then!

Please call her, you’re not being a nuisance, it may well be nothing but don’t suffer, this is what they do (except my first MW who didn’t give a toss) most mw’s are angels.