5 weeks pregnant and SO itchy!

[Caitlin991]

I’m about 5w4d and for the last couple of days I have been so so itchy - my scalp, my arms, legs, boobs, basically everywhere.
I’ve not changed anything I use on my skin or eaten anything new so I can only assume it’s a weird pregnancy thing?
Could it be pregnancy related? I didn’t get this in my last pregnancy, so I don’t know if I should be worried and getting myself to the doctor or if it’s just one of those weird things that can happen.

I had this throughout pregnancy and it is irritating as hell. Mine was due to high blood pressure but it could be to do with histamine levels. Ask midwife or GP as they may be able to give you something for it.

Oh, I have stopped taking my antihistamines that I usually take everyday during summer..I don’t normally get itchy when I don’t take them though. Did it go away for you during pregnancy?

Itching in pregnancy can be a sign of ICP (Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy), 5 weeks would be very early for it to kick in but I would say it's still best to get checked. You'd just need a blood test to check your bile acid levels

No I itched all the way through. Speak to GP because you can't take alot of the antihistamines OTC whilst pregnant

@July17January20 ah, I thought you only got itchy hands and feet with that, guess I’ll get myself a GP appt.

@Devilsmommy this might be a long 9 months then 😬. Yeah, I got permission to take a certain type of antihistamine during my last pregnancy as I use them to control a chronic illness, but I didn’t want to risk taking them in these early weeks.

I had hives at 5 weeks, it lasted about a week. I was worried it would last all pregnancy but it went away on its own. I read somewhere that it can be increased histamine as the body is essentially growing something foreign and can be more likely if baby is a boy. I figured that was an old wives tale, but baby was a boy in the end, so who knows!

Oh I feel for you, it's sanity destroying being constantly itchy 😞. I hope you can get it sorted and good luck with your pregnancy

@tb4122 it does feel just like hives, just without the rash.
I didn’t get any itching (or any symptoms at all) when I was pregnant with my Son, was secretly hoping this baby might be a girl but every symptom I have is an old wives tale for a boy 😂

It's often hands and feet but can anywhere. ICP Support have some really helpful info on their Facebook group and website if you're concerned.

It won’t be ICP as can’t develop this early, and you can take cetrizine and Loratadine in pregnancy safely throughout.

I had this very early in my pregnancy - about 7-8 weeks in. I assumed it couldn't be ICP as it was too early.

It then went away for most of my pregnancy but came back worse about 30 weeks, I had my bile acids checked and it was indeed ICP.

There's not a lot they can do about it - the anti-itch meds just treat symptoms rather than cause - but unless it's severe (bile acids over 100) I don't think it's a major issue for the baby. Just really uncomfortable and annoying.

Join the ICP Facebook group which has loads of good info and replies from knowledgeable people. My GP was rubbish and ordered a blood test to check for the wrong thing.

I ended up just ringing the maternity ward and requested a bile acid test specifically.

Hi, would you mind sharing how your pregnancy progressed?
thank you

@Unicornfan1 the itching stopped after a couple of days, and hasn’t come back since, now 33 weeks and baby is growing well :)