Itching during pregnancy

[hoohaal]

I’m 32 weeks pregnant and my Body has started itching like mad for the last 2 weeks.

It is mostly itchy on my chest, under boobs, elbows, legs, tops of feet and sides of hands.

I don’t know whether to message my midwife or if she will just think I’m being OTT as I’ve had other health problems during the pregnancy.

Anyone else experienced this?

Call the unit immediately.

Yes you need to get this checked asap. Hope all is well!

Have you had your bloods tested in triage? I had this itching all over and I actually had icp or obstetric cholestatis. You need to get checked out asap if you haven't already!

I had severe OC. Please call triage / maternity asap.
Take care x

Sorry just re read that you haven't contacted anyone about this yet. This isn't a contact midwife symptom this is a call your labour triage asap symptom. Any itching shouldn't be ignored and they need to check your bile acids.

Thanks all. I had read this online but I always worry I’m being over the top!! I’ll get in touch with someone in the morning.

https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/related-conditions/complications/itching-and-intrahepatic-cholestasis/

Please call someone as soon as you can. You’ll need bloods taken to check for this . Mine was only diagnosed when my DH randomly told the midwife at a check up appointment how itchy I was all over.

I was checked out and it was severe OC.
Let us know how you get on.
Take care X

@hoohaal I'd give the triage a call now and see if they want to see you tonight or whether they think it can wait until the morning. It won't hurt to call them x

Sorry to be dull - when people say triage, what exactly does that mean? Is that like a&e? Thanks

Maternity triage is the a and e for pregnancy. The number will be on your notes or you can search for your hospital and maternity triage and it should come up

I’ve been in touch with community midwife. They’ve booked me in for blood tests tomorrow morning.

She said she wasn’t too worried as I’ve said the baby is moving a lot etc.

I’m definitely going though, even just for peace of mind!

It's good you have a blood test booked. The results should come back quite quickly.
I had obstetric cholestasis in my last pregnancy.
The hallmarks are itchy hands and feet that's worse a night and without a rash. If you do have it you'll need regular blood tests and ctg monitoring. As long as your levels aren't really really high it doesn't cause too many complications but it's something they do take quite seriously.

obstetric cholestasis is not, as I understand it, dangerous during the pregnancy as such. The bit where they get concerned is at delivery - they don't allow pregnancies with OC to go past the due date because for reasons that they don't understand, statistically the chance of still birth post 40 weeks jumps MASSIVELY with OC. But birth pre full term doesn't seem to have any additional risk factors. Or at least, this is how it was explained to me 15 years ago when I had it and they only figured it out just over a week before my due date and then rushed me in for induction a few days later.

The risks depend on your bile acid levels. Mild icp (bile acids below 30) comes with still birth risk after 40 weeks so they induce at 39-40 weeks, moderate icp (bile acids 30-100) still birth risk past 39 weeks so they induce at 38-39 weeks, severe icp (bile acids above 100) has still birth risk from 35 weeks so they induce at 35 weeks or immediately after levels go above 100 if past 35 weeks.

They made the decision to induce me at 36+6 as my bile acids went to 80 having been stable at 30 for a few weeks. It was also acutely unwell with severe fatigue which they couldn't identify I reason for so were assuming it was related to my liver as my ALTs were also very high.

@hoohaal I had blood tests every 3 days for the first 2 weeks with ctg monitoring as my liver function was getting worse. Once levels stabilise they went to weekly bloods until levels started increasing when did another blood test 3 days later and decided to induce me the next day.
It's only the severe icp that's a worry but they want close monitoring to know what category you are in. As long as your bile acids stay below 100 it doesn't add too many complications

Thanks all for the info.

I’m hoping it’s not that, but just weird/annoying that it hasn’t gone in 10 days. She did say it could just be that skin gets more sensitive during pregnancy, but the itching is really driving me insane.

I will be having a C section so hopefully all will be ok.

Will update when I get the results!!

I think I read at the time that only 10% of itching in pregnancy is cholestasis related. I always got my results within 24h so there should be along wait to get your results

@SuperscientistAh brill, so hopefully it won’t be that if stats are so low! Fingers crossed.

I had severe itching from about 28 weeks to the end of pregnancy. I had regular bloods to check for OC which always came back as normal.
I spoke to the midwife and GP a number of times and was told to take antihistamines and was prescribed E45 itch relief cream, which didnt work.
Mine was always worst during the evenings and night.
I found having a cool shower right before bed time and sleeping with a fan on helped me the most.
The itching stopped as soon as my son was born.