Itchy boobs driving me mad - what can I do? Please help!

[ButIForgetMyself]

What it says in the title!

I'm 18 weeks tomorrow and they itch like mad. I'm putting Bio-oil on but it's offering no relief. They're too tender to scratch as well.

Gah!

Bump - anyone? Just been out for lunch and spent the whole time surreptitiously trying to relieve the itching!

lansinoh/any pure lanolin nipple cream. mine were dry and itchy a while back and Dr lipp nipple cream did the trick. tell your boss you're not feeling well and urgently need to get something from boots...

Have you got itching anywhere else?

Sorry cant help with the itching but have another boob problem. Since having my first baby (now pregnant with number 3) mine are very sore in cold weather, to the point where I could cry with the pain and this happens even when wearing several layers. Anyone had the same problem?

It could be that the bio-oil isnt hitting the spot - maybe try a different oil (Mama Mio boob tube cream? Palmers coco-butter). You could try cotton bras as lacy stuff can make the itching worse. Otherwise, am afraid itching is all part of the joys of pregnancy - its to do with the skin expanding etc. Hope it passes soon for you.

Mine do this too. It's because () they leak small amounts of colostrum that dry into the little creases on the nipples. Could yours be doing this?

This happened to me and in desperation I rubbed Canestan into them and it worked like a dream - I must have had some sort of thrush-y thing. Not sure whether you should do this when you're pregnant though - I didn't think of that until too late!

I don't want to alarm you, but if you have severe itching anywhere else on your body it CAN on VERY rare occasions be a symptom of a liver problem called cholestasis which needs to be checked out urgently. If it's just your boobs it's definitely not that, but just in case you didn't know it's useful to know.

I had itchy boobs and still do every now and agin- it's awful and you have my sympathy. Only wear cotton bras and cotton next to your skin. try sleeping without anything on at night to let air get to them. Also use calomile lotion on them- cold from the fridge really gives you a little bit of relief.

cool water (shower?)

second the canestan idea

It's nowhere else, only my boobs, and yes, seems to be worse when I'm hot. I don't wear anything on my top half in bed and it seems to ease off in the night.

I hate those pure cotton bras, looks like I've stuffed my boobs into socks, but I think the time has come to give in to them and wear them!

thought it was just me with itchy boobs! I second canestan as it just relieves the itch. i also find sudocreme helps loads. The GP gave me hydrocortisone cream and said that it was just pregnancy hormones but tbh i find the sudocreme better.

I have this problem, my tip is Aveno cream and washing gel - you can buy both in my local Waitrose but some big boots have it. It is expensive - maybe twist your GPs arm. My DD has the cream on prescription for her ezcema.

i developed allergy to bio oil on tummy and got very itchy.. perhaps try something more netural?

I had itchy breasts and found ordinary aqueous cream worked pretty well, and getting a couple good-fitting very soft maternity bras from M&S helped.

Luckily after a couple weeks they calmed down.

itchy breast too and armpits and also behind the knee since about week 15-18...

I'm putting wheatgerm oil and that has help for boobs + armpit but not behind the knees.
seeing the mw on monday so will ask then.

can mw refers to a dermatologist or do i have to go thru the GP for that?

Hi BIFM, I had this with both pregnancies - nightmare! It can be unbearable so I know how you feel.

Whenever I could I'd stick a very cold glass object directly on the skin, eg a pot of moisturiser or small glass. Or try putting a tube of hand cream in the fridge then holding it against your skin. I found no creams worked for me so no long term cures, but this gives temporary relief.

Obviously not something you can do in public so easily! One consolation is that the itching did subside for me as the pregnancies progressed. Pregnant with no 3 now, so it'll be interesting to see if this develops again. Good luck!

Reviving this as I thought I had it bad at 18 weeks - it's now ten times worse but it's actually under my boobs and in between and all around - but not on the nipples, funnily enough. My boobs are also boiling hot. No dry skin anywhere though. Went to the chemist today and the pharmacist wasn't interested at all, barely even looked up from her computer before muttering "moisturiser" and "aqueous cream" at me - both of which I've tried and they don't work. In fact, it seems the more oily and slippy they are, the more they itch. Was awake loads in the night and today covered in red marks where I've obviously scratched myself whilst asleep.

Oh you have my deepest sympathies. I had this for a long time when pg with dd2. Mine was so itchy, I was drawing blood with the scratching (especially at night when i didn't know I was scratching- blood al;l over the sheets!).

I went from nurse to doctor to midwife and nothing came close to getting rid of it. The most soothing thing I found was from the midwife who got it prescribed through the hospital (although why it should be so hard to get hold of, I don't know). It was an aqueous cream but with menthol in it which made the area feel really cool and eased the itching long enough for the cream to moisturize. I was applying it several times a day but it did help a bit.

In the end, it just sorted itself out and faded out. It had gone by the time dd2 was born.