Anyone suffering from really dry skin in pregnancy?

[ajm200]

I'm currently 37 weeks pregnant and have suffered a bit with dry skin all the way through but it has suddenly got much worse

The skin on my knuckles and anklebone is so dry that it is cracking and sore.. I guess baby is taking something from me that is causing it but I don't know what the deficiency might be.

I'm taking pregnancy vitamins, iron and evening primrose oil. Use Bio-oil in the bath and E45 morning and night. I asked the Dr yesterday and he told me to use E45.

Any ideas?

Is probably to do with the variable weather too. Keep slapping on the Biooil and the E45 cream and you should be ok.

Your body might not like the lanolin in E45. Ask your GP for a massive tub of Aqueous Cream which is different to E45. Also- this is great- have oatmeal baths. Get some pinhead oatmeal and fill the foot of a stocking/tights with it and hang it under your bath tap letting the water run through it. It will release a very salving goop. Obviously at your stage of Pgcy, you may not want to get in the bath for fear of getting out again! And you could use the stocking end as a shower sponge. Avoid soaps etc and, when wet, slather yourself in oil after the bath and pat dry with a towel. Always use washing up gloves when coming into contact with water. Even better, slather your hands in moisturiser and put the rubber gloves on. The heat from washing up water will really help the cream sink in.

Easier said than done I know, but drink plenty of fluids to help top your body moisture levels up.

If your GP is unhelpful, ask to be referred to another or a dermatologist. Cracked skin on hands is awful- the worst is when chopping acidic foods like tomato- it makes me want to cry!

Thanks for the tip. I have a toddler so seem to spend half the day washing my hands but have started to wear rubber gloves. One of my knuckle is now bleeding and so sore..

-Wash yourself in an emollient that you like.
-Apply a generous amount of emollient to all of your skin at least twice a day (smooth it on in the direction that your skin goes and leave it a while before you get dressed)
-Avoid anything that is is described as soap/foaming because it will dry your skin (use emollient instead)
-If you still have patches of very dry skin after following this regime for a week or so, ask your GP for an emollient called Unguemtum. It is for very dry skin and is the one that we reserve at work for our patients with the most dry skin. It is finally being made again btw if your GP thinks it isn't made anymore.

I hope this helps. If you are really struggling then do go back to your GP. Good luck!