Itching in early pregnancy - help!

[BrightonSuz]

I am just 7 weeks yet for the last week have been kept awake all night with the most unbelievable itching on my hands and feet, especially the palms and soles. I also come out in angry red hives at night-time on my thighs, arms and abdomen. Both the itching and the hives are flummoxing me. Two GPs didn't know what caused them either. I've been prescribed a steroid cream that does sod all, the only thing that worked last night was slathering my hands and feet in Sudocreme and putting socks/gloves over them!

If anyone has experienced this in very early pregnancy please do get in touch.

It may be Obstetric Choleostasis. Suggest that to your GP, Midwife and baby doctor.
I started itching at around six months, just as you've described palms and soles of feet. It was keeping me up at night and i was putting wet towels in the fridge in order to sooth my feet. I kept complaining to all the different midwives i saw (total of 6). I was mis-diagnosed for two months, the GP gave me a steriod cream which did nothing, the midwife even suggested i may have Scabies! The cheek!
Eventually i made an appointment to see the baby doctor in the hospital i was booked in to. He told me instantly what it was and booked me in to be induced the following week (I was only a week away from my due date by then). He also gave me pills which stopped the itching within hours and a leaflet about the condition stating that it was a little known condition and advising you to take the leaflet with you when telling your midwife/GP about it. Crazy hey?
Some thing really needs to be done about the way the midwife system works.

Good luck!

V interesting CameraLady, thanks for your response. I'll mention it to the midwife when I have my appointment in a couple of weeks. It seems that condition only happens in late pregnancy, whereas I am only 7+3. The wet towel in fridge idea is genius, I will try that tonight!

Husband suggested I had scabies, he got a swift punch!

Hi, I had it in my last pregnancy and was told to keep my moisturiser in the fridge, not a long term fix but it helped for the first half hour or so and enabled me to get to sleep

Yes it is said to only appear in the later stages, but to be honest they seemed to know so little about it i'd get it checked anyway.

I was also told moisturiser in the fridge but if it is O.C the itching is caused by an overload in the pancreas( due to your whole body working overtime to make a baby), meaning its not processing waste correctly causing some to get in to your blood stream causing itching.
Its not your skin that's itching its your blood so cold things bring the most comfort.
O.C doesn't show on your skin at all, unless you itch your self red.

That's how i understood it any way....

Also i would go to your GP asap, don't wait two weeks for the midwife, unless you can see her sooner.
They may be able to stop the itching which is torture!

Good luck and let us know how it goesXX