Itchy tummy

[Hope2bMumRhea]

Is it fine to scratch a pregnant woman's itchy tummy? Or are there creams available to alleviate the itch? What should be done to manage this? Thanks!

[5Homebirths4Kate]

If a woman is finding that her belly is itching because the skin is stretching, she may want to try rubbing oil into her belly each day as this can help to moisturize the skin and reduce stretch marks.

Coconut oil is good, as is almond oil and olive oil. Just make sure the oil that is used is not rancid (you can keep all oils in the refrigerator to help keep it from going rancid).

If the belly itches for another reason then you would want to figure out what is causing the itch. It could be a rash, it could be a lack of essential fatty acids in the diet, or various other things. Scratching the belly is fine unless it makes the itch worse, but as for actually scratching the skin of the belly, there would be no harm in that. Just make sure you're not scratching to the point of irritation or bleeding. Best to address the cause of the itch so that there is no need to itch.

Kate

[Hope2bMumRhea]

Thanks for your reply, Kate. Now I know that oil would be the answer to a pregnant woman's itchy belly.

[megken22]

I have the same problem. can you give me an example of good rubbing oil that could help relieve the itchiness?

[5Homebirths4Kate]

Anything that does not have perfume in it and is not a "strong" oil would be fine. Olive oil, almond oil, coconut oil - all are mild oils which can be soothing to the skin.

[megken22]

thanks. that was a great help.

[5Homebirths4Kate]

Let us know if the oil helps with the dry skin. Another thing you can try is to be sure you're getting enough Essential Fatty Acids that are normally found in Fish, Cod Liver Oil, and Flax Oil. This often resolves itchy dry skin and is super good for you and baby.

Warm Regards,

Kate

[venusortua]

Hi Kate and mums out there! I'm not pregnant now, but I definitely know how it feels to have an itchy tummy during pregnancy. One of my friends told me to put on lotion which contains cocoa butter, which I did. Is this safe?

Also, one person told me to drink plenty of water because it will help the skin to have more moisture. I'm not sure if it will lessen the itchiness you feel.

[5Homebirths4Kate]

Hi Venus,

Drinking plenty of water during pregnancy helps to keep the body moisturized and also takes stress off the liver and kidneys which can help to resolve many health challenges, including itchy skin.

Lotion and cocoa butter are fine for the skin, but I would try to stay away from scented lotions because that just adds more toxins that the body then has to filter out. The skin is the largest organ in the body and it absorbs both toxins and nutrients, so try to put the purest ingredients on your skin, avoiding contact with pesticides and chemicals including nail polish remover (you don't want to inhale this either) hair dyes and hair "permanent" solutions.

Warm Regards,

Kate

[venusortua]

Great! I will inform my soon-to-be-mum friends about these.