6 Ways To Deal With Itchy Skin During Pregnancy

Itchy skin during pregnancy affects many women! We’ve compiled some great ways for you to deal with this problem.

Itchy skin can be really annoying. According to BabyCenter, around 20% of pregnant women experience itchy skin, especially on the stomach area. Unfortunately, it can be a cause for concern for some mums. Read our guide to learn about the causes of itchy skin during pregnancy, as well as some ways to deal with it!

What’s the cause of stomach itching? (Or itching in general!)

Did you know that hormones are just one of the reasons why you might encounter itchy skin?

During your pregnancy, estrogen will often cause your skin to become dry and sensitive. As a result, you might feel itching just about anywhere – including the stomach, legs, calves, palms, and breasts.

Another big (no pun intended) culprit behind itchy skin comes from your enlarging abdomen. As your abdomen grows larger, your skin stretches, and collagen can tear. This often causes your skin to start itching! In fact, itching skin can be a sign that stretch marks are about to appear.

If you’re starting to get worried, don’t panic! We’ve prepared some simple remedies for itchy skin.

6 ways to deal with itchy skin during pregnancy

1. Avoid using hot water

When you have itchy skin, using hot or warm water is a really bad idea. Hot water dries out your skin, which can worsen your problem.

Try bathing with water at room temperature! Additionally, another great way to relieve your itch is by applying cold compresses to your belly.

2. Reduce the use of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)

This might be pretty hard to do, as SLS is really common in all your soaps and shampoos! (Take a look at the ingredient list). SLS is an irritant, which literally means that it can cause your skin to become itchy.

A great natural alternative to SLS is sodium cocoyl glutamate. Additionally, you should use a gentle soap with a soft texture during pregnancy.

3. Use a soft towel to dry your stomach

Every time you rinse or wash your stomach, make sure to dry it! If you’re suffering from itchy skin, it’s a good idea to also switch to a softer towel.

It also helps to apply a safe moisturizer after a shower to prevent your skin from drying out.

4. Don’t scratch it!

We can’t emphasize this enough. It’s really, really difficult, but you need to try your best not to scratch your itchy skin. Scratching an itch will only worsen it because it will inflame your skin and cause more irritation.

Additionally, scratching itchy skin can also cause stretch marks to worsen or appear much more quickly.

5. Wear loose and comfortable clothes

Your skin is a living thing – it needs to breathe too! Wear loose-fitting maternity clothes with a softer fabric, so that there’s less friction against your skin. As a rule, you should always go for comfortable clothes (and footwear, but that’s for another article).

6. Find a great stretch mark cream to use regularly

It might sound counterintuitive, but you should actually start using stretch mark cream from early pregnancy. Itching can be an early symptom of stretch marks.

Pro tip: Stretch mark cream is most effective when you use it early.

It’s also a plus when your stretch mark cream functions as a moisturizer. Find out about our triple-acting Mama’s Choice Stretch Mark Cream here.

When do you need to be worried about itchy skin?

Firstly, remember that you shouldn’t overreact. Itching is a very normal experience for pregnant mums, especially in the third trimester. In case you were wondering, the itching has no effect on your fetus!

However, there can be situations where it’s a good idea to seek medical help:

If your skin condition worsens despite proper care, and you encounter festering, rashes, or peeling.
If itching begins to spread rapidly to other areas of the body.

Itchy skin can be a sign of stretch marks

If you’re encountering itchy skin on your belly, hips, or thighs, it’s probably a sign that stretch marks are about to appear. It’s time to start using a stretch mark cream!

If you’re looking for a good stretch mark cream, (especially one which is great at preventing stretch marks) try out our Mama’s Choice Stretch Mark Cream!

We’ve specially developed a formula that is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding mamas. That means that we’ve taken special care to avoid any harmful ingredients like parabens, phthalates, and alcohol.

Find out more about our stretch mark cream below!

We have a secret behind how our formula removes stretch marks: Lipobelle™ Soyaglycone!

Lipobelle™ Soyaglycone combines the best of nature and biochemical innovation. Derived from soy, Lipobelle™ Soyaglycone thickens your skin by up to 12% to reduce the risk of stretch marks appearing!

It also promotes collagen production, which helps to repair your skin and fade any stretch marks which might appear.

Click on the image below to head to our Amazon store. 🙂