Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms, Week by Week Pregnancy Guide

Is itching a sign of pregnancy? The truth is, it could be, but it is a nonspecific symptom.

It is common for women to experience some itching, especially around the belly and the breasts since these are the places where the skin needs to stretch the most. In the same time the hormones are also to blame.

Is it normal?

Besides the abdomen and the breasts, some women see that their feet’s soles and their palms become red and start itching. The most common reason for this is that the estrogen levels increase. Naturally the symptom should be gone after childbirth.

The bad news is that the things that usually make you itchy, like eczema, dry skin and food allergies make women even itchier than usually. In the same time it is also possible for women to be affected by different kinds of conditions that are pretty common during pregnancy.

How to make the itching better?

If you are affected by itching during pregnancy you shouldn’t have hot baths or showers because these dry the skin and make the itching even worse. When washing your hands you should opt for a mild soap and rinse your hands well before toweling off. Use moisturizers that don’t have any scent, since the scented ones can irritate the skin.

Itchy bumps?

About 1% of all pregnant women develop a condition that makes itchy bumps and red patches appear on the abdomen. This condition is known as pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy. The condition is usually developed during the last trimester and it is common among the women who expect multiples or who are having their first baby.

Bottom line, it is quite common to experience itching while being pregnant and it could be a sign of pregnancy.