Dry Hands During and After Pregnancy

Because it improved in the hospital, I'm wondering if it is something environmental. Maybe, though, it was just not doing chores and being exposed to the chemicals. Wrapped in gauze and a bandage would keep them from encountering environmental issues. Is it possible to switch to very basic things for a while to test it? Vinegar water for most cleaning; just water to bathe the baby (wear gloves if a wipe is needed for the really "dirty" area), etc. Might help narrow down the issues.

These are just thoughts. Sounds like you've tried a lot of things. Oh, and my d-i-l discovered that most lotions had lanolin and she was allergic to lanolin.

Thyroid may be off with pregnancy stress so have it checked. Also you are probably washing hands more often with baby, diaper changed. Also see if you are allergic to the wipes or diapers, we couldn't use certain ones due to me being allergic.

Well, I can tell you what happened to me.
When my son was very young--but at the bathe-every-night baby phase, I used J&J Baby Bath (what could be milder, right?) and my hands would be beet red after I bathed him. And SO dry--painfully dry. I tried every lotion & cream known to man. Guess what? It was eczema. I had never had it before in my life. What you're describing doesn't sound like dry skin--it sounds like eczema. Get an Rx for yourself. With as many refills as they will allow!

This happened to me in the winter when my children were babies. I washed my hands constantly to avoid germs on the little ones, and it made my hands dry, then crack and bleed. I found that Lansinoh cream (lanolin cream for cracked nipples) healed my hands overnight. It was fantastic stuff, and I still keep some in my cupboard.

You may have a fungal infection. My oldest son had one a couple of summers ago. I had some prescription anti-fungal that he used for a couple days that cleared it right up.

When I moved to Texas, I had a horrible winter. My face and hands cracked and bled. Lotions, soap, even water stung to the point where I could barely wash my face. The only thing that helped seems really strange. My mother in law recommended Bag Balm. You can get it at CVS or similar places. Originally designed for utters (WHAT!?! I know, right?), imagine how gentle it must be to protect that sensitive area. This would be for dry skin. Not a doctor, I don't know how it would effect a fungal infection or eczema as mentioned by some other posters.

I finally buckled and bought some, slathering myself liberally with it. Overnight I saw dramatic differences and in a few days or a week, my skin was restored to normal. A little goes a long way. At first I would put it on pretty thick. It comes in a green tin and I included a link so you can see what it looks like: http://tinyurl.com/c8s9eq5

When you have kids and are at home, there is a lot of hand washing so your hands get stripped. Not washing your hands isn't really an option but try to give them a break while you're healing as much as you can. Save a day of dishes to do all at once after dinner, for example. Best of luck to you!

A friend of mine has 5 kids, and her eczema caused that - hands were rough and bleeding, she couldn't tie their shoes and hockey skates, etc. Another friend has the same thing but more on her arms and face. She's a nurse and learned you can't treat it with lotions. Steroid creams are a temporary relief but not good to be used all the time. Both women got rid of this by adding a particular supplement to their diets, not by taking things away. It may be worse due to hormones and chemicals (and a lot of mild and "natural" products are neither mild nor natural!). But you are missing some nutrients and you need to add things and flush out the toxins that are causing this.

So normal! With the birth of my first born, I developed dry feet. My feet are so dry, it's terrible. And my hands, oh how they crack and bleed. Just keep moisturizing like crazy, wear gloves at night with a thick layer of Vasoline over your hands. I don't know why it happens but if I had to guess, it's hormones and the changing effect they have on our bodies.

Search WebMD. I just skimmed through a few pages about dry skin and it was pretty interesting. When to use lotion, what type to stay away from, what makes a good moisturizer, etc.

I am not sure if there is a condition you suffer from but, if it is that bad see a doctor and possibly a dermatologist.

Take care and good luck.