I am due any day now, but my biggest problem right now isn't discomfort or painful contractions.. its my stretch marks! I didn't gain any weight in my pregnancy until the sixth or seventh month and when I did I gained 20 pounds in four weeks. Needless to say, it resulted in some SERIOUS stretch marks. At first the stretch marks were just smooth and dark and ugly which I can deal with, but the last few days they have gotten these little white bumps all over them and they turned painfully itchy and now they are getting scabby too. I'm wondering if any other mothers have experienced this and what they did to alleviate the pain and if it went away soon after giving birth?
Candice-I experienced this with my first baby and I suggest you talk to your OB about it. Mine gave me a cream to stop the itching. I do not remember what it was called but it helped a great deal. Definately talk to your OB-no need to be itchy or in pain if it can be helped right? Good luck with the upcoming special event!
Go get some Vitamin E oil or Palmers cocoa butter lotion that is the best stuff! I used it my whole pregnancy I did not get one stretch mark on my belly! It works I tell you!The main thing is DO NOT ITCH! The more you itch the more stretch marks you will get, and the itchier you will become.Just put the cocoa butter on every time it itches and it will aliviate the itch and pain.This stuff heals your skin it is specifically used for pregnancy.You can buy it at most grocery stores.
For my first pregnancy, my Mom got me some "Pregnant Belly Oil" (yea, that WAS the name of it!) at a natural food store like Wild Oats. The only stretch marks I got that time were in a scar I already had.
The second pregnancy, I just kept lotion around all the time and if I felt an itch, I would slather myself up!
Get something for dry skin. I LOVE Shea Body Butter from The Body Shop. (But I didn't know about it when I was pregnant.) Just keep using lotion and the itch should go away.
Oh, and congratulations on the new addition!
Talk to your doctor, but it sounds like you have what are called PUPPP or "Pruitic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy."
You can get a medicated cream from your doctor to treat them and they should go away after delivery.
I would definitely contact your ob/gyn about these and get some help. As far as cocoa butter, lotions, this, that, whatever, I've had 3 children. I lived in a humid climate for two of the pregnancies (meaning, more moisture for skin). I slathered on anything and everything suggested for my second pregnancy that I didn't try during my first, although I'd tried all the things suggested thus far in my first...and then onto my third. I have an American roadmap on my stomach...sigh. My point is, take care of your belly...it may or may not help. I took very good care of my belly. Nevertheless, I have terrible stretch marks, more added with each pregnancy. My mother also has stretch marks from her 4 pregnancies. I figure I was born with my mother's skin. I guess my stretch marks could be worse if I hadn't taken any care of myself, but I do tend to believe a lot of it just must be genetic. My two sister-in-laws did squat to take care of theirs and neither have stretch marks and they were both much larger than me!
I would get to the local herb shop. I liked Dr. Christopher's Complete Beauty Facial cream; test it on a very small area first. they should have this or be able to order it in for you. Of course cocoa butter or anything that is healthy for your skin and/or you. There are herbs that are safe for and even help with pregnancy, so ask a knowledgeable herbalist. There may be some things to help you lose the excess water weight safely. I was very healthy during my pregnancy and my belly measured smaller than normal. The doctor kept sending me in for ultrasounds saying the baby was too small - he was 8 lbs 5 oz when born. lol
If nothing else keep up with your diet, eat healthy oils like flaxseed oil - you can mix it in tuna fish, salad dressing and peanut butter.
Sunflower seeds are healthy for your skin too.
hi there
and congrats on your new little joy!...with kids you just cant plan, and if you are open to that it will be ok...you will be just fine. You will learn to go with the flow and just dont worry. I suggest getting the parents magazine. Its super helpful for every stage of your babies life...super helpful and easy to keep handy to read when you can. Anyway, sorry to hear your in discomfort. I use and sell skin care products that i have found to be the only thing that has worked on the most sensitive skin ever. All i can say is Arbonne products truly work...they are 100% pure, safe and beneficial. You may have skin irratations to your skin stretching, hormones, what you ate (body does all kinds of weird things when prego). If you are interested in trying any products, just let me know. If you dont find that they help there is a 45day money back guarentee. Keep me posted on how you are feeling otherwise! Where do you live?
AND congrats on the boy! Im a mom of 2 boys...love them to death! They are such mommy boys too.
I have a products that helps eczema and many other skin irritations. It beat Eucerin in a study for retaining moisture, it may help as it has healing properties. If you are interested you can fill out the form on my site and I will contact you or feel free to write me here. Jill http://www.GetwithitGoGreen.com
Hi Candice- check online for the PUPPS rash I saw someone else mentioned it too. I had it and it sounds just like that- it's a rash or red bumps that starts in your stretch marks. My understanding (based on the explanaation given to me) is that it's a hormonal reaction to the baby, it usually starts right after birth (but maybe before too), common with (or more common with) preeclampsia. My rash started on my lower belly after birth ( I had a c-section and originally thought it was due to that) then spread to my legs- lower legs, inner thighs, the side of my trunk-basically everywhere but my upper back. It was itchy and miserable but cleared up with a strong cream (I had to go in 2X to get the right one). Hope this clears up for you!
Hi Candice,
If you have trouble with the added chemicals burning, I would recommend Burt's Baby Bee Apricot oil or the Baby Bee Lotion (The milk bath is great and gentle too.) These products smell much better than the Cocoa Butter creams for stretch marks. (I got sick of smelling like a chocolate bar). Try everything in the sample size kit to see if it works for you. If so, you can order it from Diapers.com or I saw it in my Target last week. PS... After you deliver you canuse everything on baby too :) You can also try popping vitamin E capsules open with a pin and rubbing the vitamin E onto your skin.
Also, make sure you are getting enough protein to help you heal. Protein is mainly in meat and dairy foods. Ensure or somehthing comprabale like Boost is another way to get it, but I wouldn't use any crazy stuff from Health food stores etc while you are pregnant. I hope this helps.
Dear Candice,
Two things that I would try would be aloe vera. Not what comes in the bottle but the actual plant - just snap off a
leaf & rub it all over the irritated area. It will be gooey
but it's worth it. The other would be vitamin E oil. I've
heard it does wonders for the skin - it's worth a try. Good
luck & congratulations on your precious son. I had 2 daughters but there's nothing like it in the whole world. I
treasured every minute of it!
Cindy
Stretch marks are caused by breaks in your Collagen. You can't do anything to prevent them. However, you can moisturize the skin and prevent the itch. I would stay away from anything with Paraben's in it. They are a chemical preservative found in Breast Cancer molecules. They are a preservative with the ending of -ben.
The best products would be the natural oils like cocoa, olive, and apricot oil. Shea butter also works well. When you have the baby look for products without those Parabens as well. Just google it and you can read more.
I can also give you more info off line.
Good Luck,
Christina B.
Candice,
You may have PUPPS (Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy). Don't be alarmed if this is what you have but you might want to ask your doctor. I had it with my daughter. I was extremely itchy! Whether you have PUPPS or stretch marks I would try Aveeno with oatmeal products. That is what I used and it helped.
It sounds like PUPPP. I got that too (same as you described) at the end of my pregnancy. It was very uncomfortable and it didn't go away for a while. I just used hydrocortisone gel (the stuff that's like vasoline, not lotion). It helped, but never enough. It does eventually go away after you have the baby. Once course for me, as soon as that went away, I broke out in hives all over my butt and legs for no obvious reason. My midwife told me to just stop taking my prenatal vitamin and Ibpofin (that's all I was taking) but it didn't help. I now have what looks like eczema on my calves and have had it all summer. All this skin stuff is so weird to me. I never had a problem pre-pregnancy so I'm assuming that it's just the price we sometimes have to pay for having babies.
I'm so sorry to hear this. I had PUPPPS too and it was miserable. it showed up a week or so before delivery and actually started to spread during labor. It hung around a bit after delivery but they were able to give me a shot after delivery. I cared more about getting my shot than getting pain medicine after delivery (I had a c-section)
Anyway, once I started scratching it was terrible and the only thing that relieved it was ice! I would go to the fridge and just rub ice all over my belly to numb it. I tried oatmeal baths etc. not much help. Delivery is the cure, sorry to say.
I don't think it has anything to do with having stretch marks. that's just where it starts.
may your baby come soon!
I had this and cured it prior to delivery of my son, though your doc is likey to say you can't do that. You need to pour lemon juice straight into water. Add as much as you can handle and drink as much of it as you can, I drank it even when sitting on the toilet!!! It flushes your system and cleans your liver of the hormone build up. It was a god send to me as the itching was so horrible and the rash that started in the stretch marks on my tummy had spread to my ankles by the time I found this cure online. Good luck
I know you already got a bunch of replies to this and I didn't read through to see what everyone suggested so forgive me if it's already been suggested. My 9 month old son is wearing a DOC band to reshape his head right now. He recently started getting a sore on the back of his head which they thought was from heat. It's scabby looking. I was told by the people who gave us the helmet to use hydrocortosone cream, but it wasn't helping at all. So I spoke to his pediatrician who suggested aquaphor. That has worked great. Your stretch marks almost sound very similar to the way my sons head looked, which was why I was thinking maybe the aquaphor would help more. In three days of using it the sore is completely gone on his head. Maybe it would hurt less than the hydrocortisone too.
Monica
Hi
I think it might be best for you to see a dermatologist.
Everything else is just speculation and I always worry about any skin issue.
I had PUPPPS with my first and it was HORRIBLE. I tell everyone I would've done labor over and over compared to having that dang rash. It started a few weeks before I delivered and it hung around and hung around. It was supposed to go away after delivering is what everyone keep saying. I begged my general doctor, my OBGYN, nurses, anyone who could help me. Everyone said just to wait it out. Meanwhile I had a newborn and was trying to breastfeed. I couldn't sleep because I would wake up clawing myself and ended up in the ER because it was so bad. They gave me a steriod shot, which gave me relief, but as soon as it wore off I was right back where I started. Then I was prescribed a steroid pack, again I felt great, but as soon as it was done I was itching again. About 4 weeks after my daughter was born I went to the dermatologist. He said what had started off as PUPPPS had now progressed into eczema. Prescribed me special soap and creams and it was cleared up withint a week. I just wanted to share this with you in case what you are trying does not help or if it gets any worse, because I wouldn't wish what I went through on my worst enemy!