Itchy Legs

[pezza.......]

Hi. Mrs Pezza is 33 weeks pregnant with our first child and is suffering with really itchy legs. Can anyone please give us a clue on how to stop this as it is stopping her relaxing so I am getting the blame (of course)!!! Thanks

[redcrx]

The hot weather doesnt help does it?
I was exactly the same last year when pregnant. The only thing that helped was putting a cold shower over my legs.
One thing to note though is that she should mention it to her midwife next time she see them. Also if it gets any worse and she starts itching anywhere else that she should call her midwife or hospiital straight away. Its very rare but a liver problem when pregnant can cause itching too.

[yinyang]

Redcrx is right. It's called Obstetric Cholestasis and it's horrible. The itching , especially on legs and feet, is so intense that I used to use a hairbrush to scratch my skin until it bled. It can cause serious complications in later pregnancy and you probably won't be allowed to go past 38 weeks. It also means after the pregnancy you will never be able to take the pill or mini- pill.
As redcryx also said , it's rare and in all probability you're wife just has normal pregnancy itching exagerrated by the heat but Please get it checked out asap.
I'm sorry if I've freaked you out or scared you - not my intention. This is just one of these things where you should err on the side of caution and get it checked.
Let us know how you get on. Best wishes to you both. x

[sack_6470]

i would mention it to the midwife next time you visit, a friend of mine had the same thing from 30weeks and she said it was a sign of something (to do with her kidneys or liver) cant remember which... there was more to it but cant be exact so my advice is mention it to your midwife or doctor..

[flowdoris]

well it will probably be the hot weather but make sure she goes to see a midwife and consults her as sometimes itching can be related to your liver during pregnancy and could cause complecations. its better to be safe than sorry xx

[yinyang]

sorry pezza. this one isn't for you but am I invisible tonight or are people just not bothering to read the other replies!

[campbellking]

To follow on from redcrx's answer, please get your midwife to rule out obstetric cholestasis (the liver problem she was referring to). This usually manifests itself as itching in the last three months of pregnancy. It can be harmful to the child.

[campbellking]

This is very strange. All the other replies have just appeared!

[yinyang]

is AB playing up again? Then I apologise to everbody I just thought was being rude and to pezza for jumping in on his thread. Sorry. x

[Pippa68]

I had the most irritating itching ~ on my belly & thighs.

Obstetric Cholestasis was ruled out..apparently there is another harmless condition which can cause itching.

Do you know the gender of the bubba? strangely enough everyone I know who has had this harmless (though irritating) itching has had girls...and the only thing we could do to relieve it was the showering and cool cabbage leaf method!

[sack_6470]

yes AB is playing up tonight but still, if someone is asking an opinion / suggestion i didnt realise that only one person was alowd to give their opinion and no-one else should !
FOR GODS SAKE! who spat out their dummy?

[redcrx]

Pippa,
I had the itching and I had a boy. Also mine was just heat related. I did discuss it with the midwife though, always best to.

[yinyang]

Sack_6470.
I agree completely that as many people as possible can give their opinions - that's the whole point of this site.However, your answer was the same as mine albeit in a lot less detail. You said it was something to to with her liver or kidneys; I expanded on redcryx's answer that it is indeed a very serious liver condition and the possible effects for mother and baby.
I did apologise ffs. It's up to you if you're mature enough to accept that graciously.

[pezza.......]

Thanks to you all, and Pippa it is a girl

[Pippa68]

Aaaaaahhh..well apart from redcrx, the theory is spot-on ;o)

It is probably nothing serious ~ and for anyone to advise that it is definately serious is a bit off...of course get it checked out, but unless we are professionals and are there to diagnose we can only suggest!

Good luck :o)

[Pippa68]

Forgot to say...mine most definately wasn't heat related (and neither were the other cases I knew of) as it was in the middle of winter!

It was suggested by the obstetrician that it was something hormonal ~ and the fact that he had only seen it in pregnant women who were expecting girls was somewhat a phenomenon..

[yinyang]

Pippa,
If you were referring to my answer when I said 'it's called Obstetric Cholestasis' I meant the condition redcrx described was this Not that pezza's wife definitely had it. I really hope she doesn't have it. I did and it caused all types of problems but again there are different levels of severity of it. The thing I went on to describe were the possible effects if she does have it.

[redcrx]

ah good, I always like to be different.

I really feel for your wife pezza, its awful to be itching so badly. I scratched til i bled most days. Amazingly, as soon as my son was born it disappeared, along with my heartburn lol

[helliebobs]

my sister in law suffered with intense itchiness in her final weeks, on her hands and feet and as luck would have it her mum had just read a story in Best or Bella or some such magazine about Obstetric Cholestasis and she went straight to her midwife. It turned out she had it and had to have an emergency c-section. It apparently does only affect women in pregancy and once the baby is born, the liver should return to normal.
Hope it doesn't turn out to be this but good luck with everything pezza! ;)

[pezza.......]

Thanks to everyone who has answered. We went to the doctors last night and he has said that all is going well and there is nothing to be worried about.

I will let you know when the little lady arrives.

Thanks again.

[yinyang]

I'm so glad to hear that , pezza. Better to get it checked but thank goodness everythings ok..Keep us in touch with how things go. X