Itching in late pregnancy: what to know

A growing abdomen can make the skin tight and dry, while heat, sweating, soaps, and new fabrics can irritate it. Eczema, contact dermatitis, hives, or other rashes can also itch. Pregnancy-related cholestasis can cause marked itching, often on the palms or soles and sometimes across the body, with little or no visible rash. It needs medical assessment because it can affect pregnancy care. Itching alone does not identify its cause.

Use a fragrance-free moisturiser regularly, take lukewarm rather than hot showers, and choose loose cotton clothing. Keep nails short and pat or cool the skin instead of scratching. Avoid starting an oral medicine, cream, or herbal product in pregnancy without checking with your maternity clinician or pharmacist. Note when the itching began, where it is strongest, whether a rash is present, and whether urine or stool changes occur.

Contact your maternity team promptly for severe or spreading itch, especially on the palms or soles, itching that is worse at night, or itch without a rash. Seek urgent care for yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, pale stools, facial swelling, breathing difficulty, blistering, fever, or reduced fetal movement. A clinician may examine your skin and arrange blood tests to check liver function and bile acids.

Could this be a skin condition or pregnancy-related cholestasis? Do I need liver and bile-acid blood tests? Which moisturiser or anti-itch treatment is suitable for me, and how should pregnancy monitoring change if symptoms continue?