Eczema or dermatitis in pregnancy...?

I had never had any kind of rashs in my whole life until i fell pregnant with my first child 2 years ago.. a small part of my forearm started coming up with an itchy spot like rash but seemed to only come and go and didnt get too bad. Ever since i had my baby it has come and gone in the same spot but cleared up alot. I am now 5 weeks pregnant with my 2nd baby and it has come back but heaps worse this time, its spread across my arm and i have another rash type thing on my other shoulder. They are both very itchy and sore. Ive looked at pictures of eczema and dermatitis on the net and it looks pretty much the same. Im going to the doctor this week to see what can be done about it. Has anyone ever had this flare up in pregnancy? if so what did you do and did it cause any other problems.?


(sorry, i know that was a long one) =)

Eczema or dermatitis in pregnancy...?
Absolutely! My second pregnancy was the worst, I itched form head to toe!! I was told by the doctor I was suffering from Urticaria (nettle rash or hives as i later found out!) which he said was a form of dermatitis. I found baths made me itch more, so i stuck to showers. By the time I had my third baby, I had pretty much realised all the things that trigger the itchy rash, such as certain washing detergents, etc, and managed to avoid the long bouts of itching.
Reply:I've had little patches of eczema since I was little. I usually get it in the spring, but pregnancy hasn't seemed to impact it. The best way that I have found to deal with it is to put a little olive oil on the area right after you get out of the shower. You can also put an oatmeal pack on it for 10-20 minutes (just regular oatmeal, prepared the regular way). Also clothing can effect it. Try washing your clothes in fragrance free detergent and then use a little white vinegar in the rinse cycle, no fabric softeners or dryer sheets. Sometimes if it's really bad otc cortisone cream will take it away, but I don't know about using that early in pregnancy, luckily the dermatologist will.





Sorry about your itchiness, but congratulations and good luck with your pregnancy.