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Day 157 of 280 · 22 weeks + 3 days

Itch without a rash

Last reviewed · 3 min read · 7 sources · Plain-text version

Twenty-two weeks and three days. About 20 percent of pregnant women feel itchy. Most of it is skin stretching; one kind is worth a call. Today you learn the difference.

Size this week
about the size of a sweet potato
Length this week
around 27.8 cm from head to toe
An East Asian woman with a small bump in a loose cotton t-shirt sitting on the edge of a bath, smoothing unscented lotion into her forearm, a folded towel beside her, soft evening light.

Twenty-two weeks and three days. Skin that's stretching tends to itch, and most of the time that's all it is. Today's note gives you one simple rule for the times it might be something else.

Your baby

A single sweet potato on a plain white ceramic plate, soft daylight.

Around now your baby is around 27.8cm long from head to toe, about the size of a sweet potato (NHS). Their lungs are developing, and they practise breathing in the womb (NHS). It's rehearsal: even at 24 weeks, the OWH says, the lungs are formed but not yet working (OWH).

Your body

About 20 percent of pregnant women feel itchy during pregnancy, and it typically goes away after delivery (OWH). The NHS suggests unperfumed moisturiser, loose cotton clothing and cool baths, and says to seek advice if the itching gets worse, especially at night (NHS). MedlinePlus adds: avoid perfumed products on itchy skin, and talk with your provider before taking an antihistamine (MedlinePlus).

Then there's the one exception. Itching that keeps going without a rash should be reported to your provider, because it may indicate a condition called cholestasis (MedlinePlus). Late in pregnancy, the NHS puts severe itching at night on its list of signs to call about immediately (NHS). It's easy to check, which is why the rule exists.

Try today

  1. The itch-without-rash rule

    Time: 2 minutes

    1. Next time you itch, look at the skin. Is there a rash, or does it just look like your skin?

    2. Itch with a rash, or itch over the stretching bump: unperfumed moisturiser, loose cotton, a cool bath, and watch it (NHS).

    3. Itch with no rash that keeps going, or itching that's worse at night: call your provider (MedlinePlus).

    4. Write the rule on your fridge card in five words: "No rash, keeps itching: call."

    Make it work:

    Don't reach for an antihistamine or a medicated cream first. Ask your provider before taking anything (MedlinePlus).

Watch for

  • Normal

    an itchy bump and itchy stretch marks that calm down with moisturiser (OWH).

    Call your provider

    for itching that keeps going without a rash (MedlinePlus).

  • Normal

    itching on a warm evening that settles after a cool shower.

    Call your provider

    if the itching worsens, especially at night (NHS).

  • Normal

    dry, itchy skin from scented soap or a new detergent.

    Call your provider

    before taking an antihistamine for it (MedlinePlus).

  • Normal

    a list of signs that doesn't quite match what you feel.

    Call your provider

    if you feel like something just isn't right; the CDC says to contact them if something seems wrong, even if it isn't on the list (CDC).

For you

Most itching is just itching. Most skin changes in pregnancy are normal and resolve afterward (MedlinePlus). You don't need to inspect yourself every hour; the rule is there so you never have to wonder for long.

If you're the partner: if you notice her scratching in the night, say so in the morning. Night-time itching is the kind worth mentioning.

Sources

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

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