Ah yes, pregnancy. The glorious journey of turning into a baby-grower complete with swollen feet and an aversion to anything remotely resembling a vegetable. As if that wasn't enough, we also have to deal with the constant itchiness all over our burgeoning bodies - but why does this happen? And what about the unending phenomenon of breast itch? Fear not, brave mothers-to-be! We've scoured the internet so you don't have to and delved deep into the mystery of What's Behind Breast Itch in Pregnancy.
Hormones: They're everywhere!
Pregnancy is truly like being on an emotional rollercoaster: some days you feel blessed by nature while others you're cursing it for making everything swell up like a balloon. One thing that remains constant throughout this time is your lovely hormones - they run your body now, along with your little passenger who's already calling all the shots from inside their cozy abode.
For those of us experiencing incessant tickles around our nipple area (who knew there were so many nerve endings around there?), estrogen levels are thought to be mainly responsible for triggering off itching sensations during pregnancy.
Feeling super itchy when estrogen is at high levels can also indicate skin changes related to stretching caused by breasts rapidly gaining size as they gear up for milk production later down the line (yep, one more thing bad enough besides being woken up too early by tiny hands).
Don't fret too much though – just perpetually moisturizing problem areas might help alleviate symptoms here!
Stay fresh mentally
We’ve said it before; we’ll say it again- mental health cannot be over-emphasised at any stage of life including during conception and gestation periods. In fact, stress has been shown a potent worsener when it comes down to any skin conditions. Pregnancy hormones are already doing enough to mess around with the mind and body, and itchiness only makes it worse.
Here's a fun little idea that sounds hella obvious but works wonders: stay relaxed!
We cannot emphasis how important relaxing is especially for pregnant women - practice simple activities like taking a walk in your favorite garden, indulge and let yourself give into some I-hate-yoga-right-now guided meditations or just laughing at nothing (okay maybe not quite nothing).
Who needs water anyway? Oh you do
Drinking adequate amounts of water has always been essential – even more during pregnancy time. In order to keep major bodily functions such as skin moisturizing running well, we need to drink plenty of H20.
Our advice in our word echo is, drink until it looks like you're going to float away – that extra fluid may come in handy when dehydration due to overheating kicks-in (not the most common cause behind heavy hoisting)!
While scientific evidence isn’t yet clear on how much drinking ample glasses of water has an effect on breast itching specifically during pregnancy– there’s no harm repeating something which comes up again and again whenever health-related literature enters the picture.
If finding it hard staying hydrated from normal sources use infusions or fruits which have high hydrative qualities- think watermelon cos yummy right?
Don't go scratching yourself; invest sweetly instead
Laying off scratching your breasts may be challenging but trust us on this one; As satisfying as those scratch afternoons may seem once complete they’re likely exacerbating hypersensitive nipples gradually turning them raw.
Instead, consider investing in comfortably smooth cotton products designed for maternity purposes., padding inside is more comforting too! And avoid cheap fibre bras while you’re out shopping because comfort remains top priority here.<!--
Some specific bras are even designed to heal and moisturize itchy nipples directly so you don't have to skimp on your basic creature comforts!
Say Cheese! or yoghurt, at any rate
Yoghurt is more than breakfast staple. This tangy-sweet snack may also come in handy when it comes down to banishing annoying pregnancy itchiness experienced around the breast area.
The probiotics present in Yoghurt effectively shields against bacterial infections and fungi appearing anywhere around our skin (thanks for always showing up candida!).
Insert that extra cup of Greek yogurt into your daily routine because who knows? It might be one small switch which helps tackle an itch problem from its root.
Go easy(ier) woman!
Being good mothers always matters: this entire procreation process involves plenty of life-altering decisions, but keeping baby within healthy levels during every stage remains top priority- make sure you're not pushing yourself too hard. Knowing where boundaries lie by now can help stay away from wearing tight undergarments or anything else likely exacerbating rash redness issues just as the belly constantly grows over time.