Many pregnancy discomforts can be relieved with good diet, hydration, gentle exercise, and rest. The recommended suggestions are a good starting point for improvement. If these suggestions don’t provide relief, then looking into additional therapies may be helpful. The herbs suggested are safe during pregnancy, although talk to your care provider for any additional questions or concerns.

ITCHY SKIN

Some causes include: stretching of the belly, breast, and thighs; sweating; eliminating toxins through the skin; an overworked liver; stress; chemical irritations.

Recommended: Use a mild soap or none at all- perfumes and additives can irritate the skin; daily exercise to increase the circulation of the skin; eat whole foods and avoid processed foods; drink plenty of water, include high quality Omega oils in your diet, increase foods rich in beta carotene and get some sunlight every day or take Vitamin D supplement.

Herbal: Internal- an infusion of Echinacea root, burdock root, and dandelion root, 1/2 cup twice daily. External- oatmeal bath, cocoa butter or coconut oil, calendula oil, cream, or gel; slippery elm bark powder or marshmallow root powder can be sprinkled in skin creases to maintain dryness.

*Be sure to tell your care provider if itchy skin is not relived by home techniques or is getting worse.