9 months pregnant belly itchy

Pregnancy will cause changes in a woman's hormones, as well as a series of changes in her body. For example, many women feel itchy in their stomachs when they are 9 months pregnant, which is the late stage of pregnancy. Pregnant mothers must not take this phenomenon lightly, because it may mean that the pregnant woman is developing stretch marks. If prevention is taken at this time, the appearance of stretch marks can still be avoided.

1. What are stretch marks?

A type of lines that appear on a woman's skin five or six months into her pregnancy. Usually, they appear on the abdomen, but some women may also develop them on the hips, thighs, buttocks, and breasts. After delivery, these patterns on the skin will gradually disappear, leaving behind white or silvery shiny scar lines, which are stretch marks.

The main reason for the formation of stretch marks is that the bulging of the abdomen causes the elastic fibers and collagen fibers of the skin to be damaged or broken to varying degrees due to external force, resulting in thinning and finer skin, resulting in the appearance of some pink or purple wavy patterns of varying widths and lengths on the skin.

2. When do stretch marks appear?

When do stretch marks appear? This question is a concern for most pregnant mothers. Stretch marks usually begin to appear in the second trimester and become more obvious one month before delivery.

Under normal circumstances, the elastic fibers of the skin and the rectus abdominis muscle maintain a certain elasticity, so they can contract freely within a certain limit, and therefore wrinkles are not easily formed. When a woman is pregnant for more than three months, the enlarged uterus protrudes from the pelvic cavity and develops into the abdominal cavity. As the fetus continues to grow, the abdomen continues to expand, the elastic fibers in the skin and the abdominal muscles begin to overstretch, and as the gestational age increases, many of the collagen fibers under the skin are eventually "pulled apart." After 6 months of pregnancy, the abdomen bulges rapidly, the elastic fibers in the skin gradually break, and stretch marks become more obvious.

In fact, the growth of stretch marks varies from person to person. Depending on the physical condition of the pregnant woman, the time when stretch marks begin to grow will also be different. But generally speaking, pregnant women will start to see stretch marks when they are 5 to 6 months pregnant, usually appearing on the thighs and belly. Because pregnant women have different skin elasticity, some pregnant women will develop stretch marks in the late pregnancy or even a month before delivery, while some pregnant women may not develop stretch marks throughout the entire pregnancy. This is all normal.

3. What to do if stretch marks itch

Most pregnant women will develop stretch marks because of hormonal changes in the body and rapid abdominal expansion in the middle and late stages of pregnancy, which causes damage or breakage of the elastic fibers and collagen fibers in the skin. Stretch marks not only affect the appearance, but also are accompanied by itching during pregnancy. What should pregnant women do if their stretch marks are itchy? Scratching is not recommended and medical attention is required if necessary.

If stretch marks are itchy during pregnancy, it is not recommended to scratch them, because scratching has no real effect on relieving the itching, and may even cause endless itching. Although it will not harm the health of the fetus, it will make the pregnant mother miserable. Pregnant mothers who are troubled by itchy stretch marks can apply some olive oil or some moisturizing lotion or massage cream to reduce and relieve the symptoms when they feel itchy. Avoid scratching constantly with your hands.

If the pregnant mother's itching continues, seriously affects her rest, and large patches of patches appear, she needs to seek medical attention immediately. Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy are one of the causes of itching in pregnant women. The itchy lumps are distributed along the tension lines of the abdomen, where stretch marks appear. They usually appear in the middle and late stages of pregnancy and disappear completely after delivery. They do not harm the fetus or the pregnant woman herself. They are more common in primiparas and generally do not occur in multiparas.