25. Keeping the Belly itch under control

The dreaded Belly itch can be horrendous! I really struggled with it when I was pregnant with Jack, but I feel like I have had it under control this time with a bit of a routine, and a home made remedy.


What works for me

Oils.

I stopped using moisturisers and use only oils now. Twice a day, but more often if I need it. I use bio oil in the morning, and a cocoa butter oil in the evenings. No specific reason, just how it's worked out and works for me. 


Very loose clothes.

I have been wearing maternity clothes, but at around 24 weeks, realised they are aggravating the itch as they are fitted. I bought a couple of mens XXL t-shirts and jumpers. This has been a game changer! I still wear my nicer clothes when I go out. But it's winter, so jumpers and coats cover the t-shirts. I'm barely going out, and if I'm just going to a friends house, I stay comfortable and itch free. Well worth a few quid at a charity shop. I'm also not bothered about them getting covered in oil. Win win.


My routine

Nothing complicated or difficult, but a winner for me. I give my belly a good wash with a flannel and soap to start with to get it oil free again. I use a standard exfoliator wash to give it a nice gentle scratch, but the flannel and soap is enough really. 

Next is the winner.

I couldn't find a rough enough exfoliator for me, so I made one. I simply mixed a bath salt with coconut oil, let it set then mashed it up with a spoon so I can grab a little chunk when I'm in the shower. I've used a fine bath salt so I can really scrub my tummy with it. It sometimes stings a little, but the coconut oil gets right in there and soothes the itch. 

If salt is too much for you, you could use sugar, oats or coffee grinds. I've used all of these in the past when I've made scrubs. They all smell amazing and I know sugar and oats have great moisturising benefits like the salt does. You can go all out with these scrubs, but I didn't have the energy to think about it, so just went with the 2 things I already had in my bathroom cupboard. 

**Be very careful to rinse the shower/bath floor down so you don't slip on the oil that may have dropped to the ground. **

I then put a generous helping of oil onto my belly once I'm out of the shower.

Bingo! 


The key is to give it a good wash every other day so the new oils can soak in properly. 




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

List of things we are going to need in the earl weeks and months.

Image
I will continually update this list. We have been inundated with people asking what we are going to need and I don't really know how to keep track of who I have said what to, so I've decided the easiest way is to put things on here and I can edit it as we go along. We actually have the majority of what we need already, partly because we had it from Jack, and partly because so many people have very kindly handed down their baby clothes, high chairs, cots, bedding, etc. The list goes on and we can't thank everybody enough, it's been really quite overwhealming. I don't want to make a shopping list on amazon because so much can be bought second hand and in bundles on Facebook, vinted, etc. We try to buy most things second hand, and we pass things on as we have had so much passed on to us. We are so lucky to have so many friends and family who have had babies and are happy to pass on to the next baby, and we will continue when the babies have outgrown their stuff. Babies...
Read more

58. Jacks frustration and teething with teeth!

Image
Jack has been incredible from day 1, and still is. But its clear he is getting sick of them a lot more. The babies are taking up a lot more of our attention now that they are on the move and all over the place. I find myself telling him to "hold on a minute while I just ..... ", all the time! Jack is wanting to do much more interactive play at the moment. Hide and seek, jigsaws, building blocks etc. We also have ti break off games a lot because of a cry.  With movement, comes lots if bumps with the boys. The climb up things like the side of the sofa or a table or chair leg, my legs are popular too when they want something. With the climbs comes slips, bumps and over balance which equal lots of cries. They also endlessly squabble over toys and pinch stuff off each other constantly. They get really annoyed and start crying. They also see Jack and his toys and go for a look, pick then up, put them in their mouths and Jack gets mad, snatches them back, pushes them away etc, all r...
Read more

1. A Challenging Year

Warning, this page contains details of miscarriage.  Incase you hadn't guessed by the title, we are expecting triplets. This chapter is going to talk about our journey up to finding out about the unexpected little bundles growing inside my belly.  Our son, Jack, was born in November 2021 and we had hoped to give him a little sibling, sooner rather than later. We were both closing in on 37, so decided to start trying for baby B No.2 a couple of months before Jack turned 1. It took 4 months (same as when we were trying with Jack), and we found out we were pregnant in January of this year. A few days later we found out that James's sister was expecting just 2 days before our due date! We were over the moon!!  However, a few days before our 12 week scan was due, I started bleeding. We tried to stay positive, but the hospital kept advising that I monitor it for 48 more hours. I was getting more and more stressed, so we opted for a private scan. Our worst fears were confirmed f...
Read more