Unexpected Symtoms: Itchy Armpits

For the past few days I've had some intense itchiness...in my armpits.

They have been so itchy that I was scratching so hard I nearly broke skin. My poor armpits were scratched raw, red, and puffy under the force of my nails. I didn't change deoderants. I didn't change soaps. I didn't change my razor. We didn't even switch our laundry detergent.

I knew itchy skin was a thing in pregnancy, but specifically the armpits?? That's just weird! I know I'm not the only one because I searched the web and found numerous forum threads discussing this same incredibly annoying issue. But did I find one single blog post about it? Did I find any articles about this? No! Of course not! The web pages moved on to allergic reactions and other useless things completely unrelated to my situation.

Thanks internet. You fail.

I did find a reference to itchy armpits and breastfeeding, but I'm not breastfeeding. My baby is still very much *inside* my uterus, kicking away.

My only guess? This is a hormone thing. The best solution as proferred by random forum threads? Throwing out the antipersperant and slathering on some hydrocortisone cream. So last night, I coated my raw pits with hydrocortisone and went to sleep. In the morning, not only did they feel better, but they looked better too. Instead of reaching for my daily antipersperant, I grabbed my jasmine & vanilla scented babypowder (even before kids, it's always a good idea to have some around). It was gentle enough to keep my skin from getting irritated, but strong enough to keep me from getting stinky or soaked. Granted, I don't sweat a lot (nor do I have strong body odor) so it might not work for everyone. However, my sensitive pits were still dry and happy by the end of the day.

Now I'm wondering why I spent so much on antipersperant all those years. So...the experience may have been a backhanded lesson...

I know there are probably more hidden gems of symptoms waiting for me here in the third trimester, but I'll just have to wait and see what they are. In the mean time, I highly suggest buying some babypowder. That stuff is so much cheaper than antipersperant! If I'm lucky, my other weird symptoms will provide similar cheap lifehacks. Here's hoping!