The excitement of being pregnant will often bring a glow of joy to a pregnant woman’s face. You often hear about the “glow of pregnancy” or phrases like, “you look like you’re glowing!” which means, generally, that you’re pregnant and you look great. What if, however, the hormonal changes of pregnancy leave you with another kind of ‘glow’- that of oily skin and acne?

If you’re one of those suffering from pregnancy-related acne, it can be tempting to use an over-the-counter acne medication to control the outbreak. Before you do, though- consider your baby.

The medications in many over-the-counter and prescription acne medications can be harmful to your baby.

This includes medications such as Retin-A, which has been shown to have some negative effects on the fetus, including cleft lips, retardation, spina bifida, and it may increase your chances of losing the pregnancy.

Clear skin is not worth the risk.

Talk with your doctor about caring for your skin during pregnancy- and don’t use any medications or ointments without your ob-gyn’s consent.

Because your skin may change during the course of pregnancy, you will be wise to practice good, basic skin care habits: use a gentle cleanser or mild soap, wash your makeup off before bedtime, wear moisturizer with sunscreen, and consider using natural skin care products- such as orange peels for exfoliation or lemon water for a refreshing toner.

Keep your doctor aware of your skin care routine, and you’ll protect your baby’s health and well-being.

PUPPP is the acronym for a Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy, which is a very itchy rash that some women experience during pregnancy.

It is the most common form of rash in pregnant women, and tends to show up in first pregnancies most often, and is less likely in future ones. It normally shows up at about 35 weeks of gestation. Some women develop it as early as the 33rd week.

The rash almost always begins on the stomach, in the stretch marks of the abdomen. It consists of small red wheals which blend to form larger wheals on the abdomen. Over time, the rash can spread over the thighs, buttocks, arms and breasts.

It is very itchy and uncomfortable, but is considered harmless to mother and baby. The mother is likely to feel very uncomfortable and to have trouble sleeping. It tends to last about six weeks and resolves on its own within two weeks of delivery.

It tends to occur in 1 out of 200 initial pregnancies. Exact causes are not known, but some studies suggest that PUPPP develops when there is a great deal of skin distension (stretching) as may be seen in multiple gestation births (triplets or twins) or if the mother gains a great deal of weight during the pregnancy. Some studies have found that women who are pregnant with boys are more likely to develop PUPPP. Also, some other studies suggest that PUPPP may be related to some kind of DNA changes/transfers between the mother and the fetus.

While the following should not be taken as medical advice, and your best bet is to share your PUPPP symptoms with your doctor, information from various sources suggests that cool, short baths, wearing light, loose cotton clothing, using rich, non fragranced lotions may help relieve the itch. Corticosteriods are prescribed in severe cases. Also, some women report improvement in itching through use of creams containing shea butter and allantoin.

Whatever you do, try not to scratch, as this can make the condition worse.