Itchy and scratchy

The morning sickness has for the most part subsided now, it seems, which is a huge relief to everybody. Or at least it would be, if it hadn't been usurped by the dark horse of unbearable pregnancy symptoms: itchiness.

I remember when I was about 12 years old, I lay topless in the sun for too long (I don't know why - I'm not blessed with a Mediterranean complexion, and this sort of behaviour was out of character for me even then) and was rewarded with a severely sunburnt tummy. Naively, I dealt with this by going for a nice hot bath immediately. By the time I got out of the bath, my tummy's skin was a raging inferno of irritation which brought me as close to insanity as I can remember being. I genuinely remember thinking that this must be what fitting feels like as I vigorously rubbed at least three layers of skin from my poor belly with the towel, in a frenzy suitably accompanied by my own screaming and wailing.

So I do have some sympathy with my wife, who for a week or so now has been suffering the same symptoms, but constantly, and far less discerning about which area of her they focus on. As usual, all I can offer is sympathy and a description of it on the internet, neither of which are very helpful really.

They don't warn you about this one. Knowledgeable people tell us it's nothing to worry about when it happens this early in the pregnancy. But try telling that to the poor lady who spends her nights filing her nails on her own legs instead of sleeping. The only hope is that it will soon stop. I wonder if these trials are biology's way of ensuring parental joy when the baby finally comes out and stops causing all this trouble.

Although apparently it's common for it to cause trouble afterwards as well. I sincerely hope ours doesn't.