Last minute stretch marks, is this a sign or just unlucky?

[eleanorgrace]

I am due on tuesday and aside from going out of my mind with boredom and general discomfort (reflux, no sleep etc) i noticed this morning during my bump check what look like stretch marks under my belly. HELP!!
why now?! i did not have any until this morning, to make things even worse it is my birthday. Family and husband done great job of tea, cake and clearing up but am so upset about stupid stretch marks.

Irrational or normal?

[GirlsAreLoud]

Happened to me too at about 39 weeks IIRC.

Remember being very of friends who popped at 37 weeks because I've heard before you often get them right at then end.

DD was a whopper though, nearly ten pounds so I guess I got off lucky to get them so late.

[ShowOfHands]

The baby can put on a pound a week in weight towards the end and yes this can equal stretchmarks.

I have stretchmarks on my stomach, boobs, thighs, knees and back. Literally dozens. I got a few extra from pushing too.

They do fade. Mine were angry red and are silvery now.

[PlumBumMum]

This happened to me with mine always in last couple of weeks

[lynniep]

normal I'm afraid. I got them at 38 and a half weeks last time. I was gutted. DS was born a week later.

[ohnelly]

Yes I had this too but I didnt notice them until afterwards which is even worse - I was horrified!

[sweetnitanitro]

Yep, I got them at about 36 weeks and had DD nearly 6 weeks later. DD is now 10 mo and the stretch marks are barely noticeable. I was annoyed too because I am massively vain but fear not, you will be able to wear a two piece again. Good luck with the birth!

[pigleychez]

I only got my stretch marks during the 2 weeks I was overdue!!

If DD was on time I would of got away with it! I too was gutted,but its nothinbg in the grand scheme of things. You will have a lovely newborn soon and the strecth marks will be the last thing on your mind.

[wem]

I didn't have any until about 36/37 weeks. I think my skin was doing ok gradually stretching, but when dd dropped down the change in shape was too quick and I got a load of stretch marks under my belly button.

[mondaymonday]

I think it's very very common to get them late in pg, I know I did

fwiw it is (as someone else said) still possible to wear a bikini even with stretchmarks. They can fade to silvery fairly quickly. My problem is more the wrinkly effect skin, but this is fine with a 'brief' style bikini bottom, rather than a string type which I used to wear

[designerbaby]

I was really smug that I had no stretchmarks at all by the time I was 40 weeks. Then I went 2 weeks overdue and by the time DD finally made an appearence by stomach looked like a tube map.

Good news? They do fade remarkably quickly - mine are v.faint and silvery now, and I didn't use anything fancy or expensive on them. Oh, and also you'll spend most of the next few months/years gazing adorably at your newborn so you won't have the time or inclination to inspect!

Both irrational, and normal to feel upset about it... I did at the time too. But 'tis not the end of the world, and you'll have a gorgeous little one to make you forget in a matter or days. Rest up and don't waste your tears, love

[hugs]. Late pregnancy is tough. [hugs]

db
xx

[eleanorgrace]

thank you all, is always a relief to know that i'm just experiencing another one of the delights on offer rather than anything serious.
feeling slightly better today, will be a mum v soon then i don't think these things will trouble me so much - i won't have time by the sounds of it!!!

[Octosaurus]

Commenting to stay on this thread because I'm 41+4 days and have just suddenly gotten LOADS of stretch marks. I was bawling my eyes out until I saw this wonderful thread