Can I ask you about your stretchmarks or lack thereof?

[BalloonSlayer]

A comment on the One Born Every Minute thread last night got me thinking about stretchmarks.

I have got stretchmarks on my thighs and bum from when I hit puberty. They are very pale and silvery now. I didn't put on a huge amount of weight in puberty, I was a very skinny teenager.

I have had three DCs, one of which was very large, and I did not get a single stretchmark.

I was 35, 37 and 43 when I had my DCs.

My question is - did I not get stretchmarks because I was an older mother? I am obviously a person who can and does get them, as at 16 I looked as if a cat had clawed my arse.

So could it be that you are more prone to getting them when you are young?

What's your experience? Come on, blow my theory out of the water, I can take it...

Older skin isn't as firm, therefore it can stretch more. I thinks that's probably why you didn't get stretch marks.
I had DD at 20 and I thought I'd escaped the scars until 39 weeks when they appeared out of nothing.

What an interesting thread.

There really does seem to be a correlation between age and stretch marks doesn't there.

I had ds at 20, and ds2 at 23. I have pretty awful stretch marks all over the bottom of my belly.

I had dd at 29, and didn't get any new ones.

I was pretty tiny in my early 20's, (size 6-8) and had big babies (9 1/2 lb) so I had a lot of growing to do, but my mum, my aunt and my gran ( who were older 1st time mums ) have none.

Perhaps we could use this to deter teenage mothers!

Now can someone come on here and tell me how to get rid of the bastards. I am v. self concious and it feels unfair that i have worked hard to get my stomach flat again but I can do nothing about the stretch marks.

www.americanpregnancy.org/commondiscomforts/PE-pregnancy-stretchmarks.html

APA says that the risk of stretch marks decreases with age....

hmmmmmmm not fair. im 35 and pretty much from conception have been slathering self in bio oil, aloe lotions, etc, plus taking a tonne of vitamins and minerals and eating loads of fruit, veg, protein, fat, etc etc etc, and at 36 weeks i look like i have an ugly and weird skin disease they are awful!

Iam covered in stretchmarks, stomach, bum, back, thighs, lower legs, boobs-everywhere! they are awful and look especially bad if ive been in the sun as they stay very white and look even more noticeable.

Iam 5'10 and weigh 9 stone when not pg but with all 3 pgs i put on a lot of weight (13 stone with 1st, 12.5stone with 2nd and 12stone with third) but i lost it all within 2 months with all of them and i think the quick weight gain then loss has made them worse. i had big babies too which didnt help!

Interesting theory, I was 33 when I had ds and my consultant said when I was about 24 weeks that I wouldn't get any as I had the right kind of skin , I thought he was just trying to make me feel better about being the size of a whale but turns out I didn't get any. I was a size 6-8 pre pg and completely ballooned...

I have only got stretchmarks on my bum and thighs, none anywhere else.
This was from being pregnant at 17, had DS at 18.
I did religiously use bio oil and palmers cocoa butter on my tummy and boobs though, wish I had done it on my legs and bum now.

But they aren't horrible stretch marks, just white and silvery, and only small but there are quite a few.
I think if you didn't know they were there you wouldn't realize.

Ooh, I fit this theory very well.

I have very many stretchmarks from puberty (esp. on breasts & hips, 10-15 lb weight fluctuations then?), and none from 4 pregnancies: age 31-40, gained up to 3 stone. I like stretchmarks, too, they're pretty. :) My mom had the same kind of stretch marks as me, but her pregnancies were much younger age so dunno when she got them.

Sorry if I repeat what someone else has said (haven't read all posts). Stretchmarks come from hormones mostly, that's why it's genetic and doctors say oils and creams won't prevent them. When you hit puberty new hormones enter the body and that combined with growing causes the stretchmarks. Think most people have some from their teenage years. I wouldn't think a 35 year old is less likely to get them during pregnancy than a 25 year old...

I think it depends on your skin type. I am 38 weeks with my third child and so far have been lucky not to have any stretch marks whilst pregnant. Had a few silvery ones when I was a teenager on my hips but nothing to worry about. I am 30 now and had my first at 23 so I am not sure it has anything to do with age - it certainly cant be the overriding factor. I think I am just lucky and hope I am still strecth mark free in 3 weeks time!

I have stretch marks on my bum from puberty and I just had my 1st dd and now have stretch marks on my tummy, even though I used bio oil every night. My stretch marks didn't appear until I was 39 weeks. I'm 25 and I did used () to have a toned stomach so maybe it does have something to do with age.

I was 22 when I had DS I have loads of stretch marks and a saggy pouch thing on my tummy, the stretch marks are just starting to fade now 2.5 yrs on but I'm 7months pg with dc2 now. I plan to save for a tummy tuck after this one.

I was 23 when i had my first and got huge on the belly. Everyone was calling me an egg of legs. I left the hospital in a size 6 topshop skirt with no stretchmarks and completely flat.

I have no signs of ever having children and have been asked on numerous occasions if my dd is mine as I am so tiny and no signs of it on my stomach at all. I dont think age is anything to do with it. I have no stretchmarks from childhood/teen years either though.

im almost at the end of my first pregnancy with no stretchmarks and am 30. i am quite thin, but i got stretchmarks when i was around 18.
i actually think it can be a lot is to do with diet (also maybe genetics as my mum didn't get any) but i have a lot of good fats in my diet like fish and olive oil and also have taken evening primrose oil and omega 3s at different stages, i think it can make your skin more elastic and just generally good for your skin.

I think it isnt diet its genetic. I have a pretty rubbish diet and ate more than my own body weight in mcdonalds when I was pregnant.

I have never used any body cream on my skin in my life ever and never eat fish, or any kind of particularly healthy food especially when I was in puberty I never ate any kind of vegetable, any fish or any fruit from about age 12 - 20ish. (I mainly was raised on crispy pancakes!) You either get them or you dont I think.

OP, I was same as you - loads in puberty but hardly any from pregnancy. Except on my boobs!

I was 33 with DC1, 36 with DC2.