Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Just discovered stretch marks and feeling sad

22 replies

NewMummy5July2011 · 24/06/2011 08:44

Hi
I know that loads of women get them, but just discovered last night some bright red stretch marks have started up on my lower tummy. Don't know why I'm so upset about them, I guess since I made it all the way to 38+4 I figured I had gotten away with not getting any.

Does anyone else have them and do they bother you? Anything I can do to at least reduce the appearance of how they look?

Thanks so much.

OP posts:
AchtungBaby · 24/06/2011 08:52

I got stretchmarks really late in my pregnancy too, and I'm not even sure if they're visible any more Smile. DS is 9.5months btw.

Paschaelina · 24/06/2011 08:56

Mine only appeared after the birth. Angry We are also 9.5 months on and they are silvery rather than red and I don't notice them unless I look now.

EdwardorEricCantDecide · 24/06/2011 08:57

mine were really bad (think road map!) DS is now 2yo and even mine are starting to fade, but i'm pregnant again.

i plan to save for a tummy tuck after this one and get offending skin cut off Wink

TrilllianAstra · 24/06/2011 09:01

I've had stretchmarks from puberty.

Tiger stripes are cool.

cantpooinpeace · 24/06/2011 09:05

Yes I had a wall of fire on my tummy too, I was a bit bothered by them but a lovely midwife said to me after the birth - better to have stretch marks than long term damage/incontinence after the birth (I got away with minimal damage). that put things into perspective, they're faded now anyway.

Original poster
NewMummy5July2011 · 24/06/2011 09:07

Thanks for the replies and the support ladies. :-) Helps to put these things in perspective. xx

OP posts:
iWILLdothis · 24/06/2011 11:18

i have them already at 23 wks. they're a fact of life for most women. I treated myself to sanctuary spa mum to be stretch mark oil this week, using my boots points. enjoying giving baby a nice massage twice daily with it now. cantpooinpeace is right, they really are a minor problem in the grand scheme of things.....it's probably just hormones causing you to be a bit upset by it.

fulllife · 24/06/2011 11:25

hi, im 37 and havent got them so far - i eat lots of nuts and shower cold every day - and i drink like a bottomless pit! i wonder if that helps to keep them in check? anyway now i said it i probably will get some tomorrow;)

Flisspaps · 24/06/2011 11:27

I thought I'd got away with them and then at about 8 months realised they were all on the bottom of my bump, and I only saw them when I caught sight of them in the mirror.

I love my stretch marks. They're a lasting silvery reminder of the amazing thing that my usually despised, lardy body did.

babyonbord · 24/06/2011 11:43

I've been lucky avoided them with my first and am nearly 38 weeks so hoping i've avoided them this time, mind you my bumps tiny compared to other womens i keep getting asked if it's my 20 week scan by other mums when i go for antenatal checkups lol i would try bio oil i've used it on scars and it makes them fade so i would imagine it would be even more effective on stretch marks

babyonbord · 24/06/2011 11:46

that and tummy tucks all the way, definatly will be having one of those once my child bearing days are finally over, my other half is going to treat me to one if i need it once we have had our fill of children as a thankyou for giving him his children

pantsandpup · 24/06/2011 11:51

My dc's are nearly 22, 20 and nearly 5. I got stretch marks with the first two and they'd faded to pretty much nothing by the time I had dd. I used bio oil all the way through my last prg and it really helped. I'm using it this time too.

5th July is a great day to have a baby.... ds1 and dd both share that day as their birthday.

FannyPriceless · 24/06/2011 12:02

When I was about 38 weeks I saw a couple of little red marks above my belly button, and told MrP. The conversation went...

Me: Look, I think I've got some little stretch marks just here (pointing)
MrP: Oh, and all the ones lower down, of course.
Me: What??

Me: OH MY FUCKING GOD!!!! Why didn't you tell me?
MrP: Err... umm..

100years · 24/06/2011 14:08

I have no pregnancy related stretch marks yet.. I say yet, it'll happen soon. The reason I have none is that at 30wks pregnant my belly is still smaller in size than it was this time last year when I was 4 stone heavier! And I had been a stone heavier than that (a year before) but never measured my belly then!

Belly is growing in spurts now, so I reckon a few more weeks should get them going again!!!

VioletV · 24/06/2011 14:20

I'm 37w and I live by the rule of if you're going to get them, then you're going to get them and no amount of expensive cream/lotions or potions are going to make any difference. When you've had your baby try and buy the raw cocoa butter and apply that to stretch marks. They won't go 100% but they will fade them!

cantpooinpeace · 24/06/2011 21:06

I practically had shares in fucking Bio oil - it ain't cheap either. A lot of it is down to skin type & how much weight you gain. My babies were big and I'm fair skinned, no matter what I'd have done I would have got them. Mine were huge though - all the way up to my belly button. They bother me very little now they're faded :)

TrilllianAstra · 24/06/2011 21:32

Is anone willing to use bio-oil on the right-hand side of their bump and cheap stuff on the left-hand side to see if it really makes a difference?

JimmyChoo17 · 24/06/2011 21:38

Yep....I didn't get them until recently but once started to appear the came thick and fast and red! I had some on boobs, thighs, bum and upper arms from puberty but they were silver from the start....these under bumps ones however are reddy purple. I hate them and when I first got them I was devastated and upset couldn't help it.

I had 2 miscarriages previously and kept telling myself I would rather have stretch marks than that upset again to put them into prospective but even then it knocked my body confidence....we are pregnant we are allowed to have off days! After a short while just seemed to accept them! No doubt the horror of seeing my post pregnancy body will bring back that upset :( but I'll have a shiny new baby to compensate! I didn't put a lot of weight on until recently with this pregnancy but the sudden baby growth spurt has obviously stretched me! These last few weeks are a pain for easy fast weight gain aren't they.

Never thought I'd say it but I'm looking forward to being able to exercise and diet again.

JimmyChoo17 · 24/06/2011 21:41

Bio oil has no real effect against stopping stretch marks. I use it all the time! But stretch marks are set in your bodies make up....creams or oils wont help. What I will say for bio oil is it's good for scarring but not brilliant wonder stuff. I just like using it for massage into bump and in the hope will calm my new stretchies!

AlfalfaMum · 24/06/2011 21:44

They fade to almost invisible given time; I had stretch marks on my boobs (from fluctuating from flat to massive and back again during pregnancy/breastfeeding) which looked like I'd been mauled by a giant badger - can't find them now.

cantpooinpeace · 24/06/2011 22:33

lol @ mauled by a badger

Great research prospect Astra :)

LDNmummy · 24/06/2011 23:55

I have read so many comments from mums who say they didn't realise they had them because they were on the underside of the bump that I check with a handheld mirror every once in a while.

I don't think I will mind too much if I get them, it will just be wierd to see my body go through another dramatic change in appearance. My DH is still not used to the pigment change and shape change of my breasts (he's not a critical type, just can't get over the dark colour for some reason) as it has been such a dramatic change and neither can I TBH.

Besides, they get better with time.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread