Stretch marks found under bump at 30 wks - is tiger belly now inevitable??

[DangerMousey]

I am 30+3 and found last night (with the aid of a mirror), the beginnings of 6 red vertical stretch marks on the underside of my bump :(

They are currently all about 2cm long....is it highly likely that these will now stretch right up over my bump in a massively unsightly fashion?? How long will they take to fade ater the birth? Gah, I have been religiously rubbing in baby oil and Burts Bees Mama Bee oil morning and fecking night - obviously to no avail!

Could this be cos I have not been watching my diet very closely? Or is it just a case of genetic roulette? Don't get me wrong, I am eating lots of vegetables and fruit and healthy stuff: i am just also partaking in a daily slice of cake or two cos it just tastes so damn nice and I am so bloody hungry all the time!

I haven't weighed myself since about week 22 cos I don't wanna know, but my bump looks pretty big. However, at my 28 week appointment it was measuring 28cm, so i guess it's the right size?

Don't know why but I had (stupidly!) thought that I would somehow magically get away without stretch marks.

I know none of this vain shit matters as long as the baby is growing healthily, and I should shut up. But I just needed to moan! Will I ever wear a bikini again??!

Embrace your badge of motherhood with pride and wonder < beckons to OP with outstretched arms>

They will now stretch up to and over your belly and beyond!.....
seriously i don't know how far they will stretch but they do afterwards, not completely but the zebra look gets better and they shrink.

Meant to "they do start to fade"

It's just genetics, I'm afraid! Mine seemed to appear overnight, similar place to yours, under the bump...hadn't noticed til I looked in the mirror. I've reassured myself that I don't exactly show off that bit of my body so what the heck, no need to fret! We are growing a baby after all...

I've been told that it's all to do with the natural elasticity of each woman's skin. If its very elastic you won't get stretch marks, if it's not you will. I also was told by a plastic surgeon that the creams etc do not penetrate the skin deep enough to make any difference. I have a very tiger style belly with stretch marks up about my tummy button. I got them all with dc1. Was also told by a midwife that my colouring (red head) meant that I had very fragile skin and that was why!

Mine did the same at 36 weeks (DD was born at 37 - grrr!) and I have worn a bikini since.
They didn't stretch over my tummy and the worst are about 5 cms on my lower belly and were a silvery colour, only visible in a certain light really. I'm pretty sure mine were caused by baby dropping down suddenly so nothing I could do really.
To be honest, even after DS where I gained 3 deep stretch marks of about 2-3 cms above my tummy button as well as more on my lower belly I still wore a bikini (and looked pretty good too). Tanning helps the appearance.

Now pregnant with DC3 so goodness knows how it'll look after this but I'm sure it won't be that bad! I don't think you can do much to prevent them but they look better if your skin is in good condition. (Sorry for waffling!)

aww hun.. with my first i was soo proud i never got stretch marks up till bout 32 weeks then all of a sudden i had them all the way from my vag up too bout 5 cm below my breasts. it is genetics fingers crossed that you dont get them too bad x

Mine started under my bump and didn't ever rise higher than my belly button. I did get lots more once they started though.

Embrace it. Oil doesn't work. And I don't know about genetics either as my mum and sister didn't get them (though I did have twins ...).

With my first they arrived around 30 weeks and stretched up to my belly button on both sides. They looked hideous and I was so upset, 18 months later they were virtually invisible. I'm now 32 weeks with number 2 and no new ones yet but that's possibly because I've gained (a tiny bit) less weight.

I got a few in the final weeks, but they vanished pretty quickly.

As has been said already a lot depends on your skin type/colouring. I have dark hair whereas dsis is ginger, she has quite a few stretch marks.

Mine appeared about 30w too - at 39w now they stretch to well above my belly button! I think its genetics unfortunately - all the bio oil in the world hasn't helped me!

Don't be downhearted

Hoping link works

32 weeks pregnant and still no stretch marks. Dermalmd stretch mark cream was highly recommended by an employee at Babys R Us and I've been using this serum ever since around week 20. I use it twice a day. It's a little pricey, but I think it's worth it if I can avoid stretch marks.

I'm 28 weeks and starting to get stretch marks. Everything I've read says that no cream can avoid them. It's genetics, your either prone to the or your not. I've decided not to stress about it if there's nothing much I can do. I think there are some things like Bio Oil which can help fade them afterwards, but my understanding is there's little you can do to stop them appearing in the first place.

Sorry to jump on the post, am I right in thinking if I have stretch marks on my legs and boobs from puberty, I can bank on getting them on my belly from pregnancy? As my skin is prone to them? I'm 33 weeks and none yet on the belly but know it's probably going to happen.
I feel for you OP, just remember they fade. Give it time and they fade. X

I've got big vertical ones from under my bump but they stop before my belly button. Above that they are horizontal. Like you I didn't really get any til about 30 weeks, I have ended up with a very stripy belly!

I don't think it's anything to do with diet my lovely! I basically lived off cake, had a huge bump and only used cheap cocoa butter and luckily didn't get any. My mum and sister are covered so thought I would be too so just luck of the draw I guess. I definitely have them on my inner thighs from puberty and faintly all over my bum (which expanded with all the cake) so I do get them so don't know why I was let off with the bump!

Moral of the story - enjoy the cake.

I had terrible tiger belly, like every time any one saw my stomach they'd gasp and say oh my god what have you done because it looked like I'd scratched myself to the point of scars BUT my son is now 11 weeks old and they've mostly faded, I still have the odd red one but mostly they are bluey silver. Nothing a bit of bio oil can't fix, take it in your stride I do x

I didn't have any with DD1 at all, until after I'd given birth and thankfully it was only a couple around my belly button. I also had them when I teenager from growth spurts on my hips so thought I would definitely get them as bump grew.

I'm currently 30 weeks pregnant and still nothing as yet but not getting my hopes up as I know how big I get towards the end.

To be honest, like pp have said they do fade and then you don't notice them and they become part of you. Don't worry too much about them.

I've been using dermalmd stretch mark serum for about 06 months now. So far I don't see any stretch marks. I'm planning to use it continuously even after the pregnancy to make sure that my belly looks good. I like the smell of it too, which is not strong. Worth the price.