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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Calling all mum's with stretch marks....

54 replies

DizzyDizzy · 04/04/2013 18:46

When did your stretch marks appear? I'm 34 weeks, and my bump is BIG!!! It has been throughout pregnancy, but I have NO stretch marks... I don't know if I'm just lucky, or whether I'm being misled, and there's still time for stretch marks to appear....

OP posts:

chickydoo · 04/04/2013 21:34

Never got any at all. Had 4 DC.
I am hyper mobile, and I believe that means I have more collagen/elastin in my skin, hence it's stretchy.
Hasn't stopped the wrinkles or crows feet though.

Eletheomel · 04/04/2013 21:37

I think I was about 36 weeks with DS. I wasn't using any fancy creams then just baby oil to keep the skin supple - but if you're going to get stretch marks, you'll get them, not much you can do.

However, mines faded to silver really quickly, the only ones that are visible now is one directly under my belly button and even then it's only noticeable because my skin is so stretched with this bump (32 weeks just now, but no new stretch marks so far and I've used no oils/creams at all).

I found it was the texture of my skin after pregnancy that was worse than the stretch marks, it went all crepe paper like (i'd also lost weight, so looked like lots of loose crepey skin on my belly and it all wrinkled round my belly button - not nice!)

Randomly enough, when I put on weight and my belly fattened up a bit, I actually found it looked more attractive and the skin seemed to go back to normal.

I'm not worried about them though, just reminds me my little boy was in there, there's worse things in life (like piles!!!)

LuckyOwl28 · 04/04/2013 21:55

I have used oil every night and had baby oil in my bath every time and just started to get them on my hips and calf (?!?) at 37 weeks! Damn it!

AmandaPayneAteTooMuchChocolate · 04/04/2013 21:58

Topical treatments like balms and oils are very unlikely to prevent stretchmarks as the damage is far deeper in the tissue. Mostly its genetics and weight gain.

Depressingly.

honey86 · 04/04/2013 22:49

the ones on my thighs are skin/silver coloured, the ones on my tummy are like wrinkles ive got a pot of cussons mum&me bump cream, dunno if itll work but it smells lush. i tried bio oil but im still skeptical bout it specially at that price. im going to try olive oil this time, i use it on my hair as a treatment or on dry ends and it does good. cheap as, too x

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 04/04/2013 22:56

I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hypermobility and is to do with the collagen in your skin) so I didn't think I would get any.

My stomach is bloody covered in them, at least 2 are over an inch thick.

And I used Chanel spray moisturiser at least once a day.

They appeared around 20 weeks, I think.

Fakebook · 04/04/2013 22:58

With dc1 they came up at 40 weeks! I was so gutted, as she was 2 weeks overdue. Had she been born a little earlier I would have been spared the stripes. I didn't get any with ds. He was smaller than dd and didn't stretch the skin much.

DaveMccave · 05/04/2013 00:43

I thought i'd got away with them last time, had none in labour and lots the day after she was born. Turns out you can get them from shrinking back down quickly or something! I'm currently 20 weeks with number 2 and my 5 year old looked at my belly with horror today, and pointed out all the 'marks' I don't know if her old faint ones are darkening or I've got new ones already. Gutted!

VIX1980 · 05/04/2013 06:52

wk 36, got loads around my stomach, had ds 9 months ago and at first tried every cream i could find to rid myself of them, then it sunk in they will fade in there own time, They were horrible at first and i didnt believe anyone who said they would go, but 9 months on they have faded tons, still noticable but give me another few months and ill feel better about them. agree about the crepeyness though, thats the thing i cant disguise!

OrangeLily · 05/04/2013 06:55

I don't even have babies and I have stretch marks. Had them from about the age of 14 when i suddenly got lady thighs and hips. 16 or 17 where my boobs just appeared overnight. DH has them too, is mental.

After pregnancy a good idea is to get out in the sun if you end up with stretch marks, we've found it's help turn angry red ones silver.

phantomhairpuller · 05/04/2013 06:59

Mine appeared as soon as my bump started to show. I used every lotion and potion available too
My DMs otherwise flat stomach is ruined by stretch marks so I'm guessing for me they were hereditary.
Currently 37+ with DS2 an they don't appear to have gotten any worse yet

Lutrine · 05/04/2013 09:44

I'm almost 36 weeks and have escaped getting any on my bump so far, but there's loads on my bum! I didn't even think it'd grown that much :(

Fenton · 05/04/2013 09:49

I didn't get a single one with my first child and he was 8lb + and I'm 5ft nothing.

Second child was a pound heavier than the first and my skin gave in at about 39 weeks when (it appeared to me) he started jostling for room and stretching out horizontally. I remember it felt really itchy and sensitive under clothes at about the time the stretch marks appeared.

madamecake · 05/04/2013 10:39

Last pregnancy I got loads on my inner thighs from about 12 weeks, nearly down to my knees! I didn't have any on my stomach until a day or 2 after dd was born, and although really red and deep they faded quite quickly.
Am now 33 weeks with this pregnancy, and no new ones yet, but no doubt they'll appear after the birth again.

HorraceTheOtter · 05/04/2013 11:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SpicedGingerTea · 05/04/2013 11:56

I'm 41 + 2 with my first pregnancy. Was feeling very smug about stretch marks until about 3 weeks ago when I noticed some stretch marks on the left hand side of my stomach and at the top of my thighs. I have been religiously applying vitamin E cream since about 12 weeks pregnant.

But I'm hoping the cream will at least stop the skin going crepey once he's out!

Tinkerbell43 · 05/04/2013 13:10

No stretch marks on my tummy but all over bum & thighs from about 29 weeks :-( hopefully they won't stick around too long after birth now 41+2 x

polkadotsrock · 05/04/2013 14:19

I second the getting in the sun- I went to the states with ds when he was 5 months and the sunbathing was like a miracle cure, although mine weren't actually all that bad, just a few small ones that had been hidden under bump and one where my belly button had been pierced in the good ol' days! I already had some on my hips anyway but I swear they've always been there and are tiny and silver.

ohmentalnessisme · 05/04/2013 14:55

I got more over my breasts than on my belly. In the early days of breastfeeding I looked like Dolly Parton!

plummyjam · 05/04/2013 15:17

Got 2 tiny ones each side of my bellybutton after going 41 weeks with DD who weighed 9lb 2oz. Expected to get loads as had a lot on my thighs as a teenager following a growth spurt so was generally quite pleased as my bump was huge. Did get quite a few under my boobs when my milk came in though.

Didn't use any creams etc, I think whether you get them is due to genetics, how quickly the skin is stretched and age - seems older women are less affected. I was 30 when DD was born.

PinkFondantFancy · 06/04/2013 07:52

After DD was born!! But they faded quickly. This time around they appeared around 35 weeks.

rustybusty · 06/04/2013 08:06

Ive had 2 babies so far, and havent got 1 stretchmark. I still wear cropped t shirts when out. You may not get any or crepey skin, and your stomach may not change at all.

It helped with me by being very petite to start with.

MrsSpagBol · 06/04/2013 14:18

Well that has wiped the smugness off my face!

I am 25 weeks and nothing in sight, thought I had gotten away with it but clearly not!!!

Original poster

DizzyDizzy · 06/04/2013 16:50

that's exactly what i though MrsSpagBol. totally gutted now i've found out that might not appear until AFTER the birth! Crap!!!!! xxx

OP posts:

AmandaPayneAteTooMuchChocolate · 06/04/2013 17:02

25 weeks? I hate to say it MrsSpagBol, but very few people I know who got stretch marks, even pretty bad ones, had any at 25 weeks. They come at teh end because that's the point that the skin is at its most stretched and can't take any more IYSWIM.

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