Stretch marks? What works??

[Beckah1994xx]

I'm 26 weeks pregnant & already getting stretch marks, I have palmer's tummy butter and sanctuary stuff, but whats best to get rid of stretchmarks, does anyone have any other things they can suggest? Thanks :)

[Kundry]

Celebs are either airbrushed or wearing body makeup or both. Oh and a tummy tuck at the same time as your Caesarian is all the rage

[Antoniabegonia]

I think basically not put on an excessive amount of weight helps. They do fade and with exercise the stomach muscles tend to snap back.

[helenmirren]

I got them during puberty, but not one when pregnant at 40.
I wonder if anyone over 35 gets them?

[Nigglenaggle]

Nothing works. I had some lovely expensive tummy products and enjoyed using them. I have the worst stretch marks of anyone I know. If you enjoy the products, enjoy treating yourself, your first pregnancy will only happen once, make the most of it - but don't expect them to stop the stretch marks.

[BlueBrightBlue]

Never got a single stretch mark. My friends 19 year old daughter had horrendous ones. It's I your genes, no amount of oils/lotions and potions can prevent them.

[VeryLittleGravitasIndeed]

Antonia weight gain has nothing to do with it. I put on 4 stone when I was pregnant and I don't have a single stretch mark.

[BlueBrightBlue]

I went from 9 1/2 stone to 14 stone. Don't believe the ridiculous claims from health food stores and cosmetic companies.
I have always eaten well ( when I see what so many people put in their supermarket trollies)
At 40 I had a washboard tummy, first time in my life!
It's just down to genetics.
Feel blessed to have a healthy baby.
I have no stretch marks but have arthritis and other joint problems.
Give me stretch marks any day.

[bigbuttons]

I've had 6 kids, I'm small boned, I haven't got a single stretch mark. I was gigantic in most pregnancies too. With the first I certainly had the itchy tummy bit, but no marks. I count myself lucky. I never rubbed my Stomach with anything either.

[bigbuttons]

I've got saggy skin though!!

[CuddlyCatLove]

I've been pregnant but unfortunately not to full term but I have put on a lot of weight recently and had a scar from an op on my arm. The staff at the hospital told me to use either E45 products or Nivea. I have stretch marks on my thighs so I'll try these as I used them on my op scar and found that they worked. My scar has faded to a white / silvery colour and is softer. Hope this helps x

[Antoniabegonia]

These are all generalisations, but excessive weight gain is an additional factor in some pregnancies.

It is a sudden gain in weight which stretches the skin and tears the middle layer of skin so slow steady weight gain in pregnancy and not excessive weight gain is the way to avoid stretch marks.

Even then it's not always avoidable as genes do play a large part in getting then.

[glacierchick]

In the spirit of "Ask for evidence" Here's the Cochrane Review on the subject:

summaries.cochrane.org/CD000066/PREG_topical-preparations-for-preventing-stretch-marks-in-pregnancy

The relevant summary sentence if you can't be bothered to read it..

"We found that the application of a skin preparation to the areas affected by stretch marks during pregnancy did not prevent the development of stretch marks in the women during pregnancy"

[combust22]

There are suggestions that it has to do with maternal age at first pregnancy.
The older the woman the less likely she is to suffer.

I have not a single stretch mark and had my first baby age 38. Both my sister and mother have lots of them and both had their first children aged 20.

There have been studies- this one suggests that 65% of women age 20 having first pregnancy will have them, to just 4% in older mothers.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1913631/

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

I don't think there's much you can do, though staying hydrated and something like bio oil seem like good ideas. They get worse at the end though (unsurprisingly really), when you're biggest, especially if like me you go over (+10 and +8)
But you will have a new perspective on life after DC - don't think I've ever thought about them since dd was born!

[specialsubject]

what glacierchick says - unsurprisingly.

all stretch mark creams are a con. Rub something cheap in if it makes you feel better, but otherwise you are wasting your time.

[Pointlessfan]

I used Bio oil twice a day and didn't get any. My mum says she got loads so not sure about the genetic thing. I got some during puberty so I think the Bio oil must have helped this time.

[TexanKenDoll]

Clarins firming and toning oil. My sister sent me some when I was six weeks pregnant and I didn't get any, nor did she. I've sent a bottle to all my girlfriends who've been pregnant since!

[SweetPea3]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but a skin clinic (i.e. that does cosmetic procedures) near me said that if you go while the stretch marks are still pink, they can get rid of them. Not sure how expensive it would be or what the procedure is though!

[stopgap]

I'm not sure I believe the theory about genetics. I got stretch marks as a teen on my inner thighs and hips, during a rapid growth spurt. But in both pregnancies, I slathered on Mama Mio oil twice a day, and remained active, gained weight steadily, and got zero stretch marks. I think gaining weight at a steady rate might be the key to avoiding or minimising them.

[honeyharris]

I used an oil called Silderm, it was quite pricey but totally worth it, and also drank a lot of water. I gave birth to an 8lb 9oz baby at 38 years old and haven't got any stretch marks. It may just be good luck, but I have them on my bum and hips from my teens, and my mum has terrible ones, so it might be something to do with the oil or the water.

[GermanGirlinLondon]

Bio Oil daily from the early beginning. Not one stretch mark, apart one tiny little one next to belly button. You can't hardly see it.

[specialsubject]

Mencken was right.

[Wadingthroughsoup]

My guess is that it's a combination of what type of skin you have, coupled with how far your skin has to stretch (and how quickly).

In my first pregnancy, I had a wide, flattish bump and didn't get any stretch marks. In my second pregnancy, I was stretch-mark free until I was full-term and then they suddenly appeared almost overnight. That time, my bump was very 'out the front' and pointy- I didn't look pg from the back. I'm a small person but the bump was huge!

I carried on exercising through most of the pregnancy- regular gym classes, swimming and yoga. I also used bio oil. My skin just didn't have enough 'give' in it to accommodate big pointy baby

[MissWa2a]

I don't have any pregnancy ones YET (35+3)! I worried about this from the beginning so early on looked up what foods would help. You want to make sure you're getting lots of Vitamin A, C, E and zinc - most women are zinc deficient, and getting enough helps skin heal from scarring.

Also am 35, and have heard that being older makes a difference - I certainly got stretch marks on hips, thighs and breasts as a teenager - time and exfoliation helped, especially with the few kelloidy(sp?) ones on hips.

Also have a long torso, which I think gives more room for baby and organs. Have done my best to keep fit, go to gym, and not put on more weight than necessary. Still keeping everything crossed, but if it happens it happens.