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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

STRETCHMARKS .....did you have them?

113 replies

SEXGODDESS · 20/04/2004 13:07

I had absolutely loads of them. Really horrid ones.... in fact if a few of them were cracks in the pavement you could trip over them and injure yourself quite badly!!

OP posts:

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BIBIBOO · 23/05/2004 14:38

Does anyone else find Palmers stretch mark cream smells like, well, just yukky? Or is it just me?
I've been usuing it religiously every day since conception to no avail - below belly button is a mass of angry red lines which little cousin thought the baby had done to me - evil baby!

katierocket · 23/05/2004 14:39

definitely a hereditory thing
I spent 41 weeks massaging decleor oil onto bump and but still ended up with stretch marks, only got them at 39 weeks too
mind you DS was 9lb 13oz

wonder if Gwyenth has them

sponge · 24/05/2004 12:35

None with dd and none so far this time although only 29 weeks so there's still time.
My mum does have a few but she was 19 & 20 when she had us whereas I was 37 with first and nearly 41 now. Plays to the baggy skin on old bags theory.
Not sure about the fair skin theory tho. I have an indian girl in the office who had no kids and terrible stretch marks at 30.

spacemonkey · 24/05/2004 12:50

Yes it is hereditary apparently. I've got terrible stretchmarks on my tummy and little ones on boobs thighs and across my back. Am trying to learn to love them

sweetkitty · 24/05/2004 14:00

My gran had 6 kids and didn't have one (keeping my fingers crossed)!

I agree Palmers stretch mark cream is foul, DP was always complaining I stank. I've gone back to just using my normal Vaseline Intensive Care lotion.

Flip · 24/05/2004 14:01

I didn't use any creams and didn't get a single one with either of my pregnancy's. Perhaps it is in the genes.

Branster · 24/05/2004 14:04

there is no explanation for these damn strechmarks. my mum didn't get a single one. i got quite a few although i used all these expensive potions and lotions, they did nothing. i also use almond oil, vit e oil and so on. nothing.most of them are hardly noticeable, apart from the ones on my breast, but i found rosehip oil quite effective. it doesn not get rid of them, but it makes them less visible if used regularly. nothing else works in my experience (don't know about things like lasers though). what a nuisance they are!!!

skerriesmum · 24/05/2004 14:05

Mine still look almost as bad as when I was pregnant, like veins. Ugh. And I rubbed in loads of creams throughout too, to no avail. Do they fade eventually? My ds is 15 months...

spacemonkey · 24/05/2004 14:05

they lose the redness

but mine are still there, glistening silverishly after 10 years!

Ghosty · 24/05/2004 14:13

None with DS ...
Four with DD ... like speech marks on either on each hip ... only appeared in the last week ... I think my body caved in under the 10lb 10oz weight ...

cuppy · 24/05/2004 14:14

Mine all appeared on my thighs during puberty , so I thought that Mother Nature wouldnt be so cruel as to give me more during pregnancy.

How wrong I was, had a few on my boobs early on , then in week 39 my thighs(again!) were covered. Was sure I had none on my tummy, but realised that I did , I just couldnt see them as my tummy was so big!

Can thoroughly recommend Bio-oil though - DD is now 12 weeks and they are definatley not as red!

Celou · 24/05/2004 18:13

I know I haven't got any on my tummy (yet) since I thorougly inspect it in front of the mirror. However, they appeared on my hips, bottom and breast (just the one) before I even knew I was pregnant. I am prone to stretchmarks anyway, and so is my mum (however she never had any at all on her tummy after 3 children). As far as I'm concerned, nothing can prevent them. I use olive oil after my shower every day to relieve the itchiness due to dry skin. I'm 33 weeks now, and none on my tummy, but you can sometimes just get them when you give birth.

mummytojames · 24/05/2004 18:21

my strech marks im thinking of selling coppies to peopl who makes maps because my stomach could be a fully detailed map of britain
and i wouldny wear a bikini before i was pregnant so i wouldnt wear one now btoh it dont bother me i just see it as prof of child birth and pregnancy

Celou · 24/05/2004 18:23

Something you should be proud of right?
There are worse things in life for god's sake.
A lot of models have got them, so what.

mummytojames · 24/05/2004 18:25

here here celou i agree i just say it takes healthy living to get these

willow2 · 24/05/2004 18:52

I thought I had got away with it - simply because the bump was hiding them. Then, I caught myself in the mirror and, for one awful moment, I thought my pubes were on fire. It was not a good look.

gingerbear · 24/05/2004 19:03

a few on tum and boobs, but they have faded. Those on thighs and hips have been there for years.

Shirley Valentine was right.

Celou · 24/05/2004 19:20

I don't think they show as much after a while, they become seethrough don't they?

BIBIBOO · 15/06/2004 11:41

I noticed I have them on my calves - why on earth are my calves stretching? I haven't put on an excessive amount of weight so far (I'm 21+5). I have them below belly button and top of boobs, which I expected, and some old ones on my thighs from teenage years, but why calves??? I can't even wear pretty summer skirts now! Anyone else with them in strange places?

hopejoy · 15/06/2004 13:50

Stretch marks are deinitely genetic. In my first pregnancy the first stretch mark appeared at 5 weeks (I hadnt even put any weight on yet - it is not all to do with stretching!) I got loads, red and angry. But once you are not pregnant again and your stomach goes back to normal (!!!)it doesnt look too bad, especially when they faded to silver and especially after preg no 2 when I lost a few stone and got back to pre-pregnancy weight and felt really slim. They definitely improve over time. In my second pregnancy I did not get any more strechmarks and same so far wit no.3 (only 7weeks+3 though!) I'm not really that bothered now and just want to have a healthy baby!

Canadianmom · 15/06/2004 21:12

I agree that they must be somewhat genetic. My mother has none and I did not have any until number 3 fell ill and refused to eat (at 6 weeks)! I became so engorged that my breasts were covered in stretch marks. 2 years on they are barely visible but I was especially annoyed at the time having avoided them until that point. Confirming that everyone's situation is unique...

vict17 · 15/06/2004 21:32

I didn't realise I had any until after the birth (ds 10 weeks now) - just a few on my tummy and breasts. I'm with someone further down the thread - I don't mind as I never wear a bikini Do they really go silver and when?

JosieP · 15/06/2004 21:33

A friend of mine who is a dermatologist has 100% confirmed that they are genetic.... but can be affected by how quickly you gain wait..so if you jump up 10lbs in a week you're very likely to get them, where as if you gently gain 1/2 lb a week for the whole pregnancy you may escape. Sadly I gained a lot of weight fast (was more concerned with shovelling food down my throat!) so have them on my lower back, hips and thighs. I also got a few on my boobs when my milk came in.

vict17 · 15/06/2004 21:38

Ooh, off to check back in mirror

vict17 · 15/06/2004 21:43

Phew - no sign!

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