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

Did you get stretch marks?

50 replies

StrangerThingsII · 13/02/2018 17:50

Hi all! First post here.

I'm 25 weeks pregnant with my first, and in the last few days my bump seems to have grown considerably! Now feels very firm all over (not a bit squishy in places as it has done!).

I've been moisturising daily for the past 6 weeks (boobs and belly). Are stretch marks common for most women? If so, when did you get yours?

Thanks!

OP posts:
DayManAahhh · 13/02/2018 18:05

I didn't get any stretch marks (didn't moisturise my belly either except the few times I just wanted to play with dd.) As far as I know stretch marks have a lot to do with cortisol.

Also I remember reading on here how some women got their stretch marks in the days after birth, so I guess it can happen any time.

I'd try your hardest to keep your stress levels low and eat sensibly to keep cortisol in check. I do hear great things about bio oil though, both before and after stretchies, to keep skin supple. It might help, you never know.

I do have them from my teenage years by the way, on hips and boobs. Which were nowhere near as big as a pregnancy bump. Interesting.

I'm sure others will give you some more insight.

charlottexox · 13/02/2018 18:20

Yes I got stretch marks, got them around 20 weeks. I did have some anyway on my belly, hips and boobs due to weight gain throughout the years and puberty

DaisyChainsForever · 13/02/2018 18:29

I didn't have any stretch marks during pregnancy. The day after the birth I looked in the mirror and my stomach was covered in them.

WhereIsBlueRabbit · 13/02/2018 18:31

Mine held off until around 38/39 weeks. I thought I might escape them - my DM never got one despite four pregnancies. I did have a massive bump though!

harlaandgoddard · 13/02/2018 18:35

Weirdly didn’t get any on my stomach but got them on legs and my boobs which barely even grew a cup size!

I did moisturise my stomach daily with bio oil so maybe there’s something in it. Next time I’ll remember to do the rest of my body too!

juneau · 13/02/2018 18:37

Nope - didn't get any with either of my pregnancies. I remember one of the nurses after I had DS1 saying to another nurse 'Look, she's got no stretch marks' though, so maybe it's not that common to get away without any?

Linnet · 13/02/2018 18:41

I didn’t get any stretch marks during either of my pregnancies. I did moisturise a lot but I’m not sure if it was because of that or if I just got lucky.

Goingtostoprepeatingmyself · 13/02/2018 18:42

I'm quite small but had two massive babies (both 10lbs +) and none here apart from the chest but that was more after breastfeeding. No lotion either.

Spam88 · 13/02/2018 18:45

I used bio oil (intermittently) and thought I'd got away without getting any stretch marks until one day late on in pregnancy when the light caught my bump in a particular way and I realised I had lots just above and below my belly button. They're not very noticeable now, unless I squish the skin together and then it looks remarkably like a saggy scrotum.

Twitchett22 · 13/02/2018 18:58

I got mine about 32 weeks i think, right under my bump so I didn't even notice them until DP commented. Trying to put bio oil on them regularly but I don't think they're getting worse (although it's very much out of sight out of mind). I think it's more common to get them than not.

brewsandbooks · 13/02/2018 18:59

Only on my boobs but very fine I didn't moisturise often !!

WhatwouldRuthdo · 13/02/2018 19:03

No, not with either pregnancy. I moisturised religiously but think it’s more to do with luck. Like a pp, the midwife expressed surprise that I’d dodged them twice. I do have a definite ‘mum tum’ now though.

OhBergine · 13/02/2018 19:04

I didn't get stretch marks with my first and so far haven't with my second. Haven't bothered to moisturise more than once a week. I think it's more to do with genetics than anything you apply to the skin - I'm just going to go with it and if they happen, they happen.

QueenNefertitty · 13/02/2018 19:04

Not one.

Skin has always felt a bit .... loose since though, and I'm 18 months pp. think this is just the new normal, sadly.

Penguin27 · 13/02/2018 19:13

unless I squish the skin together and then it looks remarkably like a saggy scrotum

Grin

I used bio-oil on my tummy, boobs and thighs throughout pregnancy
I didn't get any stretch marks on my tummy, but got a few on my thighs and a small "patch" on my left boob while pregnant Hmm Now I'm BF and the whole underboob area is covered Sad

silkpyjamasallday · 13/02/2018 19:15

I religiously oiled my belly twice a day, but woke up one morning to my boobs covered in them and as I was standing in front of the mirror examining them and crying DP pointed out they were all over my bum and legs too. So my advice would be to oil everywhere not just the bump! They've faded almost totally now (DD is 17 months) and I'm so pale you can't really see them unless I tan, I've had some on my hips since puberty. It's genetics that determine whether or not you get them, but oiling did seem to be effective in preventing them in my case.

Igottastartthinkingbee · 13/02/2018 19:18

No none here either. I used bio oil intermittently first time round. Forgot to do it at all second time. I think a large dose of luck is involved.

Mishappening · 13/02/2018 19:19

Three babies - no stretch marks - no moisturising or any attempts to prevent them. It seems to be the luck of the draw, and for a change I drew a long straw!

jessenia2 · 13/02/2018 19:19

Down the front of my thighs. and all over my jump but not until 38 weeks, however I have some on my bum from before pregnancy and one on my left knee so I think I just have shit genes. the ones on my stomach are awful, you couldn't miss them.

tinytemper66 · 13/02/2018 19:20

No stretch marks after two pregnancies! Very lucky!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 13/02/2018 19:24

1st pregnancy I got three vertical stripes down each side, I actually felt the skin tear. 2nd pregnancy I got them all on one side because the baby was engaged lay to the side. 3rd pregnancy I had given up all hope of ever being partially clothed ever again, my whole stomach is covered in them. They are worse in a way now they’ve faded because you can see just how incredibly damaged the layers of skin are.

cliffdiver · 13/02/2018 19:24

Up until giving birth I didn't have any, but during DD1's birth I got deep ones around my vagina, about 2 inches long Hmm

Other than that, I didn't get any anywhere else with either pregnancy (large bumps with both) I covered myself in bio oil every night.

My mum didn't get any either though (3 pregnancies) so it may be attributed to genes.

DayManAahhh · 13/02/2018 19:25

I say pah slightly to genetics as everyone in my family has them except me. From great grandmother to granny to Mum to aunts and cousins. They hate me I fully expected them because of this. It was a surprise not to get any.

I'm sure it plays a part somehow though. I think in a hundred years time they'll have figured out all the factors.

(As an aside, we should just love our lines but we are taught not to.)

meow1989 · 13/02/2018 19:25

I've gone from a 32D to a 34E but not gained anywhere else (except bump) and did so by about 14 weeks so my boobs have a beautiful tiger stripe quality to them 😒 mostly underneath with a few on top.

All worth it for my baby boy of course but they sure ain't pretty!

My bump is big for my size but so far nothing, am moisturising with tummy butter daily or more.

falang · 13/02/2018 19:28

No. 2 children and none. I moisturised my bump and also had a bath with baby oil in it a few times a week. I also ate exactly what I wanted and was massive. A combination of genetics, luck and moisturising I suppose.