Stretch marks

[Lizziexx]

Hi

So I know it's probably inevitable, I'm not yet pregnant but hoping to be very soon. I don't want to say I suffer from body dysmorphia, but I do get overly obsessed about my appearance. To put it bluntly, I'm terrified of getting BAD stretch marks. I know it sounds shallow, and i want a baby far more than I'm bothered about getting stretch marks. I see these mums that are so confident and not remotely bothered about them and I would LOVE to be able to be like that. Can anyone recommend anything to help prevent them? I'm sorrry if this seems a self centred, stupid post, I can't help the way my mind works and I just hope someone may be able to put my mind at ease

Thank you xx

OP I'm TERRIFIED of getting them! Currently 26 weeks and none to date but I hold out no hope, as my thighs, bum and boobs were covered in them when I went through puberty!
Shea butter, or Shea butter based moisturisers work well. As well as Bio Oil.
I use Palmers stretch mark cream for pregnancy. Slap loads of it on twice a day to keep you skin soft and supple, was ugh the from the day you find out your pregnant. Don't wait until you've got a bump.
Can't guarantee it will work as every woman is different but having well moisturised skin is a massive help! It also helps how itchy your belly gets when your skin starts to stretch.
Good luck with TTC 🥰

@lockdownpregnancy

OP I'm TERRIFIED of getting them! Currently 26 weeks and none to date but I hold out no hope, as my thighs, bum and boobs were covered in them when I went through puberty! Shea butter, or Shea butter based moisturisers work well. As well as Bio Oil. I use Palmers stretch mark cream for pregnancy. Slap loads of it on twice a day to keep you skin soft and supple, was ugh the from the day you find out your pregnant. Don't wait until you've got a bump. Can't guarantee it will work as every woman is different but having well moisturised skin is a massive help! It also helps how itchy your belly gets when your skin starts to stretch. Good luck with TTC 🥰

How exciting for you!! Thanks so much, I'm currently using Shea butter moisturiser and bio oil and not even pregnant 😂 hope you have a wonderful and healthy pregnancy, and thanks for not judging me haha 😘 xx

You can't prevent them, but you might not get any at all. It's all down to genetics. I was very lucky as I didn't get a single one in any of my three pregnancies. If you do get them, they'll fade over time.

Hi girlies, I’m 36 and a bit weeks pregnant now with no stretch marks as of yet, I started putting almond oil on at 26 weeks but that was only because my bump was really itchy! People say it’s down to genetics but my mum is absolutely covered in them (she doesn’t care) and I have 0 from pregnancy. I have loads of white ones on my bum because it grew overnight when I was about 13 🤣 but they don’t bother me either. I was worried about getting stretch marks and with the way my baby is kicking I’m surprised I’m not covered! Please don’t worry not everyone gets them :) x

another strech mark free pregnancy this time

Sorry dont know what happened to the first half of my comment lol. It's all down to genetics, I didnt get a single stretch mark from my first pregnancy even tho I have some old ones on my thighs and bum, and my mother hasn't got any either

I had my baby last week, I bathed in bio oil, wore secret saviour bands and used their creams too. I'm not stretch mark free but they are minimal. I I think when my stomach goes down fully I will have that wrinkle skin though.

During my first pregnancy I didn’t get any until about a week after the baby was born! Luckily I only got a couple of really small ones that faded really quickly. I don’t believe there’s anything you can do to prevent them

I am 32 weeks and was worried about them too, this week I literally came out with them over night up both hips (I am very hippy already tbf) I thought I would hate them but actually felt an overwhelming sense of pride at what my body was doing, just like everytime I see my giant nips, I don't hate it I think wow they're going to feed my baby, and everytime my back hurts I know it's from supporting my baby so that he/she can have a comfortable place to grow. I know it all sounds a bit airy fairy but your body is doing an amazing thing, you have to just take the bad with the amazing ❤️

It's definitely pot luck. I have none from two pregnancies including twins. My advice is to make sure you have strong abs as this will help keep your bump trim and high, keep weight gain within recommended limits and massage regularly.

Hi OP, I am quite funny about my body too, particularly "blemishes" (real or imagined) - I obsess over and pick at spots and scabs and scratches and any kind of mark, so I was dreading getting stretchmarks. I am currently 34 weeks, and at around 20 weeks I first spotted the beginnings of a couple of marks. Honestly, I was devastated. I cried, bought every cream and potion under the sun, researched how I could get rid of them. At about 28 weeks, I'm not kidding I woke up and they were ALL OVER the lower half of my belly. About 20 little red lines. They curved around my belly and I was shocked. I reluctantly headed over to a mirror to have a proper look and something in my head just clicked. I didn't hate them. They were beautiful. Hugging around my bump and showing off the amazing thing my body was doing. Now, they're everywhere. Tops of my thighs, on my bikini line, all across the front and sides of my belly from the bottom right the way to about 4 inches above my belly button. Across my hips. And I'm really proud of them. I asked my midwife and she agreed that as stretchmarks go, yes I do have significantly more than average. But I'm truly happy with them now. I do hope they will fade down a bit after birth as they are rather red, but they remind me every day of this amazing process I'm going through. You might be lucky and not get any at all, but if you do, you can grow to love them I promise!

@BabyB19 Very happy you're feeling positive but gotta day after 6 months of feeding twins I am VERY over having nipples like saucers Hopefully they'll go back to normal when I stop bf.

Say, not day!