Stretch Marks

[JoD]

I am 32 weeks pregnant with my first child and, as yet, don't have any stretch marks. When are they most likely to appear and am I just kidding myself that I may escape unmarked?!

Also, does your belly button always pop out during pregnancy and when is this most likely to happen?

Sorry for the frivolous nature of this message but it is Friday afternoon and first week back at work after Christmas ...

My belly button remained intact throughout and I was very happy. I got stretch marks v badly in the last month when i ballooned

Apparently the biggest factor is the genetic one, so if your mum had them, you may well too. For some people they come along quite early and others pop in just at the end. Difficult to say, but someone may know more about this than me!! (highly likely!)

Belly button likely to pop out and then flatten, like a small saucer. Mine did anyway.

I got a few mild ones with ds but none at all with dd. I got just as big but smeared Palmers Cocoa Butter on every day twice a day without fail. Can't say if it helped but if I got pg again would do the same thing. Hope you escape, good luck

had four children, no stretch matks.

As beansprout says it can be genetic. My mum did'nt have them and neither did I. Like bonniej use cocoa butter cream anyway or oil to prevent them. My belly button popped out but popped back in again.

HI,
I'm 32 weeks too and just got first tiny stretchmarks on very bottom of (enormous) bump - despite religious use of the cocoa butter stretch mark cream - dammit!
Had the most innie belly button pre-preg, but it's now flattening out - DH (the perv) tries to suck it to make it pop out (which makes me feel really sick!) - think he does this as he lost a bet that it'd pop out by Xmas.....

I,ve had 3 singleton pregnancies & 1 twin pregnancy & no stretch marks creams cannot prevent them they can ease them by making skin more supple some peeps r more lucky than others its part & parcel of being pregy i wouldnt of minded if i had got them its all part of having kids.

JoD, I am really glad you asked those questions!
I am 31 weeks and inspecting everyday! Also massaging twice a day with oils and cocoa butter.
I can't believe we can't be sure whether we've escaped them or not yet!

LydiaN - that is disgusting!!!

I've heard bio oil is very very good for helping reduce the appearance of stretch marks, its quite expensive, 9.99 a bottle, but a little goes a long way.

if you are applying creams/oils make sure you do round the sides (as this gets stretched too) not just the bump. I used oil from space NK, and baby oil - if it had no effect in stopping the marks it was nice morning routine with my bump.

my bellybutton went really flat and stuck out too, which also depended on the postion of the baby.

Still 'fat' (gave birth 3wks ago), belly button is now an inny, but can stretch tummy to make it go flat

I'm so sad that I got shea butter from occitane becuase I read that Gwynneth Paltrow used it & didn't get stretch marks....am definitely fooling myself as couldn't even begin to think I share old Gwinnies body shape Mind you I won't be naming my child after a piece of fruit either.

Nik72, I got stretch marks in the last 6 weeks......and all my coco butter usage was to no effect.....what they don't tell you is you can still feel them for ever on your skin, even when its gone back down and there are no marks showing...

Not sure I got stretch marks from my first pregnancy, but four babies later, I sure have them now. Maybe it is because I am an older mother, but I don't really have too much of a problem with them. Like Costos says on Shirley Valentine, "These lines show that you have lived!"

Palmers have just started advertising their Cocoa Butter on the tv - for preventing those 'ugly' stretchmarks, so that 'your pregnancy is as beautiful as it should be' - or words to that effect. Am I being oversensitive or is that somewhat crass?

I got some with first pg. Didn't get any with second pg.
I'd recommend that after a shower or bath, rub baby oil all over and pat yourself dry with towel, keeps your skin moisturised, and like others have said, Palmers Cocoa Butter, I used the one esp.for stretchmarks. It's just about keeping your skin elasticy to allow it to stretch with the expanding! I also took evening primrose oil whilst pg as I read that this prevents stretchmarks.

As for the belly button thing, mine didn't pop out but mine is quite deep to start with.

Thanks ever so much for all these helpful replies. 4kids of course you're right - I would happily have a road map of spaghetti junction all over my stomach as long as the baby arrives safely.

I have also been using Palmers Cocoa butter every day and apparently my Mum escaped them - so might be lucky.

LydiaN my DH keeps on squeezing either side of my belly button to 'encourage' it out - so you have my sympathies

I escaped as well I think if you are going to get them you will get them and the creams are just a waste of money. I just used my normal moisturiser. Mum didn't get any neither did my gran (she had 6)!

I was scared to touch my belly straight after DD was born isn't it weird all flabby and empty.

Belly button didn't pop all the way out as well.