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Pregnancy

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

Original poster

Should I buy something to prevent stretch marks or is it a waste of time?

205 replies

barbareebaa · 15/06/2008 13:10

What do you think?

I'm 19 weeks preg (almost!!) and my friends say I should be putting something on my little bump.

Do stretch mark creams/ lotions work?

Someone recommended bio-oil but its tres expensive and I don't want to buy it if I'm going to get stretch marks anyway...

what about palmers cocoa butter?

Any advice would be gratefully received!!

OP posts:
MerryMarigold · 17/06/2008 09:50

oh yes, my first marks appeared on top of buttocks and thighs - looked like I'd been whipped! Later all round bottom of stomach, but I was pretty huge...some people don't get any though.

I used sometimes Body Shop Body Butter (nice smells and very absorbent/ smooth) and Palmers cocoa butter (not as good as Body Shop but better if mixed in a cheap moisturiser such as Nivea). I got the marks anyway. This time I am expecting twins and have been very lax at using anything at all, although I've been given some body butter so may use it till it runs out. I may use Bio oil afterwards to see if it helps tone down the redness more quickly, but not sure there is much point before.

The marks are a sign of motherhood! It was harder for me to deal with all my excess skin than the marks, to be honest, it just didn't seem to ping back. The younger you are, the smaller the bump, the easier it'll be on your skin.

CoteDAzur · 17/06/2008 09:50

Everyone I know who used Palmer's Cocoa Butter is covered in stretch marks. It smells & feels nice but is pretty ineffective against prevention of stretch marks, imho.

My mother has some stretch marks on her tummy. I don't have any, although I was huge like a house when pregnant with DD.

I used Biotherm's cream gel twice a day, almond oil at night. All from knees to breasts.

stillwaiting · 17/06/2008 09:56

I have horrific stretch marks from puberty and 2 pregnancys. I got them early on in 1st pregnancy and I wasn't all that big. I used loads of stuff during pregnancy but it didn't stop them (although I can't say if they would have been worse if I'd done nothing) I am now using StriVectin - SD. I've been using it for 3 weeks and it has made a difference but its very expensive.

Periwink · 17/06/2008 10:00

Hi - I am using Bio Oil. love the smell and am happy for any excuse to rub my tummy. I am going through the oil very quickly though as I massage it into my hips, thighs, tummy and bust. I agree with the others who have said that it is also down to genetics regarding the stretchmarks but I am not going to leave it to chance as I already have a few strechmarks on my hips!

TheLadyP · 17/06/2008 10:24

Definitely don't forget your boobs! After DD1 I had stretch marks on the underside of my boobs that I didn't discover until after I'd stopped breastfeeding. They disappered though. With DD2 I used Bio Oil and Body Shop cocoa butter and had no stretch marks apart from a few faint ones on what would have been the underside of my bump (well still is, sort of ). They have now disappeared too.

pippylongstockings · 17/06/2008 10:46

I used bio-oil with both of mine and have NO stretch marks.....

Yes it did cost alot of money I slathered myself in it so got through about 3 bottles each time. But I agree probably luck rather than any magic as my sister who also used it did have stretch marks, but she has carried on with it as it is great for fading them too.

slinkiemalinki · 17/06/2008 10:51

I use Clarins Huile Tonic mainly - also mama mio if I fancy a change - had no SMs last time but DD born at 38+5. Same regime this time. Expensive but smells nice and feel like I am doing all I can.
Incidentally my mum used Johnson's baby oil and had none either!

Umlellala · 17/06/2008 11:00

Loads and loads of cheap coca butter body lotion (smells yum) and bio oil too. Was like previous poster and reeeeeeally smug about my lack of stretchmarks til yes, about 39 weeks when tragically my tummy erupted in a mass of lines. Looks like a fire across my belly now. I remember my 19yo sister gasping in shock looking at my belly post-baby and going 'oh, it's a good job you are married'

But it does feel nice to slather it over your bump, so am still doing it this preg too!

blackrock · 17/06/2008 12:49

I just used a lotion from Waitrose - in the baby section and i had extensive stretch marks after going two weeks overdue with a 8lb 11oz baby.

Two years later i have no sign of any stretch marks - i continued moisturizing for about a year after DS was born and began as soon as the bump began to grow outwards!

Good luck!

MrsMattie · 17/06/2008 12:53

Wading in late on this one.

I don't believe bio oil or ANY moisturizer or oil can prevent stretchmarks - if you're going to get them, you'll get them. It's to do with egentics, your weight, the amount of weight you put on and all sorts of factors that have nothing to do with moisutirising or not. All this stuff about a bit of oil improving the elasticity of your skin is completely unscientific nonsense - about as true as anti-ageing creams stopping wrinkles! However - looking after your skin throughout and after pregnancy makes you feel good and it can't hurt. I do use bio oil or that lovely Clarins one on my stretchmark prone areas as it feels nice and soothes the stretchmarks I already have. But I really wouldn't expect miracles!

MrsMattie · 17/06/2008 12:54

p.s. I was stetchnmark free until 41 weeks!

MrsMattie · 17/06/2008 12:55

p.s. it's genetics not egentics. Obviously.

janx · 17/06/2008 13:00

I used Clarins tonic oil for both pregnancies - no stretch marks and boy was I big - baby no 2 was 9lb 10z...think some people get them and some don't

CathyJo · 17/06/2008 13:40

I have always been obsessive about moisturising and even more when I was pregnant - used everything, Clarins, Burts Bees, Biotherm, olive oil, aloe vera, Bio oil and still got huge stretch marks around 39 weeks. Now trying lots of new potions to try and get rid of them. Definitely think genetics plays a big part....

Rashmi2008 · 17/06/2008 18:19

I used the Cocoa butter from Bodyshop and it made my tummy wonderfully soft and thankfully I didnt get any stretch marks

Still trying to figure out what to do about the linea nigra (the dark vertical line from the navel down!) Any suggestions to make it light or disappear altogether?!!

supercherry · 17/06/2008 18:37

Bio Oil is brilliant- I got through about 5 large bottles (£100 in total) throughout my pregnancy, I used to put it on as often as possible on my bump, bum, upper thighs, boobs- all the places prone to getting stretch marks. It worked! I also made sure I drank lots of water and ate things with vitamin E in such as almonds.

Nina2 · 17/06/2008 19:05

I used DiproBase all the way through. It's an emoliant which forms the base of many moisturisers and I use it anyway when I've got very dry skin. A big pump-action dispenser is about £9 (for 500g) from Boots and I slathered it all over my bump, bum, boobs and thighs.

And I have almost no stretch marks. Even if it wasn't the cream, it was worth doing to stop that skin-stretchy itching on your hips.

RUMPEL · 17/06/2008 19:57

You either will get them or not depedning on yours skin's natural elasticity. It is good to moisturise though although I would recommend a vegetable oil - like avocado, sweet almond (providing no nut alergies), peach kernal or even extar virgin olive oil. A vegetable oil will penetrate the uppermost layer of your skin (mineral oils such as baby oil will not) and help to mositurise more effectively.

really you need to nourish the inside too - so plenty of essential fatty acids to feed your skin from the inside out - nuts (almonds, brazils etc not peanuts), falxseeds, avocados, oily fish or an omega 3, 6 and 9 supplement.

Remember to massage your boobs too - only place I got stretch marks last time and only 1.

RUMPEL · 17/06/2008 19:59

Sorry for typos - pregnant brain here!

Highlander · 17/06/2008 20:13

I heard that a diet low in junk but high in healthy protein and nattural fatty acids helped prevent them.

I've never had them

Buckets · 17/06/2008 21:44

Not sure about diet - when exactly do you have to be eating like that? My diet was dreadfully indulgent before I had kids, then I was throwing up for 3months before I could start eating more healthily .

JessKanji · 17/06/2008 22:18

I didn't get stretch marks during pregnancy, but a little afterwards. I am using bio oil and it's actually working!

MrsBates · 17/06/2008 22:18

no

morocco · 17/06/2008 22:56

bio oil isn't all that expensive but what really gets on my nerves is that there is no evidence at all that it works either. for a while they had adverts saying that they worked to help prevent stretchmarks (with no proof whatsoever for that statement - which is why they had to withdraw the ads) but the ads obviously worked cos now loads of women reckons its worth spending the money on (rather than buying a cheap and cheerful body moisturiser for example or not using anything at all etc)

personal bugbear

i used nothing at all and have no stretchmarks. it's genetic.

blousy · 17/06/2008 23:02

I used Clarins tonic oil and their bust tonic and lotion and have no sretch marks - but who knows if it made a difference. Felt nice though!