Do I *really* need to moisturise the bump daily to prevent stretch marks? 🤰🏼

[Applu]

Forgive me, Style and Beauty, for I am a sinner. Despite the very best of intentions, I don’t take my makeup off at night, preferring to collapse straight into bed. I use dry shampoo. I have tons of hand creams but never seem to use them…

But do I really, really, need to be moisturising my stomach and thighs every day to prevent stretch marks? My DM has been saying from day one I should be applying olive oil or coconut oil (😳) daily, else I will be doomed to stretch marks which I shall rue forever. Is this true?

(See also, kegels I suppose, while not strictly style and beauty! Must I?!)

No. It’s mainly genetic whether you get them or not. I didn’t and didn’t get any. Definitely do your kegels though!! Find a way to remember to do them - so important for your long term health. Have heard cautionary tales from older women with prolapses etc.

No, if you’re going to get them, you will get them. Also it’s mostly in the last two weeks that the stretch marks really come on, so you’ll think it’s working then Bamnmm! Stretch marks!

Stretch marks happen at a deeper layer of the skin than any cream or oil can penetrate. You'll get them or you won't. It's out of your hands.

Like PPs have said- moisturising won’t make much (or any difference) so don’t give yourself a hard time!

Also as PP said, they can turn up very late on. I absolutely ballooned in the last couple of weeks of pregnancy (and went overdue) and that’s when the stretch marks appeared. Quite a few on my belly and loads on my boobs but within a few years after having DC they were barely visible.

It genuinely worked for me. I massaged with baby oil most days whilst in the bath. My babies were relatively small though. I have no stretch marks.

I moisturisered daily with something that claimed to stop stretch marks. I'm convered in them. But I embrace them. They are my babies first bits of art

No, it didn't. Correlation, not causation.

OP, you'll either get stretch marks or you won't, as PPs say.

You don’t know if it genuinely worked as you may not have got stretch marks anyway.

I didn’t moisturise my bump & I didn’t get stretch marks. So doing nothing genuinely worked for me 😀

No. I never moisturised and my second baby bump was huge. I haven’t got a single stretch mark.

I didn't get stretch marks, well, maybe a few light ones on my hips and boobs but nothing that showed for more than a few months after birth and I honestly put it down to genetics and staying super hydrated. I drank 3-4l of water a day and my skin was amazing.

I had good intentions of moisturizing my bump with BioOil, but only did it once or twice.
I had twins and no stretch-marks at all. I think it is genetic whether you get them or not.

Nope, it won't stop stretch marks but moisturising daily might help the itchy feeling that can happen as your skin stretches.

Don't need to moisturise. Do need to do kegels.

You don't 'need' to but I did because I enjoyed it.

I gave birth to 2 9 pounders and don't have a single stretch mark from either pregnancy but bizarrely have a few small ones on my hips from puberty so there really is no rhyme or reason to it!

@LittleRedRidingBoots oh god yes I forgot all about that! The itching! Moisturise plenty op!

Moisturising makes no difference! I never moisturised and I had no stretch marks (2 babies).

You'll either get them or you won't, and no amount of moisturising will make a difference.

I don't get stretch marks. I had polyhydraminos when I was pregnant, and i was truly enormous. Didn't moisturise and didn't get stretch marks. My friend had a lovely neat and tidy bump and is covered in them. She moisturised religiously, but she's prone to them.

Correlation doesn't equal causation.

People who moisturise religiously and don't get them may well have not gotten them anyway.

As it stands, I was v slapdash about it and have no stretch marks. I think it's luck of the draw.

I think it's one of those things that happens or doesn't. BUT the itchy, sore, stretched out bump skin is real and moisturising can help

If moisturiser was all it took to avoid stretch marks, no one would have any because it would so easy to avoid them.

I did a bit of moisturising here and there but I've got genetically stretchy skin so you wouldn't know I'd ever been pregnant. Same for all the women in my family. It's pure luck.

Is there something wrong with getting stretch marks? They don't just affect your stomach by the way.

I did, and didn't get stretch marks, but I was also 23!
I doubt it actually works.

Nope. I don't like the feel of moisturiser so don't use it. No pregnancy stretch marks at all. Just the ones on my hips from puberty. All the women on mum's side of the family are exactly the same as me where stretch marks are converned. It's all genetics.

Didn't bother moisturising. No stretch marks!

I moisturised daily and still got stretch marks.

Sorry.