When I was pregnant there were so many things that I looked into. One of them was how to prevent stretch marks. I remember asking a mom of 3 how she avoided stretch marks. She told me, “stretch marks are genetic, there’s not much you can do.” This was hard to hear because it was something I strongly wanted to avoid. My mom got stretch marks when she was pregnant with me and I have some from when I was going through puberty (they have faded to the point where they are hardly even there). I was in a panic but even then I still hoped I could avoid them. I am happy to say I didn’t get any stretch marks from my pregnancy even after gaining 42lbs.
I am not saying it’s bad if you DO get them but if you can avoid them, why not try?
THINGS YOU CAN CONTROL:
Water Intake:
This is a big one! You want your skin to be as moisturized and supple as possible. Soft supple skin is less likely to get stretch marks than dry skin.
Food:
Gaining weight too quickly can cause stretch marks. Some people think being pregnant is a free pass to “eat for two.” Unfortunately (*tear), that is not the case. According to americanpregnancy.org, your body needs approximately 300 extra calories per day, that’s not a lot…
Plus, this is the most important time to eat a well-balanced diet. Plenty of fruits and vegetables since it contributes to the development and growth of your baby. This was the biggest thing I struggled with since I have a big sweet tooth and wanted to eat everything.
WHAT YOU CAN APPLY:
Coconut Oil: This is that most natural thing you can apply to your belly to keep it
Con: It can
Mama Mio The Tummy Rub Butter: This was my favorite creams to apply. It is so moisturizing and feels good in general. The scent was pleasing and the ingredients are paraben free. It contains Vitamin E, shea butter, organic avocado oil among other good ingredients.
Con: Price $30 for 120g. When you are applying this twice a day it can add up fast. If you don’t mind the price, I recommend using this product.
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks: I alternated Mama Mio with this lotion towards the end of my pregnancy because it was more affordable and it still contains Collagen, Elastin, Aragan Oil, Shea Butter. Another reason why I liked this lotion is that it helped me fade the appearance of existing stretch marks around my teenage years.
Con: I can’t really say anything bad about this one, over all I was pretty happy with it.
I know this is a touchy subject because many women pride themselves in the “tiger stripes that they earned.” Which I completely agree with. Having a baby is the most mind-blowing crazy amazing thing that has ever happened to me. I would have managed it if I would have acquired stretchmarks from my pregnancy. So if you get stretch marks, so what, it’s ok. Don’t let it change your self-worth. Once your baby comes there will be so many other things on your mind. If it bothers you there are creams to help them fade. Trust me they do fade! If you don’t mind them then more power to you! I just wanted to share this because it was helpful. If you have other things that helped you please feel free to share in the comments below.
Thank you for reading. If you are expecting, congratulations!
