Stretch marks..

I'm thinking about having a baby. But afraid of the stretch marks. Are they really ugly looking with the first pregnancy? Please tell me all you can about stretch marks....are they gross looking, scar for life, can i get rid of it? Please help.

 

Just keep your skin super moisturized throughout the pregnancy...it doesn't hurt to start now, I guess... Use anything with cocoa butter in it. They have special stretch mark creams....I can't think of any specific brands right now, but I know they're out there. Drink lots of water. I don't think that it's possible to totally prevent them though. Some chicks do all the right things, and still get them all over the place. I got lucky and only got a couple little ones. Whew...

 

I lotioned up like mad, and still got tons of stretch marks. It doesn't hurt. I don't mind them though. I still wear a two-piece bathing suit.

 

i have a zebra striped ass LOL but since i tend to keep that coverd unless it is a special occasion i do fine.....................................

 

not to sound harsh, but you aren't gauging your decision to have a child or not on whether you think you are going to get lots of stretch marks, are you? cause that would be wierd.

fwiw stretch marks fade over time, and depending on your complexion, they may eventually be pretty inconspicious. as they said, moisturize moisturize moisturize.

 

It depends on the elasticity of your skin. A friend of mine had 5 kids and not one stretch mark. I had 4 and have tons.

If you are that serious about having children there are more important things to think about than stretch marks.

 

Yeah, I just had a baby on April 3rd and the stretch mark fairy paid me a visit! (Despite the fact that I only gained 30 pounds...) They are all along my lower abdomen and a few on my hips. When I first saw them I must admit that I was a little taken aback, but then I started thinking of them as badges of honor! I grew another person inside of me!! I earned these stretch marks, baby!!! It's all in the way you look at things. Don't base your decision to have a child on what you will look like afterward, because things will change. But the best change of all is how much bigger your heart will be after you see your baby for the first time. Good luck with your decision.

 

This will not work for people who cant afford to lose a little weight.... but when I found out I was pregnant I dropped 15 pounds. (just by eating right and exercising, nothing drastic) then I only gained 20 pounds with the baby.
Just so no one thinks that I was not taking care of my self, I WAS. ( I have gotten comments about it before) But like I said, you have to have that 15 pounds or so to loose.

 

I've got millions of streachmarks and I'm yet to have a baby! They fade over time tl almost nothing, just need some patience.

 

It is a hareditary thing. Some people are more suseptable to them then others. If your mom had them you probably will is what I have been told. Some people don't get many at all. My friends mom had 8 kids and doused herself in coco butter throughout all her preggys and she had no streach marks. I started the co co butter thing after I was already streaching so it didn't help much. All it does is help your skin be more flexable. Anyways I was very small when I got preg ( I went from 115 pounds to 176 pounds) I didn't have any marks till after the 6th month then I lew up like a bubble like crazy. I had toxemia. Anyways...I had streachmarks from my ankles up my legs all over my thighs, my whole belly, my lower back, and my boobs from going from a flat b cup to a very large c cup. It was crazy. But there are things that help your skin that you should know about so you can prepare your skin for it all. I got into soap making after I had all that happen and I wish I could remember some of the things I learned but I can't it's been a while. I was determined to make something prety good for my skin without having to buy expensive creams that don't really work. I can tell you that cucumbers are very good for your skin and citrus fruits like lemons too. But of you use lemons you are more apt for sunburns. It may seem unimportant but it really is importnant info because you probably will get streachmarks. But mine faded a lot. And the ones that didn't I just call my battle wounds. I just now finaly bought a 2 piece bakini that wasnt a tankini and my son is 2 so it took a while to get my body back to normal. But don't buy thos expensive creams!They are said to just prey on your need to get rid of the things and they rarely work because yoru marks fade on their own you think it working. Vitamin e oil emu oil ... those are all very good for your skin

 

My friend recently had a baby, and the stretch marks were horrific. Very deep, and maybe two inches wide all across her stomach. It was bad

 

Animals in the wild have stripes why can't we humans have them as well?
I think they are sexy and not a hereditary thing it is all hormonal and if you have a baby is that what really matters? Who cares....stop trying to live up to fascist beauty standards.

 

I got stretchies on my breasts and thights. They are not that deep and wide. Dont let something silly like stretch marks stop you from having a beautiful little baby!

What I used, and still put on them is Clarins Eau Tonic. Goodstuff.

 

man, i, like mick jagger is so hip, have stretchmarks and don't have a baby!! i know sooooo many people with them. they come through puberty when the body fills out in all the right places but they fade to little silvery/white lines. i don't mind them. they make me a women!!

namaste
x x x

 

My lifes philosiphy is like this

"One cannot judge a book by it's cover"

Makes me wonder why your concerned about strech marks and not what would be personal happiness for you and the child.

 

theres no way to tell if you will get them or not, just depends on how your hormones react and the natural elasticity of your skin, i put on a lot of weight when i was around 16 and got lots of stretch marks, they didnt hurt and faded quickly and blended in with my skin so you can hardly see them unless you look hard, and i am very fair skinned so i looked quite dramatic when they happened.

now im pregnant and have lost 10lb from being sick all the time so no new ones yet but give me time...lol.

i can understand your worry about having your body permanently changed, it is a bit daunting, but it will seem like the smallest thing in the world when you see your baby...and you will have plenty else going on with a newborn around to feel too bad about the marks, by the time you do they will be faint silver/white lines you'll hardly notice, thats if you get them at all.

 

i have the silver/white ones all over my butt and the inside of my thighes have nice deep red ones.. i guess some of us are just lucky!

 

With my first pregnancy I did everything right. I was young, I ate perfectly, didn't work, or lift heavy thigns, or anything above my head, did yoga constantly (I mean everytime I was sitting, standing, doing dishes, driving, ALL THE TIME,) I rubed wonderful lubricative things on my body, etc. I gained over 50 lbs. (which was normal and healthy for me, as I was somewhat under weight to begin with.) I felt so good, and healthy and fit, and happy. In other words, I "did everything right." (not that there is a right way to do things, because there isn't!)

I didn't get any stretch marks until the last two months when I had become totally stressed out! Stress plays a large roll with stretch marks. I got them pretty bad on my breasts (because they got huge!) and some on my tummy, and a little on my hips and thighs. They were bright purple! They were huge! They were deep!! They faded. The ones on my breasts are barely visibly, you'd have to be pretty close, with great lighting to see them!

With my second pregnancy (three years later) I got a few more, not many, though. I didn't eat as well, I didn't gain as much weight, I didn't keep fit, and I didn't feel that great about myself. Oh yeah, and I almost never put any lotion on! The right things didn't seem to make much of a difference when it came to stretch marks.


About loosing weight in early pregnancy. I would have to say that this is playing with fire! Some people (myself inclueded) do seem to loose weight during the first trimester (the first three months.) However, it is very dangerouse because the child's brain (and the rest of it's body) is developing rapidly in this time and needs all the nurishment (especally protien) it can get! Often tiems what is really happening is that you are loosing and gaining at the same time. Because you are gaining baby weight, the weight you are loosing because you are eating better is not as much as if you were not pregnant.
You cannot make up the weight gain in the other trimesters, it is vital that you gain right amount of weight at the right times.

So, like others have said, stretch marks are no big deal, and certainly shouldn't be a consideration in whether or not to have a baby. If it the fear of stretch marks is greater than the desire for a child, than I'd say don't have one!!!

P.S. Vitemin E helps heal stretch marks, and it works amazingly well!

 

Stretch marks have a strong hereditary cause. I have had four kids, and I got HUGE, and I didn't get any. I got a few tiny ones on my butt (cuz everything stretches when you are pregnant, not just your belly.) I only used Cocoa butter with the first baby, didn't use it with the rest, and I was under a LOT of stress, (preterm labor with all pregnancies and fear of baby being born months early, as well as fear of miscarriage) and I don't have them. Everyone is different. Some people have skin which really stretches a lot without the facsia ripping, and other people don't. You can try creams and stuff, but stretch marks are UNDER the surface of the skin, in the supporting structure, and little that you put ON will get to that.

I have also found that womyn who tend to "Show" earlier tend to get less marks. The skin has more time to stretch. Mamas who don't "show" or get big until a month or two before the baby is born, have a LOT of stretching going on, and tend to get more marks. I show the morning I concieve (LOL) and I don't get marks.

To be honest, it was about the last thing on my mind when I was pregnant. I was more concerned with having a healthy baby, and making sure the baby was born at the right time, not too early.

 

~*hey ~ lotsa lotion ~ i ran out of cocoa butter one day and couldn't get to the store for a while and used olive oil on me big ol preggy body! worked like a charm! i went from 105 - 170 (yup 65 lbs!) and got some zebra butt and breasts but i can barely notice them unless i'm paying attention ~ i miss being pregnant and caring that much about my body because its not just me in there anymore ~ the stretch marks will or will not happen sweetie its your attitude about them that will make the difference! the best of luck ~ i wouldn't worry about it and just keep moisturized and take good care of yourself ~ peace*~