Preventing stretchmarks

[BJelly]

Hi all,

I'm nearly finished my first pregnancy - less than 2 weeks to go til the baby is due :)

I must admit one thing I've been very happy about is not getting any stretchmarks (fingers crossed) - it seems like a miracle especially when you see the baby stretching your already expanded belly!

I initially used a generic vitamin e cream twice a day, but at the beginning of my 3rd trimester I thought I could see some stretch marks developing around my belly button, and made the switch to Palmer's cocoa butter. I've been putting that on twice a day - all over my front and where I could reach around my back. So far so good. So I thought I'd share what worked for me.

Another thing I think may have helped was that I was put on a diabetic diet for gestational diabetes, so I couldn't indulge in icecream and cheesecake for the last trimester :( , so I didn't put on extra weight around my belly. Pregnant women should not go on diets, but avoiding over indulging on fatty foods will help you avoid putting on lots of extra weight around your middle.


What worked for you?

[bubbalove]

Hi All

I'm a theatre nurse and work with around 7 different OB's, and they all say that it seems to be genetics that determine whether a woman ends up with stretch marks or not, and the rate seems to be about 50%. But hey, all those nice creams help stop that stretched skin from becoming too itchy, so it can't hurt!

[gab1970]

hi.......my baby girl claudia is almost 15 weeks now and from the day i did my pregnancy test i slathered on the palmers body butter too, i think i went thru about 5 bottles during the 9 months.......and not a single stretch mark!!! plus it smells like chocolate!!! mmmm!!!!

gab (34)

[noniandlilysmum]

I want to know if there is anything to do to prevent the stretchmarks I already have from getting any worse... I have some, but I have seen some women with them all over there bellys and backs... I got a few with my first and then a few more with my second... I thought that it might have been caused by the skin being pulled down as my girls were low lying from about 32 weeks... I guess it wouldn't hurt to give the Palmers cocoa butter a go :rolleyes: ... Oh, the bodyshop also has cocoa butter, Would it be the same, I know they aren't tested on animals :mad: ... Haana

[BJelly]

Hi Haana,

I just checked the Palmer's website, and they say that their products aren't tested on animals. I'm not sure if the Body Shop's stuff is the same or not - the staff might be able to tell you.

I've got old stretch marks on my thighs and butt, (they're pale now) from when I put on weight a few years ago, so I was sure I'd get them with the pregnancy - especially since my belly has grown so fast in the last few months - but like I said, so far so good - so it can't hurt to try :) .

[redbaby]

Yay! I used Palmers all through my pregnancy,..and no stretch marks for me either!!! I also used the Palmers bath oil,...lovely!

[Miss_Vicki]

Where do you get this Palmers stuff from? ive never seen/herd of it :P

[Xandersmum]

You guys are lucky. I was one of the unlucky ones, and I got stretchmarks ALL over my tummy, and my hips. I had to go on the diet for gestational diabetes too, BJelly, and that probably helped with them not getting any worse....although I don't know if that would have been possible.

[BJelly]

Hi Jaz's Mum,

You can get it from most chemists. I've not seen it at the supermarket. It comes in a moderately large white plastic squirter container. I think it costs around the $12-15 mark (I've only bought the one bottle so far - so I'm not totally sure of the RRP).

Hi Xander's Mum, Sorry to hear you got stretch marks AND the gestational diabetes.

[Rin]

Xandersmum,

You are not alone. With the 2nd pregnancy I have to be extra careful with my diet too as I've got gestational diabetes during my 1st pregnancy. I still recall the pain of pricking my fingers 4 times a day for the whole week. And also I'm not the lucky one among moms with no stretchmarks. All the best to everyone.

Cheers!
Rin

[Lucybelle]

Jist to clarify, The Bodyshop DOES NOT test on animals, nor do they ask anyone to test on their behalf.

I myself and many friends swear by the Bodyshop body butter in Olive, and Shea. I luurve the Papaya. Worked for me.

Lots of people, (guys too) get stretchies. I got them on my thighs when I shot up in puberty, and I was only a size 8 then. Wear em with honour!

[Lankysmum]

I'm sorry to disagree with you Lucybelle but having lived with stretch marks for over 20 years I finally did something about it last year. It was the best thing I ever did and I have never felt better about myself. After dropping 10 kgs and not actually going down much in clothes size I was upset to say the least. My dr referred me to a plastic surgeon and he took one look at me and said confidently "I can fix that". On April 28th last year I had a radical abdominoplasty, now I have a flat stomach and a new belly button and can buy size 12 clothes off the rack. Don't call me a surgery junkie but now the old saggy boobs need to be lifted and the stretch marks there might be gone too. Haven't been to see the dr about it yet so don't know the cost involved but would love to have it done soon.

If you read the "how big was your baby" thread you will see that I have had 4 babies with a total weight of over 40 lb so please don't hate me for what I have done. My muscles were so seperated they needed to be stitched back together the dr said it was like a huge hernia and he also cut off a 50cm long piece of skin 10-15cm wide that was a dangling apron of flab that no amount of exercise could fix. Instantly I was like new I couldn't believe it and show everyone who wants a look.

Keep using the cocoa butter girls then you won't have to live with the stretch marks or go thru an extreme make over like I did.

[Lucybelle]

Oh wow, no one would hate you for that!!! My friend copped it pretty badly with just her first, it definatley has got to be said that some can be worse than others. I've only had two bubs, so I'll get back to you after no3!

You can wear your new tummy with pride!

[liz]

hi girls
i started using palmers cocoa butter but then saw an advert in a pregnancy mag about Bio-Oil.
i used it everyday and never got a stretch mark, ( i had very faint white stretch marks from when i was kid already there) which is good considering i gained just under 30kg (tatum was only 3.3kg)!!
after having her i stopped putting it on and i noticed as i was losing weight they were appearing on my tummy and hips
i bought another bottle of it and they have since faded on my tummy and they are very faint on my hips (only a couple there), so im quite lucky.
you can buy it in the chemist and it is about $15 for a bottle. mind you, the bottle is small.
good luck

[Skadi]

i used palmers cocoa butter whilst being pregnant and it was no help. I have now been using bio oil for a while but does not seem to have any effect in reducing there appearance.

i guess some people are just more prone to getting them?

[Tannie]

sorry to give this opinion but.........I don't think there's anything you can rub on the outside to stop stretchmarks - whether your skin will stretch effectively or not I reckon is genetic.
Having said that - not gaining extra weight during the pregnancy and keeping yourself well hydrated with plenty of water is I think best way to avoid them + moisturizing can't do any harm so if it makes you feel you're doing something positive........no worries!! But frankly - I reckon most of those expensive creams are a big waste of $ and you might be better off buying yourself some other treats to enjoy instead :)
My mum & sister didn't get too many (6 & 4 kids respectively) and believe it or not, I got some on one side on the LAST night I was pregnant :mad: None there when we went to bed (and we were admiring my belly in all it's glory closely that night) then when we woke up and took some pics the next morning before going to hospital......we noticed some :eek: Was pleased I had her that day as reckon I might have had a huge mess after a few more days!
T

[Ari's_mum]

I used vitamin E oil and it was excellent. I didn't get a single stretchmark. But as someone else mentioned, once i started losing weight and wasn't using the oil anymore i got a few. They're really faint and hardly noticible now though. :)
So my recommendation is to keep using whatever it is you're using after you've had the baby.

[meshan]

I didn't get strech marks with my first child even though I put on 23kg and never used any creams or anything. I am now 32 weeks with my second and still no strech marks - so things are looking good.

My mum has never had a strech mark either so I am sure it is genetic, though my sister hates it when I say that because she has heaps.

[Katkat]

I had stretch marks even before my bub came into the world. I tend to go up and down in weight, so they appear out of nowhere and it's really frustrating. I've done some research on this topic and then talked to the lady at the spa I go to. The most expensive way to deal with stretch marks, one treatment she said she would not recommend, would be laser surgery. I haven't seen anyone who favored this route and the thing is, you have available to you some products that can reduce the appearance of them significantly. The problem is that the stretch marks are created in the epidermis, or middle layer of your skin. Creams cannot reach into the middle layer of your skin. Products with giseng, caffiene, white tea, or vitamin e, will NOT HELP AT ALL. I really think if the stretch marks are really bothering you, you should try StriVectin SD (http://strivectin.moneybackguarantee.us). It's the only product that is worth using. Don't give up hope! They can fade with the proper attention.

[jujubee]

I agree with Katkat. I have a few friends who have been using Strivectin (http://strivectin-sd.be) and I have seen their stretch marks bad, to better, to OMG where'd they go??? :-) I am defintitely gonna invest in some.

[mel]

i've been a big fan of palmers cocoa butter for years, so i've used it throughout my pregnancy.
it's the nicest smelling body cream, i'm only just starting to get stretch marks, 34 weeks, but i am huge! so i figure theres no way in hell my skin can go that far without showing something.... i've put on 20kgs so far and still have 6 weeks to go.
someone way back in this thread wanted to know where to buy it from, most pharmacies sell it, and priceline or price attack sell it too.

[melzy]

I agree with bubbalove. If I didn't put one bucket of cream/oils on my stomach, top of my legs, hips and bottom, I put 20 and STILL didn't work. My stomach was like a road map. I had stretch marks from my **** past my belly button up. They have faded now though. It definately stops the itchiness, the tightness of the skin. Ah how soothing that was.