An Uncomplicated Life Blog: Mommy Monday: Preventative Care for Stretch Marks

Monday, May 5, 2014

Mommy Monday: Preventative Care for Stretch Marks

A few friends and acquaintances who are a few weeks to multiple months behind me in their own pregnancies have asked me what I've done to successfully curb stretch marks. I'm currently 35 weeks gestation, and *knock on wood* have zero to date... Almost there.

For the record, I'm no dermatologist. Nutrition-specific education aside, the extent of my 'medical' education consists of freshman and sophomore level biology and chemistry classes as mandated by my liberal arts degree from the University of Minnesota. There's my disclosure! Therefore, I have more experience in this realm than formal education. Does it count if I have a number of doctors and nurses in my family?! No?Oh.

Some sources say it's genetics; if your mom got them, you likely will too, especially if you got them in puberty. For many women, especially us Type A ladies who pride ourselves (probably a bit too much) on a great figure, leaving something this important up to genetics simply isn't enough. I'm with ya, ladies!

I conducted some rather thorough research to round out the genetics claim. Here are the other biggest contributors to the "stretch mark factor" and what I'm doing about them:

- Proper weight gain: this one makes extreme sense. If you pack on too many pregnancy pounds, or they all come on at once (say, in your third trimester), that's a lot of stress for your skin to handle. Eating sensibly, not overindulging any unhealthy cravings you may develop, and keeping a consistent workout schedule are all going to help pregnant mama's be successful in this area.

Up until 30 weeks I was doing everything I had been doing prior to getting pregnant in terms of my workouts. After my preterm labor debacle, I now do four yoga and/or barre classes per week.  I also try to be as sensible as possible with what I consume. Luckily, I'm a health nut anyway, and love my veggies, but when I do indulge (I mean, heck, I'm pregnant!), I keep the portion small and stick to ONE portion. Remember, you're feeding your baby everything that goes in your mouth. Don't feed him or her garbage!

- Exfoliate: exfoliation helps to more quickly turn your skin cells over. New skin cells contain more collagen, and also have a higher H2O content. If you're consistently turning over new cells on your tummy, backside and thighs, you're keeping your skin in the "best shape possible" for stretching. I use a natural bristle brush with moisturizing body wash and lightly apply it to my skin in circular motions at the end of EVERY SHOWER. It only takes an extra minute or two!

Natural-bristle brush and my body wash of choice
  
- Hydrate: think great skin starts with the right topical product? WRONG! It starts with what you put IN your body (this goes for your hair too). Make sure to drink enough water throughout the day. I learned the hard way (remember the preterm labor thingy? Yup, dehydration). I now have a water bottle with measurements on it to ensure I'm getting at least 64oz of water a day.

- Hydrate again: externally this time! No, lotions and cremes wont save you, despite the best marketing efforts of these companies. Yes, they do feel great! I've found Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter to be fantastic in moisturizing my skin, relieving that itchiness you get as your skin stretches, and helps at night when you feel like your skin is too tight for how big your belly is. I rub this stuff in after a shower and usually again at night, and put it on my tummy, hips, thighs and butt. Plus, it doesn't have an obnoxious perfumed odor, so you won't walk around smelling like a fake flower all the time. Yessssss!

My favorite "belly cream"

Do you or did you have any other tricks or preventative measures you swore by while pregnant? Feel free to comment below or send me an email - I'm always looking for fun new things to try, especially in stretch mark prevention!

18 comments:

  1. Stretch marks will appear during the last stage of pregnancy. I searched stretch marks cream online for my wife and I got a website ClickOnCare.com. They are having so many Stretch marks cream. I bought Luciara stretch marks cream from them.

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  2. So many women’s are suffering from stretch marks. But Bio-oil is the best product to get away from this problem. I was used already got result very soon. I bought this product from clickoncare.com at best offer price and they have very good quality products. Thanks to clickoncare.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you very much !!! Sonu and clickoncare.com..
      I used Bio-oil product and its really solved my problem of stretch marks.

      Delete
  3. We can avoid stretch marks by eating healthy foods like salads, leafy vegetables and drink more water for hydrating the body. We can use moisturizer for moisturizing the skin.

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  4. Can anyone tell me which one best product to remove stretch marks and where it is available?

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    Replies
    1. Hi madu
      Luciara stretch marks cream is the best one to remove stretch marks effectively and it is available at ClickOnCare.com. I was used and satisfied.

      Delete
    2. Hi kavya I purchased Luciara stretch mark cream from clickoncare after read this blog and your comment. I got Luciara on the 3rd day. Thanks a lot both of you (I mean you and clickoncare).

      Delete
    3. Nice replies....
      clickoncare.com...
      is really good online shop for health care products....

      Delete
    4. Most of the people are using bio oil for stretch mark problem. I have used this product and got a very good result.

      Delete
  5. I totally agree with your words. Most people are swayed by the idea of miracle cures for stretch marks, most of which, can only minimize the scars or not guarantee anything at all. As for people who are genetically predisposed to stretch marks, I believe all hope is not lost. A combination of a healthy skin-friendly diet, proper moisturizing, weight management and massage can help prevent the worst. Anyway, thank you for sharing your thoughts! More power to you and your blog!

    Cordell Legaspi @ Baltimore Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery Center

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  6. thanks, wonderful blogs, here Most of the women get susceptible to stretch marks during pregnancy. As the baby grows your tummy expands and elastic tissues of the skin tear and stretch marks appear on the surface. Now a days western dresses are in vogue but you need a very clean skin if feel like putting them on. An Indian girl looks very beautiful when she is dressed up in her proper Indian attire (i.e. sari); for this her tummy is to be exposed. She feels very embarrassed for having stretch marks easily noticeable to others. To cure these stretch marks, new creams are getting launched in the market to diminish them and prevent their future occurrence. If you don’t get them in your home town, you can have them through online booking. So there is no need to lose confidence and sacrifice your favourite outfits.
    http://toptenstuff.in/ten-stretch-marks-creams/

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  7. Thanks for sharing this information on stretch marks . My wife after pregnancy has stretch marks, and wants a plastic surgeon to remove them. She doesn’t know much about procedures regarding stretch marks, though, so I will send this to her. Thanks again for sharing!

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  8. Stretch Marks are horrible. It is impossible to bear a sight of ugly marks. But, now fortunately women can get rid of ugly marks for ever and ever. Dermology stretch mark cream is 100% safe to remove stretch marks and offer clean and clear skin.

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  9. Women who get pregnant and give birth, can often be left with additional weight they would like to lose. stretch mark cream

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  10. Stretch marks is a problem with both girls and boys which can appear on any body part like hips, thighs, anywhere fat are stored. When the elasticity in the skin decreases, then stretch marks can appear. It is mostly seen in pregnant ladies or anyone who is losing or gaining weight. To reduce the stretch marks one can try this out, using this one can strengthen the skin.

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  11. I was very careful about preventing stretch marks during pregnancy, but it is not always possible to get rid of them totally. However, it was easy to find homemade remedies for stretch marks at The Organic Beauty Expert, and I am happy to see them going.

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  12. Nice! Stretch marks can be annoying. Stretch marks creams are one of the most important beauty products that we need in the age of well 30 or after pregnancy. So,checkout the following tips to deal with stretch marks:
    https://bit.ly/2HLSxja

    ReplyDelete
  13. Skin can expand to accommodate growth changes caused by weight fluctuations, puberty, muscle gain, and pregnancy, among other things. Stretch marks appear when the skin extends too fast, causing the collagen and elastic fibres to break. Stretch marks appear as red, pink, or purple lines at first. The blood vessels repair over time, and the lines diminish and become less apparent. They may not, however, completely vanish. Stretch marks affect up to 80% of the population, according to some estimates. Because of the fast changes in the body during and after pregnancy, they are especially prevalent. Stretch marks can form in teenagers who endure rapid development and bodily changes throughout puberty.

    Adam,
    https://trendswide.com/play-world-cricket-championship-2-on-pc-with-games-lol-now/

    ReplyDelete