Baby, Pregnancy, and Parenting Information

Stretch Marks!

Every woman dreads stretch marks, and most women have them on some part of their body, whether they have ever been pregnant or not. A woman’s thighs, hips, buttocks, and breasts are all common places that they can be found. But what are they, what causes them, and is there anything to be done to avoid them?

Stretch marks first show up during puberty, and both girls and boys get them. They are caused by rapid gain weight or growth in an area of your body. Collagen, a protein that is partly responsible for skin strength and elasticity is stretched quickly and often leaves scars that are called stretch marks. People who are obese and weight lifters often have stretch marks as well.

Pregnancy is a very common time for a woman to get stretch marks. If she doesn’t have them already on her breasts, they can often pop up because of the rapid increase of growth and fatty tissue that develops as a woman’s breasts prepare to breastfeed her baby. However, a woman’s stomach is the most common place for stretch marks to appear during pregnancy.

Stretch marks generally show up during the third trimester when a woman’s belly begins to rapidly get bigger. During the third trimester the baby is gaining most of his weight, and it is then that he grows at the fastest rate during the pregnancy.

There are several products on the market for pregnant women to use to help avoid getting stretch marks, and to help them go away after your pregnancy is over. Some women swear by them, while others claim that they don’t work. In reality, whether or not you get stretch marks is determined by how much elasticity you have in your skin. If you have a lot of elasticity, you probably will not get stretch marks, or they will at least not be severe.

Stretch marks cannot be remedied gotten rid of by a simple cream. While they may start out a pink or purplish color, they will eventually fade to match the color of your skin, like other scars do. Some people will use artificial tanning sprays and lotions to help make them less noticeable. If your stretch marks really bother you, visit a dermatologist or plastic surgeon to see what options they can make available to you.

If you are lucky you will never get a stretch mark. However, if you do, remember that you are not alone and that most women in the world are just like you and have stretch marks too.


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56 Responses to “Stretch Marks!”

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  1. 56
    Nancy Says:

    Stretch marks is part a of our pregnancy and I was very concerned about getting stretch marks when I was pregnant with my first child. I ask my doctor how to prevent this and he gives me only a Belly Oil and I am so grateful that i did, every woman should know about it!

  2. 55
    Erica Says:

    Im about to be seven months & just started getting stretch marks. I’ve used coco-butter & applied it daily so im just assuming that stretch marks appear & dont appear for some people .

  3. 54
    NS Says:

    I tried everything during my first pregnancy but still got stretch marks … however they do not bother me. They are like a war wound . I am now pregnant a second time and just going with the flow … my body is making a baby so will let my body stretch as it needs. No fussing this time.

  4. 53
    nostretchmarksforme Says:

    My mom has major stretch marks along with all 7 of my aunts… I’m 34 weeks and have been applying hemp oil along with vitamin e oil and still not a stretch mark. My mom can’t even believe it. Hemp it’s natures miracle wether you want to believe it or not…

  5. 52
    Amy Says:

    I think it is a combination of genetics, drinking lots of water, applying lotion and the biggest one NOT to scratch yourself when you itch. If you do have an itch try patting it or applying lotion. I am 5’8 usually 115lbs and on baby number 3. My daughter was 21.5 inches 7lbs and 11 oz and my son was 8lbs and 20.5 inches. The one on the way is expected to be close to 10lbs so I can’t say I am in high hopes of not getting any but I will continue to do as stated above. If I get them I get them, not going to loose any sleep over it. :) I hope this helps ladies.

  6. 51
    Tiffany Says:

    I do also drink ALOT of water.

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