How to Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy
Are pregnancy stretch marks preventable? There are some companies that want you to believe that they are, but only if you use their fancy and very expensive line of lotions. And there are countless doctors that say “No, stretch marks are hereditary, and there’s nothing you can do to prevent them.” But my own personal experience has convinced me that there are things you can do to help prevent stretch marks, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.
Stretch marks are hereditary in my family, so when I got pregnant I was very discouraged to hear the professionals continually saying that I have to just sit back and accept them as a fact of life. But that just made me more determined to prove them wrong, and I decided to take matters into my own hands.
I’ve found 2 strategies that, when combined, work great to prevent stretch marks. The first is to stay moisturized with some type of product specifically designed for stretch marks. In my experience, the cheap creams work just as well as the pricey versions, as long as you use them regularly and on your entire body.
During my first pregnancy, I decided to try the Magia Bella line of pregnancy lotions. They’re pretty pricey, but I figured it was worth a shot. If it’s that expensive, it has to work, right? So I spent quite a bit of money on the creams for the different trimesters, and used them religiously, twice a day, like it says to do on the packaging. The problem was that it was so expensive that I didn’t want to use too much and waste it, so I just used it on my stomach and outer thighs, where I had seen stretch marks on my mom and figured I was most vulnerable. But I gained 45 pounds during my pregnancy, and although I didn’t get stretch marks on my stomach or outer thighs, I get them everywhere else. By the time I realized my mistake and started using the lotion all over, it was too late.
However, when I was at the Motherhood Maternity store getting a nursing bra, the clerk recommended the store brand of lotion that she said helped her get rid of her stretch marks. So I tried it and it really did take the redness away-now instead of ugly red, very noticeable stretch marks, I had discreet silvery streaks, which were much easier to live with. But I do have to mention that for some reason, the lotion started to smell really bad after about a month, even though I got the “unscented” version.
For my second pregnancy, money was a lot tighter, and there was no way I could afford to use the Magia Bella products again, especially in the quantity required. So I decided to try the Palmer’s branch of products, which is much, much cheaper. I was a little worried that it wouldn’t work since it was so cheap, but I’ve been very pleasantly surprised. I’m currently in my 9th month, and have virtually no new stretch marks (other than a patch from a scratching frenzy, but more about that later). Since the Palmer’s products are so reasonable (about $5, vs. $75 for Magia Bella), I don’t have to worry about conserving it, and I’ve really been slathering it on throughout my entire pregnancy. Also, now I understand that stretch marks can appear anywhere, so I’m using it everywhere.
The second thing that you can do to prevent stretch marks is to avoid scratching. Scratching is very damaging to skin that’s already being stretched to its max, and I’ve learned from experience that a good scratching-although very satisfying at the time-is sure to result in a fresh patch of stretch marks. Itchiness will be minimized by keeping your skin moisturized with stretch mark lotion, but when an itch does come along, try to rub it away instead of scratching with your fingernails.
Every woman’s skin is different, but these techniques have worked for me, so hopefully they’ll work for you too.
