subject: Pregnancy's Beautiful Stretch Marks [print this page] The minute you find out you are expecting you know things are going to be different, from your waist size to those small stretch marks that pop up. Stretch marks are exactly that, red or purple marks left in your skin because it has stretched. The most frequent places for it to appear is the buttocks, thighs, stomach, breasts and even arms. 90 percent of all pregnant women will get them, whether or not they get a lot or a few depends on the body and how they are preventing them.
There are a lot of lotions out there that claim to help avoid stretch marks, such as scar serum, cocoa butter or Maderma. Keep your skin moist this will permit it to stretch without tearing. There are new discoveries every day, ask your health practitioner what he/she recommends. Test them out yourself first and see if they work for you. You have to put the lotion on every day if you expect it to work, just a one-time treatment will not help. Most women fall down at this step, forgetting or just stopping the treatment.
Of course you should eat well and get some reasonable exercise throughout your pregnancy this is not only best for the baby but will help you keep off the extra weight. A healthy weight gain target is 25-35 pounds for your pregancy. Another healthy practice is drinking ample of water while you are expecting. Drinking water keeps the skin healthy because if you let the skin dry out you'll start receiving more and deeper stretch marks.
If you've already had children your chances of receiving more stretch marks will multiply. Your skin has already been stretched out and also you are about to do it again. Large babies and multiple babies can increase your probability of getting stretch marks too. Begin early in your pregnancy using stretch mark creams, if you get lotions with vitamins A and E they'll aid you more.
In general stretch marks will continue around after the pregnancy even with all the care you might take. These do grow fainter over time, so don't be concerned in regards to the way you look. If they are unbearable to you and you have waited a while, you can still choose to have a tummy tuck or laser removal. See your dermatologist if you want to desire these treatment options.
Besides caring for the skin every day and eating right, there's not much that can be done to prevent these beautiful pregnancy marks, however this doesn't suggest you don't have to try. You will find that many of the women you know who've given birth probably have a mark or two, sometimes it helps to know that you are not the only one. Think about it as you've just been initiated into the gang of motherhood. No woman should ever feel ashamed of her stretch marks, they probably are not the prettiest thing on earth but they do represent one thing...your child. Remember the next time you are getting disgusted by them.
