Stretch marks and pregnancy?

Question

I know that every woman is different, but I am really starting to panic because I am only 16 weeks pregnant and I have noticed that my skin is sooo itchy lately (the outsides of my breasts, stomach, and especially my back). After reading I have learned not to scratch because it could cause stretch marks. I have not noticed any red bumps, lines, or any skin abnormalities in the "itchy" areas, but I know that they just probably haven't shown up yet. Gold Bond seems to help cool and relieve the itching, better than the Cocoa Butter. Has anyone else tried this method and did it possibly help in preventing the stretch marks...or does the Palmers Butter seem to work the best>

Answer 1

Stretch marks are completely hereditary, there is no special balm you can put on yourself to avoid them. All it does is keep the skin moist and relieve the itching.

I've had three babies, one of them nine pounds, plus I breastfeed for years and I never got a single stretchmark anywhere on my body and believe me I was HUGE when I delivered my last baby he was 9 lbs. I never put lotion or oil on at all, just showered as normal. It certainly won't hurt for you to rub things on your belly, vitamin E oil or anything else you want to try.

But honestly, I see a lot of postpartum bellies being an ob nurse and some people don't have a single one while others have terrible ones and it doesn't seem to have anything to do with weight, race or age, I've seen tiny teenagers with horrible stretchmarks and overweight 40 yr olds who've had twins with none!

If your itching is not on your belly but all over, that can be a normal side effect of pregnancy. There is also a pregnancy rash some women get and various other conditions that can cause it. Ask the doctor at your next visit, you need something to stop the itching as you can damage your skin plus it's probably driving you crazy.

Answer 2

First of all, stretch marks are stretch marks. Doesnt matter if youre pregnant or not. Once stretch marks are there, they dont go away. If she got smaller they would look better though. But if shes not interested in getting smaller then theres this stuff from Burt's Bee's called Belly Butter. I use it everywhere I have stretch marks so they hopefully dont get worse. It makes your skin so super soft and elasticy so it will prevent stretch marks. Good luck!

Answer 3

I used Palmer's cocoa butter every day during my pregnancy, and still got a few stretch marks- the worst ones were on my hips... I really didn't get any on my stomach which was a huge surprise-my belly looked sooo huge! Anyways, the ones on my hips were pretty dark, but have lightened since I had my son. Really, some people are lucky, others aren't so lucky. I think you're beautiful no matter what- having a baby isn't easy, and it does change your body, but in a beautiful way I feel. Working out after you have the baby does help tone you back up, and the stretch marks will lighten if you get them. Even my incision from my c-section has lightened and it looks so small! I also had a 9lb 10oz. big healthy boy- a big shock, but I just still can't get over no stretch marks on my tummy after how big he was! lol

For my mom- one child- (me) gave her stretch marks all over her tummy... my younger brothers gave them to her on her legs and butt but not her stomach. I guess every baby is different, as each individual Mommy is as well :)

Goodluck and congrats :)

Answer 4

Girl - i hear ya! When i was pregnant, i worried about getting stretch marks too. I tried everything - including coating my belly in cocoa butter and palmers butter, like twice a day! Unfortunately, nothing helped me. I still wound up looking like a tiger had clawed his way outta my belly. My skin has always been really dry, and im told this may have contributed to the stretch mark problem. Good luck though! And remember - the marks are worth it in the end.

Answer 5

I'm almost 39 weeks myself and have yet to get a single stretch mark. From what I've read, the key is to not gain too much weight too quickly. Your skin needs to adjust to the stretching. You might want to put on some cocoa butter just to relieve the itching and it never hurts to try it for prevention's sake. Just watch your weight gain and you should be fine!

Answer 6

I used cocoa butter like mad, but still got stretch marks. I freaked at first, but they are fading and I don't care. I'm lucky if I can do my hair now. :) But really stretch marks have a lot to do with genetics. Look at your mom. Did she get them. If she did you might have to deal with the fact that you may get them too. It's all about the eleasticity of your skin. I,personally, wouldn't buy al that expensive stuff. Just a waste of money. I even tried mederma. Didn't work and the stuff is like $20 for a little tube that doesn't last. Anyhow, good luck and congratulations. When you have your baby, it won't matter if you have them cuz it will be the prettiest thing that you have ever seen:)

Answer 7

I walked aroung with a Cocoa Butter stick. I don't believe the people and doctors that say stretch marks are strictly hereditary. Your skin is stretching and keeping it moisturized will help it stretch easier (and with less marks). I used cocoa butter every day with the first and not one stretch mark. With the second, I didn't bother (believing that it was hereditary and my mother has 4 kids and no marks) and my stomach is full of them. Better safe than sorry - Cocoa butter or vitamin E.

Answer 8

I used Palmer's Cocoa Butter cream from about 3 months on. It seemed to help with the itchiness. I didn't have any stretch marks at all and my stomach was huge!

Answer 9

I used the Palmer's and didn't get a single stretch mark. NOT 1 and I was pretty big. Amazing how some women get them and some don't. You couldn't even tell I had a baby. Matter of fact, my body looked better after I had her cuz i breast fed and my boobs were always a small B and after I started breastfeeding, the got to a large C and my tummy went really flat cuz you lose your weight faster if you breastfeed.

Answer 10

According to both of my OB's the sad fact about stretch marks is that you are either going to get them or you won't. And if you don't get them with one pregnancy, you might with the next.

Stretch marks are minor sub-dermal (beneath the skin) tears from the stretching of skin. Lower estrogen levels (I believe) have been linked to a higher frequency, but there's nothing you can do to alter these levels during pregnancy, and no, scratching will not make them worse. Mederma may help to reduce them after the pregnancy is over.

Good luck!