How do you prevent, or at least control, the appearance of stretch marks?
By alyssa_c
@alyssa_c (440)
Philippines
November 24, 2008 2:20am CST
I am a first time mom now on my 6th month. My problem is that the lower part of my belly has developed some sort of a rash. Well, that was what I thought at first but upon a closer look, what they were are actually red stretch marks! It's horrible! There are still a few of them now but I still have 3 more months to go and who knows what my stomach would look like then!
My mother tells me to put lotion on it religioiusly. She doesn't have stretch marks even after giving brith to 3 kids. But, somehow it just didn't work for me. I have been applying lotion on my stomach area way before I got pregnant, and I still do now. A friend also told me about putting on olive oil. I tried that too and and all I got was grease.
Do you know any products that could help with the marks? Any ideas?
2 people like this
3 responses
@cornyman (1128)
• Germany
26 Nov 08
Hello alyssa_c
perhaps you should try to use some cream that doesn't influence your unborn baby.
I bought for my wife the products from www.budsbaby.com - www.i-green.com.my
They don't use any of these harmful chemicals, only natural ingredients like cocoa butter, jojoba oil, tea tree oil, vitamins (i bought the shower soap lotion, good for the dry skin and the belly cream).
On their sites are also good explanations which ingredients you should avoid during pregnancy while using soaps, cosmetics, talc powder(!) shampoo because they will get into your body's blood (through the skin) and affect the growth and the spine/brain of the baby.
Stretch mark preventing is usually not possible when you're genetically prone to it (even your mother doesn't have it, but from the side of your father or the grandparents). This is what the latest research suggested.
Spending money for special creams that promote you can prevent it is in this case mostly wasted money. The only thing they can do, making the skin more smooth and not that itchy but stretch marks will remain :-(
Hope you'll find some suitable products to minimize the stretch marks and good luck for your further pregnancy!
@alyssa_c (440)
• Philippines
27 Nov 08
Hi Cornyman =)
I tried viewing the site that you mentioned (budsbaby.com) but I couldn't find the products for mommies. All I saw were the lotions and powders for babies, which I found useful still since I learned a few things there. On which area on the site should I be looking for for the mommy products? Thanks for the response, by the way. =)
1 person likes this
@cornyman (1128)
• Germany
28 Nov 08
Hi alyssa_c,
you're right, there is no more link to the mommy series of budsbaby at the moment... last time (i think 2 months ago) there were around 5 different products for moms-to-be: Belly cream, stretch mark cream, lotions, shampoo and so on.
Some of them are on the I-Green webpage but not all. Here in Malaysia i can buy them in some of the health or organic shops.
I'll send you a link from an online shop in Australia. There are the descriptions for the products but there they are much more expensive than in Malaysia, so forgot the prices there, in your country must be cheaper.
@tosha86 (133)
• United States
24 Dec 08
I am a mother of two and with both pregnancies I would take two to three baths a day, as hot as I could be comfortable with. I also put a capfull of baby oil in a full bathtub each time and after I got out each time I would put shea and cocoa butter all over my legs chest stomach hips and butt. I also would wear loose clothes especially panties and pants, I loved to wear my husbands boxers and boxer briefs. I have no stretch marks at all though over all I gaind 40 pounds with the last pregnancy and 45 with the first. Not to mention my girls are only about 13 months apart. I hope this helps.
@kaka135 (14931)
• Malaysia
24 Nov 08
If I'm not wrong, you need the lotion with cocoa butter and vitamin E, but not normal lotion only.I'm 6 month pregnant now also, and I've been applying Pureen Stretch Mark Lotion since about one month pregnant. So far, I haven't get any stretch mark yet.
@alyssa_c (440)
• Philippines
24 Nov 08
So I ve heard. I remember a friend too suggestion about Palmer's lotion. I've consumed several bottles of it already but still no effect. I admit though that I'm not as religious as the next girl. Hmmm... I'll try asking for that Pureen lotion around, and see if it's available in our country. Thanks for the tip!
1 person likes this
@alyssa_c (440)
• Philippines
27 Nov 08
Wow, I wish I were that lucky... The red marks have started appearing last month and it has become itchier each week. I've tried a dozen lotions but haven't found on that's really effective for me. I'm still willing to try anything, though, provided that it is harmless to my baby and I. My friend suggested to put olive oil on the area religiously... Haven't seen any results til not yet.
@lulumartin (963)
• Germany
27 Nov 08
I'm 7 month pregnant now, but i'm kind of lazy to apply the stretch mark lotion that my husband bought me, i think from the beginning of pregnancy until now, the number i use the lotion is less than 10 times. But luckily i haven't got any stretch mark yet. I'm quite worried about to have stretch marks too, i saw once the strech marks from my cousin, it's really horrible, to be frank, i was frightened at that time. :-( I hope this won't happen to me. I think i will start using the lotion daily from now on.
I remember that i read from a book, it says we must have enough vitamin E , this will make our skin to be more elastic and reduce the stretch marks. Also, during the pregnancy time, we cannot gain too much weight at once...have to be slowly.
@SukiSmiles (1991)
• United States
24 Nov 08
Vitamin E, and there are also speciality lotions and oils that your can rub on just for strech marks. But, yes, you have to put it on all the time very religiously. Just keep doing it, even after giving birth. My girlfriend sent me some very nice oil when I was pregnant, but I wasn't very good at using it on a regular basis. I wish I could remember what it was called. I do remember it smelled good.
