I used palmers tummy butter. It kept them away for the entire pregnancy but they appeared a week or two after I gave birth. Wish I'd kept using my tummy butter after the birth, it just might have helped. My marks are very minor and only are on the very lower part of my belly. I think I did pretty well seeing that skin at my age (42) is not supposed to be elastic. I have a cousin who had her kids in her early 20's and ended up with the most horrendous stretch marks which she still has. She did not use what I did (wasn't available back then).
Last edited by satya; September 3rd, 2008 at 10:51 AM.
Unfortunately its genetic & nothing will prevent them. Does your mum have them? That's probably the best indication of weather you will get them or not.
Sorry to say but I had an obsessive daily routine with stretch mark cream, to no avail. I thought I was doing so well too, until about 34 weeks!!! If you're gonna get them, you'll get them regardless unfortunately. Just another part of being a mumma!
On the other side of the coin, i did nothing, as i kept forgetting, and i didn't get any. Clever marketing by the cream companies, but mostly a waste of time and money.
Well I used Happy Event, about $5.50 from the chemist, on Mum's recommendation. She used it through 3 pregnancies, no stretch marks, and it worked for me with DS. So far so good at 32 weeks now with Number Two. Each time I started using it about 3 months along. On the tube it says to keep using it till a month after giving birth which I didn't do with DS, but after reading Satya's post I'll make sure I'll do that this time...(thanks!)
I'm superstitious now and wouldn't dream of NOT using it! Granted, there might be a genetic factor there but I have stretchmarks before from weight gain as a teen so it's not like I'm not susceptible to them. I hate cocoa butter, think it's completely overrated.
Even if it doesn't work it is good for comfort, you may find that your skin gets itchy as it stretches and moisturising is good to help alleviate this. I also use skin friendly shower gels (like Alpha Keri, QV etc) because I find my skin gets very sensitive and dry during pregnancy.
When do you start to notice stretch marks? I haven't had a lot of itching but my skin does feel tight and pulling. I use Vasaline Intensive Care (vitamin A, E and Alo) as well as baby oil on thighs, bum, bump and boobs twice a day after shower. I like the special time with my bump so even if it doesn't work its nice to have a special moment at the begining and end of each day with my bump.
I used the Palmers one last pregnancy and didn't get any but then again I don't really have many anyway so I was probably just lucky. I agree though that it really does help with moisturising and preventing he itchiness you can get.
Sorry to disagree with the genetics theory but my mum didn't get stretch marks but I did (only slight ones after birth). The cousin I mentioned earlier who has the really bad stretch marks and I share the same grandmother as our mums are sisters so if it was genetic my mum should have had them.
I also know someone else who has bad stretchmarks but her mother doesn't. Her mum used something every day of her pregnancies and didn't get them, yet her daughter didn't bother use anything and got them.
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