Stretch Marks!

Up until the last few weeks I have been pretty lucky and was virtually stretch mark free...had a few silvery/spidery lines just above my belly button but that was about it.
Now... :o wow they are awful!! I can't actually see them unless I use a mirror, had a look last night, cause the midwife commented on them at my appointment yesterday and I was telling DF so naturally he had a look and said whoa..looks like you've been beaten up!

So yeah that made me feel really good about my body :rolleyes: Had a peek with the mirror and they look awful!! They aren't very long, probably 3-4cm long but they are really red, and there is one below my belly button that is super red, really thick and does hurt a tad if I touch it/press it.... have been using cocoa butter on them but it doesn't seem to be doing anything. I guess at least they are out of sight..lol. But I think my bikini days are over (not that I ever wore bikinis to sart with :rolleyes: ).

I was just so shocked to see them so red and awful looking!!

I had (and still have, unfortunately) a super red, really thick one just bellow my belly button that hurt to press so I sympathize completely!! It has faded since the birth and isn't sore to touch now but still is visible. I am hoping with more time they will fade further so fingers crossed.

I sympathize, I could have written your post word for word in my last couple of weeks. I am still coming to terms with it and am having a hard time looking at my tummy in the mirror. :(

DP has been quite supportive and told me not to worry about them and they will fade. Hopefully your DP is quite supportive and tries to boost your self esteem. :hug:

:hug: They're awful aren't they? I got heaps of them when pg with DS1 and was mortified. I knew I'd never wear a bikini again (and yes, I did wear them back before he was in existence!). Luckily over time they did fade and weren't nearly as noticeable.

They are life lines ;)

Being young there's a good chance they will fade, mine did although you could still see them in the right light you had to really look hard.
Unfortunately I have had new ones each pregnancy... (none this time so far, but I'm waiting, sure it's just a matter of time).

But hey it's a small price to pay, as corny as that is :) the end result is worth it.

PS - FWIW I am more bothered by the varicose veins on my legs :o now there's a bikini killer (or any swimsuit killer for that matter)

I first noticed I had them the day before DD was born :wall: - thought I'd got through my pregnancy without them!

The stretch marks were all underneath my belly button. I massaged bio oil into them every night after having DD and they have faded completely! Took a few months, and I think because my tummy has shrunk back into shape (finally!) they're not noticeable.

Get some bio oil it works!

If it will make you feel any better I am happy to post a picture link to mine. Looks like someone's toddler has red texta-ed all over my gut. :-) They are EVERYWHERE and very, very red. Also purple. Any deep...they feel like a crevice in my skin.

I can sympathise too :hug:
My belly was so big with Nate (he was a whopper) that I didn't even find mine until after he was born....that was a shock I can tell you....I thought I had gotten off scot free.

They will start to fade some. Might take some time.

Personally I am not ashamed of mine at all. With 5 kids around me feet, you'd have to be an utter moron to think I didn't have any. My badge of honour. I was given the honour of being a mum. You can see them in my ticker pic! LOL

Its the ones around my bbs I hate. Mostly because they are not bfing success stories.

You poor thing .... I didn't get any until I was 37 weeks and I was HUGE and then over night commando style they appeared..... poor Lulu had to hear me whinging about them when we went swimming...LOL

They do get better though and I don't think that anything helps or prevents them....