How Can You Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy ⋆

Being pregnant has a lot of ups and downs, one of them being those dreaded stretch marks! How can you prevent stretch marks during pregnancy then, is it even possible to prevent them? Yes, it is! I am a mom of two and barely a stretch mark on me and not any super noticeable ones, so yes it is very possible and I am going to share my secret with you to keep your beautiful skin all the way through your pregnancy.

Ordinarily, your skin can stretch due to the collagen and elastin fibers in it but when your pregnant your hormones (estrogen and cortisol reduce the activity of the fibers and makes collagen and elastin not work as well resulting in pregnancy stretch marks.

No one wants to have stretch marks, they just don’t but it does happen even if you aren’t pregnant! The way stretch marks come about is by gaining weight rapidly and your skin can tear slightly thus forming the lines we call stretch marks.

This can happen to kids if they have a sudden growth spurt or even a muscle builder who puts on weight to fast.

Stretch marks are lines in your skin kind of like waves and can vary in color from white to a deep purple or pink color and can be found on your thighs, butt, legs, chest, hips, and stomach. Here are the best tips I have on avoiding all of these kinds of stretch marks by doing a few simple things, the key is that you have to start in early pregnancy and keep at it until after your baby is born.

Here is a guide for you: Pregnancy Tips For First Time Mom’s this has everything you need to know about your pregnancy and lots of free checklists and info!!

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How You Can Avoid Stretch Marks

Here are the steps I took to not get stretch marks during two pregnancies and if you follow them they will work for you too, for the most part, no guarantee here that you won’t have a few faint lines but they won’t be noticeable ones and that is okay.

Here is the best stretch mark prevention I followed during my pregnancy so I know it works, I wouldn’t steer you wrong!

Eat Healthily

– The first thing you need to do is maintain a good healthy weight and don’t eat whatever you want just because your pregnant, this isn’t healthy for you or your baby and your body doesn’t require more food until later on in your pregnancy. Talk to your doctor about a nutrition plan to stick to so you eat what you should and also avoid stretch marks from gaining to much weight too quickly.

For more information on what you should be eating here is an article you may find helpful What To Eat During Pregnancy

2. Exercise Regularly

– In order to maintain a healthy weight, you are going to have to exercise regularly whether that is by doing yoga or some sort of class for pregnant moms or just going for a walk every day. You will feel better about yourself, have more energy, avoid sudden weight gain and have an easier labor and birth! It’s a win-win.

3. Stay Hydrated

– Drink plenty of water to help keep the elasticity in your skin, you will need at least 10 glasses of fluid a day, it doesn’t have to be all water which is great because you will be in the bathroom every five minutes!

You can get these fluids from fruit, tea or coffee (just watch the caffeine), vegetables, fruit punch and juice drinks (just watch the sugar content). When you stay hydrated your skin can stretch more when it needs to and you will feel better as well, hydration helps your organs and digestion work smoother along with your joints and you can avoid getting headaches due to dehydration.

If you are looking for a fun way to keep track of how much you drink then you need to get this adorable bottle for pregnant mommas that I absolutely love and I think you will too!

If you are having headaches at the moment and are having trouble getting rid of them you may find this article helpful Headaches In Pregnancy And How to Avoid Them

4. Vitamins

– On top of your prenatal pill, it is a good idea to take vitamin C, E, Zinc, and protein or eat vitamin-rich foods

Vitamin C – Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit and lemons. These are rich in vitamin C which will help with the development of collagen in your skin.
Vitamin E – You can eat an assortment of nuts such as hazelnuts, peanuts and almonds, sunflower seeds and leafy greens are also a great source of Vitamin E.
Zinc – You can find zinc in meat, chickpeas, lentils, beans, seeds, nuts, dairy, eggs, and whole grain. These will help with inflammation and help heal wounds faster.
Protein – Can be found in eggs, yogurt, beans, potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower, peas, Quinoa and peas. Will help boost your skin health and maintain

5. Wear Sunscreen

– Whenever you go outside always wear sunscreen to help prevent wrinkles and the loss of elasticity causing stretch marks if you like to sunbathe it is a bad idea especially while pregnant. You should limit your sun exposure and always wear protective gear when your pregnant your skin lacks the moisture it used to have and can burn very easily.

I found this out the hard way when I was six months pregnant we had a birthday party outside and didn’t have on sunscreen (I forgot to put some on), I was burned badly on my chest in the first 20 minutes of being outside! Your skin is also more sensitive then it used to be at this time so it will react differently then you are used to.

Here is my favorite sunscreen that you can use now while pregnant and on your baby later on!! This is the best sunscreen and it only takes a few drops.

6. Use A Moisturizer

– Something to remember about using a moisturizer is to avoid ones with harmful ingredients because they are absorbed into your skin and get into your system causing harm to your baby:

Avoid these ingredients:

Retinoids/ Retinol – harmful to your skin causing more redness and irritation and also your baby shouldn’t have this.
Salicylic Acid – dries out your skin and isn’t good for your baby.
Benzoyl Peroxide – will cause more skin irritation and sensitivity.
Formaldehyde – this one is pretty obvious why you should avoid it.
Soy products – these contain estrogen and you have enough of that already.

Use these ingredients instead:

Hypoallergenic – better for your sensitive skin.
Paraben-Free – not harmful to you or baby.
Non-Comedogenic – won’t clog pores, especially when you can get acne due to hormones.

Here is the best moisturizing product that has more bang for your buck and is organic! You can use it as a moisturizer all over, under eyes for dark circles, a hair mask for hydration, makeup remover, dry shave oil and also a bath boost to moisturize your skin while you relax. This is the best, I love it!!

7. Stretch Mark Cream

– This is what I used to avoid my stretch marks and I swear by it, use it twice a day on your stomach, butt, boobs, under your butt (no one talks about this but yes you can get stretch marks there too lol) thighs, legs, and hips.

I used this through two pregnancies and have a few stretch marks that are faint on my boobs and lol under my butt (which is why I say use it there too) but nothing anyone can see or would know I had two babies by looking at them.

Use this product for best results twice a day: Palmer’s Cocoa Butter

Conclusion for Preventing Stretch Marks

Your best way to prevent getting stretch marks while your pregnant is to start with preventative measures right when you find out that you are pregnant. Buy the best cream and slather it on everywhere, your thighs, butt, around your breasts and belly along with your arms, a nice thing about these creams is that they provide relief from dry and itchy skin as well.

There really is no secret to avoiding stretch marks then keeping your skin well hydrated so that it is able to stretch and keep it’s elasticity the way it needs to. Drink plenty of water, take your vitamins and use the stretch mark cream listed here.

I hope you found this to be super helpful and you will get these amazing products to help you along the way so you too can prevent stretch marks during your pregnancy. Remember stretch marks start around your second or third trimester of pregnancy so you need to start using this right away!!

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How Can You Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy