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Do you do anything/use anything for stretch marks? If you've had a previous pregnancy, did anything help ward off stretch marks? Or do you not really care..... I *almost* invested in some of that Palmer's stretch mark cream or balm, but then I passed. My tummy (so far) has stayed relatively stretch mark free through my past pregnancies....... but.... the hips don't lie!!! ;)
man, I'm like one big walking stretch mark. I got all the ones I had during my first pregnancy and really didn't get any more with subsequent pregnancies. With my first, I was so afraid to get stretch marks that I tried everything--cocoa butter, oils, you name it and I had it slathered on my belly from day one! But I got tons of stretch marks anyway. With my subsequent pregnancies, I figured it didn't matter if I got more because I already had so many so I didn't use anything.
When I took a human anatomy class from the university a few years ago, we talked about stretch marks. Apparently, your epidermis consists of 4-5 layers and then your dermis lies beneath those layers. Stretch marks are formed in the dermis, not the epidermis. This is important since lotions and oils only have the capacity to penetrate the upper 1-2 layers of the epidermis! So, according to what I was taught in this class, there is no cream that can reach the dermis and prevent stretch marks. The best creams out there can only make it less uncomfortable/itchy during the stretching period and they can help the appearance of stretch marks fade more quickly from purple/reddish colors to silvery white.
I hate stretch marks.
Despite knowing that stretch marks are more about genetics (ie how your skin's elasticity naturally is) then anything, I didn't think anything would work. With DD, I did use Palmer's stretch mark cream up until about the third trimester and didn't get any stretch marks until after I got lax about using it. DH thinks it's related but I think it was a coincidence.
I haven't done anything with this pregnancy. I'm happy my stretch marks have stayed the silvery/translucent color and haven't become red yet. They only ever were reddish at the end with DD and faded (as much as they will) pretty quickly afterward so I'm hoping that will happen again this time.
Jamie, That is very interesting!
I have stretch marks from my previous pregnancy and I hate them. I have them on my butt, hips, around my belly button, and on the sides of my belly. I even have them on my boobs. You can't see the very well anymore since it's been 6 years since I had DS, but they are still there. I am fairly certain I will get them again this time. Last time I religiously put on coco butter every single morning and night and I still got them. I didn't get them until like the last 2 weeks of my pregnancy so I thought I was "in the clear" and then I literally woke up one morning and they began to appear. :(
Me too! I have them everywhere. I wish there was something that worked, but, like Jamie said, there isn't. Oh well. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by sunny_gal