stretch marks

[jamieanne]

Hi everyone. I am 37 -1/2 weeks right now and about three or four weeks ago the stretch marks just showed up and they are getting worse. I have always had a really tough time accepting scars on my body (even little ones!) so this has been very upsetting to me.

I told myself at the beginning that I would do everything possible to avoid them but I really didn't end up doing anything. My midwife said that the creams didn't really work, and it would depend on weight gain and my genetics. Unfortunately, I have gained way too much weight, so that hasn't helped. I feel so deformed and damaged.

What have your experiences been? Have they faded significantly after the birth? Is there anything I can do about them now or is it too late?

[jessicaileen]

I have always had problems with stretch marks so during pregnancy, I got a ton on my belly and they are long and very dark purple. Now, 6 months after giving birth they are much lighter than they were but still very visible. I was told that about a year after giving birth they will turn to a iridescent color and it won't be as noticeable.

I'm not terribly upset about having them though because I think it's just a right of passage to becoming a mother, it's going to happen and no matter what you use, you will probably get them - I used stretch mark cream every day and still got them.

[QueenFroggie]

I only had 1 until I went into labor and BOOM I had a bunch appear on my lower abs. They have gone away for the most part, but I didn't do anything after L&D to help them go away I have heard using vitamin E lotion or cream after L&D can help them disappear faster. And I have heard the more water you drink and lotion (any lotion) you use keeps your skin more elastic so you can get less marks. But if your mom had lots of marks then you are geneticlly going to too.

[Tink]

I didn't have any w/ my first pg and got some the last 2 weeks of my 2nd pg. I gained more weight in my first, so I'm not sure how I escaped them the first time. 6 months later I still have a few small ones, they've definitely faded but they are still there. I'm like Jess though and they don't bother me. I call them my "mommy marks"

[megs&david]

I didn't get them with my first pregnancy on my belly, but got horrible ones on my breasts. They were big angry purple ones. They bothered me a lot and I didn't believe my dr when she told me they would fade. They did fade though and I could hardly see them. They are more noticeable now that I'm pg again though and I expect they will be purple again before too long! My sister and my mom never got stretch marks on their bellys either so I'm hoping that genetics is on my side for avoiding them again this time too. But just know that they really will fade! Keep using lotion and get the weight off postpartum- that will help!