Stretch Marks

Krista - posted on 09/04/2009

I don't care so much about the stretch marks as the loose, flabby skin I now have from having my abdomen muscles cut. It's EXTREMELY hard to gain muscle back after that.

Emma - posted on 09/04/2009

Quoting user:

Sharon,

I have to ask. Is that your cat?

i remember someone else asking that question.. and i too had wondered for a while.. it is sharons cat and i think it is a zuccini (sp?) on its head.. please correct me if im wrong sharon :)

Katarina - posted on 09/04/2009

and may I add. I'm way more comfortable with my body now then I EVER was before I got pregnant.

Katarina - posted on 09/04/2009

I didn't get any stretch marks with My Son; I never got big enough. BUT in a way I almost wish I had atleast one. As Sharon called them "Badges of Motherhood." I prepared myself for them and had absolutely no problem getting them when I was pregnant. But I do know which post you're referring to and I laughed as I was reading their post. To each her own but I feel they're part of the entire experience.

ME - posted on 09/04/2009

I just got a few stretch marks on my hips, but they are from my freshman year in college when I quit dancing and started eating pizza 7 days a week...lol...I don't like them, but there's nothing I can do. I got none during my pregnancy...niether did my mom, and there are five of us. My sister ( who is preggo with me now, and gaining a lot of weight) hasn't gotten any either...I've read elsewhere that they are genetic, and none of those creams do anything but suck the money out of your purse...but, I still lotioned up my belly every morning the last time, and I do it almost every day this time too...

Shelley - posted on 09/03/2009

I don't think it's selfish to not want stretch marks. I was one of the people who used three different creams all over every day of my pregnancy. One had to be ordered through the pharmacy. I think it's important to have high self esteem and not having issues w your body image is a great help in that, especially considering the culture we live in.. I gained 51 pounds w my twins and ended up w a few on each hip. That's all, but it's still been really hard for me to accept. Since they're over a year now, they've faded a bit. I'm slowly coming around. I have a wonderful man who says he couldn't care less what I look like, and after all, I made two damn babies at once in there!! I LOVE to sunbathe, and it's always been a large part of my summer. With babies, I don't exactly have time for that anymore. I love it though. When I'm the mom whose babies don't need her or want her to play with them at the pool anymore, I'll wish they were tiny again, so I'm embracing it and loving every moment. When I put on the bikini, which yes I still do, I just think, "I have a mom body now. If you don't like it, don't look." Who do I really want looking anyway other than my love? I don't think I'm shallow or selfish. I think I want to set a good example for my daughter to be happy with her own skin, no matter what, by being happy with mine, no matter what. I also have a little book called The Beauty Myth to pass on to her, as well as some interesting knowledge of advertising in America introducing ridiculously unhealthy models at the same time as women got the right to vote. Wouldn't it just be wonderful if men could keep women all tied up in the mirror, stressing, while they run things? (Sarcasm, of course.)

Erin - posted on 09/03/2009

Ok for those of you who haven't seen my belly pic go here:

http://apps.facebook.com/circleofmoms/th...

Now I'm sure you'll be surprised to hear I actually only got a couple of small stretchies right down low, and even they didn't make an appearance til the last few weeks of my pregnancy. How that happened I will never know, considering I gained 34kg and had such a monster belly. I guess no stretchmarks was my trade off for putting on so much weight :-p

But I wouldn't have cared either way. It seems like such a small sacrifice to make for the sake of having a baby. And I even feel that way about my post-baby body. It is FAR from what it used to be, and I accept that it won't ever be the same again. But that's life. Am I anxious about the upcoming Aussie summer and having to wear swimmers? Absolutely!! But would I miss out on my daughter's swimming lessons or first trips to the beach because of it? No friggin way. Maybe it is because I was a bit older when she was born (27) and had already enjoyed being the 'hot girl', or maybe it's just my priorities. But I do think the fact that I'm single has played a part in my relaxed attitude to losing the weight - I guess I don't have the extra pressure of feeling like I have to please someone else.

Chelsea - posted on 09/03/2009

Sharon,

I have to ask. Is that your cat?

Sharon - posted on 09/03/2009

Yeah you'll be fine then.



LOL I remember seeing my first stretch mark, I thought I was bleeding internally - scared the ever loving shit out of me.

Charlie - posted on 09/03/2009

Yeah i know i actually just checked them out in the mirror and they are fading , they don't look nearly as angry as they used to , i had stretchies on my breasts as a teen from hitting puberty and going straight to a D from nothing and i cant even see them anymore so here's hoping !

Sharon - posted on 09/03/2009

give it time Loureen - if you are genetically lucky the scars will fade to next to nothing in a while. Mine are hardly visible anymore.

Charlie - posted on 09/03/2009

My stomach looks like it went through a meat grinder , i have extreme stretch marks and i have to say when i saw the first one appear i was horrified and i cried .

What makes me so insecure about it is , i always had a hot stomach and my fiance used to always say it was his fave part of my body , i dont like him looking at it or even touching it .

Dont get me wrong i know they are scars from the best journey of my life and i would rather have cooper than a hot tummy but still i cant help but hate them , and my fiance still says he loves it .

My own insecurities i guess, they are all over my stomach , my upper arm and behind the knee .

I dont think Insecurity is the same as being shallow or immature , it's far from it .



Immature and shallow would be if someone said they didn't want a child so they didn't get stretch marks , see the difference ?

Emma - posted on 09/03/2009

im affraid im going to have to say i hate my stretchmarks. i have always had low confidence anyway. they dont overly bother me on a day to day basis but i am aware of them and do sometimes wish they were not there.. but in a possitive way i suppose the reason i have them is because i carried 2 beautifull children. so at least they have an important meaning as to why they are there :)

Jocelyn - posted on 09/02/2009

i bawled when i found my first stretch mark (from my first pregnancy), like sobbing, hyperventilating bawling. i had gotten them from puberty (even on my calf's) , so i tried everything in hopes that something would prevent getting stretch marks on my belly. it didn't work at all. they go from a couple of inches above my belly button to the top of my, ahem, bush. i also got more on my inner thighs, but strangely, no more on my boobs. i am still very self conscience of them; i love the shape and size of my body, but i could never show it off... and i really want too! i've invested in many corsets and lingerie that cover my belly so my hubby doesn't have too see them. i will admit that they are lightening up, and i was slowly becoming ok with them. but then i got preg again, and they all showed up big and purple. i'm going to get a tummy tuck when i'm done having kids :)
i do think it is in part because 1) i was young, and it made me feel just incredibly different from everyone else 2) i didn't want to be preg the first time, and stretch marks were just karma's way of fucking me over even more (don't worry, i don't think that way anymore!) and 3)i never really had a good body image of myself before. my body image is getting better tho as i get older :)
i try really hard to not let them bother me, but it's just always at the back of my mind, having to make sure that my shirt isn't riding up, etc etc. i'm working on getting the ones on my legs covered up with tattoos :)

Anna - posted on 09/02/2009

Well, I didn't get stretch marks when I was pregnant, but aside from even that your body is just different after pregnancy. My hips are not as slim as they used to be and my boobs are 2 cup sizes smaller after breastfeeding 2 children. In exchange I have been blessed with 2 healthy children, who could ask for more than that? My kids keep me so busy, who has the time to worry about their body anyway, I'm lucky if I remember to eat 3 meals a day.



I do agree that it is pretty shallow to worry about such silly things when you are about to experience a miracle and greatest joy in your life. Stretch marks, little boobs, a few extra pounds, who cares, there is more to life than worrying about how you look.

September - posted on 09/02/2009

Quoting Chelsea:

I think if mine were the normal stretch marks I would have no issues. However, my stretch marks were so rapid and so extreme that I was tested for cushings disease (sp?). I have stretch marks that go almost to my ankles on the inside of my legs. Lots on my outer legs, and all the way around my belly and back as well as on my breasts. I only gained 25 Ibs. while pregnant and was not overweight at all when I got pregnant. I do feel proud to say that they are from creating my daughter but I feel ashamed when people ask me what is on my legs even when I am wearing capris.

Oh it breaks my heart to hear you say that you are ashamed. As hard as it may be to have stretch marks there sound be no shame involved. I'm sure that you are beautiful inside and out :)

Chelsea - posted on 09/02/2009

I think if mine were the normal stretch marks I would have no issues. However, my stretch marks were so rapid and so extreme that I was tested for cushings disease (sp?). I have stretch marks that go almost to my ankles on the inside of my legs. Lots on my outer legs, and all the way around my belly and back as well as on my breasts. I only gained 25 Ibs. while pregnant and was not overweight at all when I got pregnant. I do feel proud to say that they are from creating my daughter but I feel ashamed when people ask me what is on my legs even when I am wearing capris.

Kylie - posted on 09/02/2009

hmmm i understand the fear of stretchmarks.... i got them as a teenager on my boobs and bum and i was really embarrassed and upset. At that naive age i thought my body was ruined and no man would ever find me attractive. I got pregnant at 22 and i figured since i got them at puberty i was definitely going to get them during pregnancy. So i was quite obsessive, rubbing my belly with creams and bio oil 2-3 times a day for the entire 9 months. I'd wake up every morning and my first thought was to check my tummy for stretchmarks. Second pregnancy i didn't care at all..i used bio oil when i remember to because i figured thats why i didn't get them the first time. But I was a lot less selfish and immature at 26.

Isobel - posted on 09/02/2009

yup...he's a keeper ;)

Sharon - posted on 09/02/2009

Quoting Laura:

I never thought about them until I got divorced...letting a man who's not a dad see them is a different story all together...luckily I have the best man ever now...he showed me all the scars he had gained since we last saw each other when we were 18 and said we were both different now :)

That is so cool Laura!

September - posted on 09/02/2009

Quoting Laura:

I never thought about them until I got divorced...letting a man who's not a dad see them is a different story all together...luckily I have the best man ever now...he showed me all the scars he had gained since we last saw each other when we were 18 and said we were both different now :)

Awww that is so sweet!

Isobel - posted on 09/02/2009

I never thought about them until I got divorced...letting a man who's not a dad see them is a different story all together...luckily I have the best man ever now...he showed me all the scars he had gained since we last saw each other when we were 18 and said we were both different now :)

Amie - posted on 09/02/2009

I've honestly never really thought about it. Stretch marks happen. I have stretch marks on my breasts because they grew so quickly when I hit puberty, then a few more when they grew 2 sizes while I was breastfeeding.

They don't bother me in the least. I have some on my stomach, thighs and think my butt from when I was pregnant. I gained anywhere from 10 lbs. to 40 lbs. with each pregnancy. My first two babies were the only ones to give me stretch marks though. Guess I was all stretched out by the time the last two came along. LOL!

They don't bother me in the least. The baby pouch, that bothers me and I've been working on it. The stretch marks? Well honestly unless you are really close or feeling me up you can't tell they are there anymore. They have all faded. No one gets that close to me anyway other than my husband and he doesn't care!

They are just not on my list of things to worry about.

Cathelijn - posted on 09/02/2009

I am not going to say I love my stretch marks but I couldn't care less. My belly was the only place that grew when I was pregnant and the skin stretched like a balloon. It is pretty bad! My husband doesn't car he loves me for who I am he knows why the marks are there he is proud for me to have them. I once heard a quote form some celeb. is was something like her partner calles her stretchmark her tiger stripes, because thats how he sees her now as a tiger proud and protective.... We are all TIGERS ladies :-))

September - posted on 09/02/2009

That is too funny that you started this thread! I thought about doing the same thing when I read the thread that you're referring to. How sad that one cannot take pride in their stretch marks when they have created such an amaing thing! Maybe young girls need to be more educated about pregnancy before they decide to go and get pregnant. I also have stretch marks and I could not be more proud of them! I look at my stretch marks and I look at my son and all I can do is smile :) My husband compliments my post baby body everyday. I'm one that takes pride in my stretch marks!

Krista - posted on 09/02/2009

When I was pregnant and packing on the pounds, I never once let the thought of stretch marks and extra chub get to me. I was so beyond excited to be carrying a little baby that I could care less what it was doing to my body. I'm older too, though, so I got to have my years of going out, wearing short skirts and feeling like I looked hot lol! I suppose if I had been 20 instead of 27 when I was pregnant, I might have had a different outlook. My brother is getting married this month (he's 24 and she's 22). When I asked her if they had discussed when they want babies, she said that she wants at least a couple more years of having a "smokin' hot body" before she gets pregnant. I had to try really hard not to laugh in her face!



Now that I have my sweet baby boy, I couldn't be happier, but I'm working my ass off (literally) to lose the extra 20 lbs that are sticking around. I barely have stretch marks...just a couple pale ones on my hips, but I'm not even close to fitting into my old clothes and it does bother me. But I go to the gym 4 days a week, so at least I'm not just sitting on my fat ass and complaining about how fat it is anymore!

Sara - posted on 09/02/2009

Well, I should add I've never been a belly-bearing, bikini wearing type of girl, so nothing much changed for me to add a few stretch marks to the mix...

Sharon - posted on 09/02/2009

hahaha I'm torn. half of me is like 'BADGES OF MOTHERHOOD' and the other half is like "OMG they're UGLY!"



They aren't something I stressed over or overly worried about but I did make efforts to avoid them.

Katie - posted on 09/02/2009

I hate mine. They go all the way around to my back and up past my belly button. Now that Molly is coming up to 10 months I have gotten more used to the new me but it has been very hard. I have always had some body image issues and stretch marks don't help. I would love NOT to care, but I do. If its selfish...oh well. I still love my baby the same--stretch marks or not.

Lindsay - posted on 09/02/2009

Would I be sad if I didn't have any? Absolutely not, BUT they don't really bother me. I used the lotion every day and still winded up getting them at the end of my pregnancy with Cooper. I tried a few preventative things but never went to an extreme and never really stressed about getting them. They are my battle scars and I were them proudly! =)