I'm 6 months pregnant with my first child and am very worried about stretch marks.. does anyone know any way to prevent them?

Nicky - posted on 04/14/2009

I have to agree with other posts and from what my own doc told me - all the creams and butters in the world won't help if you are genetically prone to them.  I too used all that stuff and I still got them, and trust me, I put it on 24/7.  Even if you get them, look as to why you have them, your beautiful baby.  If you do get them, I wouldn't stress about it I heard at least 80% of moms get them in pregnancy, most of my friends have them as well.   The previous poster couldn't have said it myself - They are love marks from your baby.  Bottom line, I would use the butters and hope you have good genetics....If you haven't gotten them by now who knows, maybe you won't....I started getting them at about four months.  Congrats on your pregnancy!! (:

Ashley - posted on 04/14/2009

I used berts bees belly butter everyday, I didn't get any and my belly really got big and stretched, but my OB said it's genetic you'll get them or you wont ! I think the belly butter helps though esp. with the itchy belly! He said I had really elastic skin, that's why I didn't get them, so maybe you wont!

Meredith - posted on 04/14/2009

Honestly, I think it has alot to do with genetics. If your mother had stretches marks then you will probably get them too. Although lotion is the best thing. Everyone swears by cocoa butter lotion. The last couple of weeks is when you will really feel a sensation of stretching or as I call it " I'm about to pop". Most women get stretch marks within the last few weeks of their pregnancy, so if you've been slapping on lotion since day one it's not going to help all that much. Most stretch marks will fade with time. It's easier to recover "your body" after your first child not so much after the second and so on. Good luck!

Jeanne - posted on 04/14/2009

Shea butter and aloe based lotion worked best for me.

Sammy - posted on 04/14/2009

Quoting Alysha:

I'm 6 months pregnant with my first child and am very worried about stretch marks.. does anyone know any way to prevent them?

i found BIO OIL helped...a few drops in my bath...and rub a small handfull over you at night...x

Brenda - posted on 04/14/2009

No way to prevent them, it's all in the family genes. Why worry about stretch marks? Those are love marks from your baby. :)

Maria - posted on 04/14/2009

In my experience, there is no real way of avoiding them, I didn't get any until I was about 7 months and then they just started getting worse and worse. I literally took baths in coco butter oil, but it didn't help. By the time I had my daughter they were all over my stomach. Unless you have stretchy skin then there is not much you can really do. Plastic surgery afterwards (if your not planning to have another one) would be my only suggestion.

Selina - posted on 04/14/2009

When I was pregnant I applied cocoa butter two times a day. It really helped me. However I did get stretch marks on my breasts so don't forget to apply there too. I still apply cocoa butter even after I had my baby in February and I think it really helped my skin tighten back up. Good Luck and enjoy your pregnancy.

Michelle - posted on 04/14/2009

I'm afraid it's almost completely up to your genetics. If you have ample amounts of elastin in your skin you should be fine. But along with that you need to make sure you are keeping your skin hydrated from the INSIDE out. That means you need to be consuming water at an unGodly rate lol... it also means you and the toilet will have a very very close relationship by the end of your pregnancy.  Also gaining weight too quickly during pregancy can cause stretch marks no matter how much elastin your skin has. Lotion only temporarily repairs skin cells and does not go deep enough to permanently repair squat. I didn't use cocao butter, and I didn't get any stretch marks.

Tari - posted on 04/14/2009

massage-massage-massage---I rubbed my belly twice a day with pregnancy massage oil---my belly grew to 50 inches---and I did not get one single stretch mark....people say it isheriditary...blah blah blah...my Mom has major stretch marks....but its all about how you take care of yourself-----you must drink lots of water in addition to massaging your belly twice a day

Nicola - posted on 04/14/2009

No matter what cream you use, you'll either be unlucky and get them, or lucky and won't. Stretch marks are formed int the second layer of skin, so no matter what cream you use or how much you use, you'll get them if you're meant to. Before my Dr told me this I was using Palmers Stretchmark cream, and got them. So good luck! Let's hope you're one of the lucky ones. Also my doctor said, once they're there, they are treatable to minimise the "scars" of carrying a child, you'll never completely get rid of them!

Emma - posted on 04/14/2009

palmers or bio oil

Kathern - posted on 04/14/2009

honestly it doesn matter what kind of lotion you use as long as it is a good mosturizer. drink lots of water, eat healthy and apply lotion all of your body everyday.

Catherine - posted on 04/14/2009

you can put cocoa butter all over your belly and wrap your belly up in cellophane. it keeps the moisture in and helps with the itching.

Sacha - posted on 04/14/2009

I think that some people are prone to them some are not my sister is covered bu tI only have a few at the side. I did use a spray oil but the coco butter is also really good make sure you use if on the side not just over your bump. Good luck with the baba

Katie - posted on 04/14/2009

I hated the smell of the palmer's cocoa butter lotion for stretch marks so I used a combo of Suave cocoa butter lotion (which smells like chocolate!) and St. Ive's Collagen Elastin lotion every morning and night starting from about 5-6 months and never got a single stretch mark. They say stretch marks can also be genetic (my mom had 4 kids and never got one) so I don't know if that was responsible or the lotion but I am not going to take any chances and am planning on using the same stuff next time as well.

Camlin - posted on 04/14/2009

Hi there...I am an Independent Sales Representative for Avon and they have a stretch mark smoother they just came out with. I just had my second baby and have been using it since I was pregnant...IT WORKS WONDERS!! It is really incredible. I tried the cocoa butter and it didn't work for me. The stretch mark smoother is great.  youravon.com/cwesten is my website you can check it out. Best of luck and congratulations

Rebecca - posted on 04/14/2009

dont scratch your belly.. and dont get jeans that rub against it. cocoa butter is good for them. I have ONE TINY strech mark where my belly ring was but you cant even see... but of course i notice it cause its my body... make sure you rub cocoa butter on your boobs and butt too.. and thighs... most people get stretch marks there too

Raheema - posted on 04/14/2009

Quoting Alysha:

I'm 6 months pregnant with my first child and am very worried about stretch marks.. does anyone know any way to prevent them?

Dear Alysha, I found that bio oil is definately the best in helping to prevent stretch marks ;) Good luck!

Pat - posted on 04/14/2009

Don't waste your money!! If one is prone to stretch marks they'll occur no matter what any advertising tells you. My mother, etc. all had them. My daughter-in-law used the expensive Bio-Oil and still got them. It's nature..they fad with time. 

Kerry - posted on 04/14/2009

hi. i used bio oil everyday and didnt have any until last 6 weeks then i got so enormous they came lol! am still using it about 5 times a day and they r fading :-)

Loris - posted on 04/13/2009

when i was pregnant with all 3 of my kids i used a lotion called mother's best on my entire body and i never got stretch marks, my daughter done the same with her first baby and no stretch marks. my mother had stretch marks bad with me so it is not a fact you will get them too if its in your genes. just keep your skin moist with the lotion and you will should not see any. i found the mother best at my local pharmacy.cocoa butter works too. but be sure you use it all over. good luck

Davina - posted on 04/13/2009

hi, i used coco butter  for 6 monthsand never got any, but someone told me to use bio oil cause it was supose to work better. Guess what it didn't. As soon as i used it they started to appear, and my mother never had any. I would stick to the coco butter!!!

Samantha - posted on 04/13/2009

Hi, my Mum told me to use regular Olive oil all over my torso and back area throughout my entire pregnancy as she had done that and didn't get one stretch mark.  I used it and it worked perfectly for me, I didn't get any and my boy was quite a big one and I was quite little so I was worried about stretch marks as well.  The only difference was that I used Light Olive oil as I suffer from Eczema, but it worked just as well.  Hope this helps.

Lucia - posted on 04/13/2009

i used the cocoa butter formula from palmers its for stretch marks and i am about to have my 3rd child and i can say its worked for me as i dont have one mark on my body. no matter what cream you use its best to rub it in after u get out of shower at night and in the morning thats all i ever done. hope it works for you

Melody - posted on 04/13/2009

Sorry to say but it all does depend on genetics.I did have a few stretch marks but I used Vitamin E oil and Mederma (you can get from Walgreens or any local pharmacy). It took a little while, but the stretchies did finally go away.

Claudia - posted on 04/13/2009

Quoting Alysha:

I'm 6 months pregnant with my first child and am very worried about stretch marks.. does anyone know any way to prevent them?

In addition to Bio-oil I took tissue salts. There is one for skin elasticity. I didn't have stretchmarks.

Fiona - posted on 04/13/2009

Apricot kernal oil, I have used it through 5 pregnacies and the only stretch marks that I got is on my boobs cos they got so big so quick

Alice - posted on 04/13/2009

all the way through my pregnancy i used baby oils the cocoa butter everything i could think of an i didnt get a single one until 5 weeks before my due date i think unfortunately if you're going to get them it doesnt matter what you use you're going to get them but believe me they are worth evey little one...... congrats bye the way :D x x

Rabecca - posted on 04/13/2009

my doctor told me really there is nothing you can do or not do to prevent them the products are there to make you feel like youcan aviod this but mostly it's genetic so if your mom has them you most likly will too

Shawntelle - posted on 04/13/2009

DONT SCRATCH!

Lisa - posted on 04/13/2009

shea butter works better with strech marks then coco butter in my experiance

Tarsha - posted on 04/13/2009

i dont believe that if your mum has them u will get them.. blah blah.. sorry if i offend everyone, but my mum is covered in them and i have none ! i am the same, i used Palmers cocoa butter and did not get any stretch marks at all. i gained 14 kilos through the whole pregnancy and ended up an emergency c-sec. i do believe that everyone is different & its all to do with you and your body.. so just keep doing what you believe & good luck with the pregnancy & birth. :)

Catrina - posted on 04/13/2009

I used cocoa butter lotion and cream and i thought I was in the clear, I didn't get stretch marks till the last week of my pregnancy.  They are really light though and nothing like my friends who didn't use it.

Serina - posted on 04/13/2009

They say it depends on your genes but my sister got them bad and I havnt had a single one so I dunno if its true. Vitamin E lotions and oils are the best for preventing them...Im 8 mnths pregnant with #2 and what Ive done for both babies is use vitamin E lotions, drink lots of orange juice and try not to gain rapid weight. I also use cologene lotions because thats what your skins elasticity depends on. I am soooo scarred to get stetch marks so I've done alot of research on them...Best of luck!! If you do get them.....I know people who used the bio oil and it worked amazing to get rid of them.... I assume it would prevent them as well but i dont know.

Kate - posted on 04/13/2009

Try that Bio Oil. It is suposed to be really good

Erin - posted on 04/13/2009

Recommend Mustela Stretch Marks Double Action cream (found at BabiesRus), not one stretch mark, but I only gained 36lbs.  The cream is somewhat expensive, but all of my girlfriends swear by it and none of them have marks either.  I thought Palmers smelled really bad:(

Stacy - posted on 04/13/2009

Try not to gain too much weight!!!!!!!

Helen - posted on 04/13/2009

i don't think anything works - you are either prone to them or you are not. I got them all over my belly but as noone ever sees it except my husband i don't really care. I never was a belly out in public kind of girl anyway!

Maggie - posted on 04/13/2009

I used coco butter, it worked the best, i have almost no stretch marks. Use the oil or the lotion during pregnancy. Avoid scratching your stomache when it is itchy, just rub the oil or lotion onto irritated area. Scratching will only make it more likely to get more stretch marks.

Elizabeth - posted on 04/13/2009

my daughter uses palmers cocoa butter lotion and with her first child she got only 1 stretch mark and she is preggers with baby #2 and is due in 1 month and she uses it  no stretch marks yet

Jo-ann - posted on 04/11/2009

Stop being so vain. Stretch marks are kisses from your baby, they fade over time.

Pat - posted on 04/11/2009

Use the Palmer's cocoa butter lotion and when your skin feels itchy from stretching, NEVER EVER scratch with your finger nails.

Sharon - posted on 04/11/2009

My mother & sister both got stretch marks but I didn't, so who knows

Amy - posted on 04/11/2009

According to my Dr. it's in your genes and skin tone. If your mom has them you will too. Also if you have fair skin you are more likely to get them as well because of less elasticity in fair skin. You can reduce the severity with lots of lotion but it's in the genes and skin tone.

Michelle - posted on 04/11/2009

Bio-oil is supposed to be good it removed my daughters scars when she had chicken pox

Sharon - posted on 04/11/2009

Lotion with Vitamin E. After 3 kids, not a single stretch mark on my stomach. Too bad I didn't use the lotion on my boobs & butt too.

Amber - posted on 04/11/2009

YOUR PREGNANT - YOU PROBABLY WILL GET STRETCH MARKS. PALMERS IS GOOD BUT UNFORTUNATELY ITS LIFE.

Cyndee - posted on 04/11/2009

 apply vitamin E oil/cream and cocoa butter everyday on yout strech marks and they will fade slowly...Hope this helps

Meagan - posted on 04/11/2009

I've got stretch marks from gaining / losing weight frequently during my 20's & my mum got stretch marks through pregnancy, however I used Bio Oil morning & night throughout pregnancy on stomach, bum & breasts + drank loads of water and didn't get any more - it's great stuff.