Congratulations! You’re pregnant and your body is changing. While this is an exciting time it’s also a time of great change. Changes to your body are happening and some of them you’re not so fond of. Like stretch marks.
Oh, those stretch marks.
You managed to make it through puberty without them, but now that your body is growing a tiny human, it seems that puberty is getting its revenge.
As your breasts and belly begin to grow you remember the days of bikini’s on the beach. The sun on your skin, riding your bicycle down the boardwalk in shorts and your bikini top. You think to yourself, “Will my body ever be the same?”
For many, stretch marks are the tiger stripes of pregnancy.
The rapid growth of the breasts, belly, and for some. thighs and tush can cause them to appear during pregnancy. The good news is, that you’re not alone.
Approximately 50-90% of pregnant women will develop stretch marks during pregnancy.
So what can you do to try and keep your belly from looking like the ferris wheel on Coney Island during your pregnancy?
- Hydrate!
- Hydration helps the skin to stay supple and more agreeable to stretching
- Focus on Healthy Eating
- Foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids, help the skin to stay supple
- Moisturize
- Oils and creams containing shea butter, vitamin E, and aloe vera can help the skin to maintain optimum elasticity.
- Massage
- Massaging moisturizing creams or oils into the common areas prone to stretch marks twice a day can help to prevent or minimize their appearance.
- Aim For a Healthy Weight Gain
- Rapid growth is a trigger for those tiger stripes to appear. Focus on a gradual but healthy weight gain during pregnancy to help prevent or minimize the appearance of stretch marks.
Take a minute to celebrate your body, tiger stripes, and all.
Leave a Reply