I was big. I mean B.I.G. big. People were asking about multiples big. According to my husband (because I couldn’t see them) I was cultivating my stretch marks well before the 5th month. Long purplish striations that I didn’t know were there, until after I’d given birth that I got to see them, a good four inches above my belly button! And I hadn’t even tried to stop them!
There are two camps that I know of so far as stretch marks are concerned. The first camp say you can escape them so long as you slather creams night and day and the second camp says there’s genetics at play and you cannot escape them no matter what you do. I belong to the second camp mostly. My mother had them, I remember noticing them as a tot and asking her about them. And if you’re five and remember your mother’s stretch marks… it doesn’t bode well for you.
You can reduce the likelihood of stretch marks by ;
- Having a mother who didn’t have them
- Not being fair skinned (I’m your typical pale Irish lass)
- Avoiding excessive weight gain (there’s a baby in here hel-LO!)
- Avoiding rapid weight loss (I just had a baby hel-LO!)
- Encouraging pigs to grow wings
So… I don’t think I could have done anything to save myself. The best I can tell you… look at your mother. Your mother is your best indicator if you are going to get them or not. If it looks like good news, celebrate, if it looks like it’s not just be sure to thank her very much for her sacrifice and concentrate on the end game, your baby! Good luck!
You might want to check out: Products made to reduce stretch marks