Stretch Marks?

Enndea

When did you first get them, if you did?  If you didn't--have any secrets you want to spill??  I'm 19 weeks now, and my skin is so tight already!  I lube up daily and cross my fingers since my sister had none, but I'm curious for those of you who have BTDT.

wille2b

mine started at 18ish weeks and have been awful ever since. i usesd oils and lotion and just couldnt escape them. I crossed my fingers since my mom had 4 kids and never got a stretch mark but sadly i made up for the both of us, i looked like i was attacked by a wild mountain cat!! hoping you dont get any, keep your belly lubed good!

lynn0926

I thought I was going to escape them. Nope, nope! They showed with a vengance overnight during week 34.

ETA: I use burt.s bee ma.ma bee oil and coco butter lotion. 

SimplyChic&Sassy

I have pretty good skin elasticity but wasn't lucky enough to not get them... I got them on my breasts pretty early on and started getting them on my "love handle" area about 5 weeks ago. I use Palmer's Cocoa Butter Massage Cream for Stretch Marks, but not as religiously as I probably should. Good luck!

April+

I didn't get any stretch marks and used a stretch mark oil called Weleda Stretch mark oil. I also used Palmers Body Butter once a day.

karo112

Whether or not you get them is mostly hereditary. There is no cream or gel in the world that can stop them from coming if you're destined to get them. Having said that I got them. Badly. My stomach is an unholy mess but they are a reminder of when and where I grew my two perfect little girls!

GoMaltby18

With DS1 I didn't get any until like 36 weeks.  Then I thought I only had a few...until I delivered and they all showed up postpartum on my saggy belly.  Awesome.

By now the bottom half of my belly is already a big pink-lined mess. 

gault530

I don't have them yet, but am assuming it's part of the deal with twins.  I didn't get them with DD, but I'm going to be much larger this time.  I use a L'Occtaine Oil and lotion every day.

ks3pink

I don't have any noticeable ones on my belly which I kept good and lotioned up but I have terrible ones on the inside of my thigh! Go figure.

Ann003

I started getting them around week 26 or so?  They started on the love handles and now they've taken over.  Thankfully, most are below my belly button (for now).  I use Mustela Double Action Stretch Mark Lotion for the stretch mark areas and the Mustela Ultimate Hydration lotion for the rest of my belly.  My skin is super sensitive and these lotions haven't caused a reaction and aren't greasy.  

2moms2b

Like PP it's all hereditary.  I mean you can lotion and oil but if you are meant to get them they will appear.

I thought I escaped them but at 36 weeks (3 days before I delivered) I got a couple around my belly button.  Now post pregnancy I notice that I actually had a ton more but they were the same color and never purpled.  Now my belly is saggy so you can see them all.

I figure wear them proud as I have two little precious boys that caused mine and I would take the stretch marks any day over not having them.

yinyang124

I had zero until 30 weeks, then a few popped up. 32w came and suddenly my belly was covered. They are worse postpartum.

Lyndsey13

I thought I wouldn't them, my mom didn't after 4 children, my sister didn't. I literally drank around a gallon of water daily and I slathered lotion multiple times a day. I have tons and not just on my belly...on my love handles, my butt, and all around my thighs. I even have two that go right through my pretty tattoo. Now its split in half . That's nothing compared to the saggy, gross skin though. I'm 6 months pp.

Lyndsey13

I thought I wouldn't get them, my mom didn't after 4 children, my sister didn't. I literally drank around a gallon of water daily and I slathered lotion multiple times a day. I have tons and not just on my belly...on my love handles, my butt, and all around my thighs. I even have two that go right through my pretty tattoo. Now its split in half . That's nothing compared to the saggy, gross skin though. I'm 6 months pp.

rinascita

MrsLee04:

My secret to not getting them was genetics.  I didn't waste time or money on any products because they don't work.

This... except I was the opposite.  My mother got horrible stretch marks and despite my best effort with special soaps, shower skin conditioners, creams, lotions, etc. mine are horrible.  

I did carry my boys "all in my belly" and gained very little weight elsewhere so maybe that is why?  Sad to say they started in my lower abdomen, worked their way up over my belly button and my upper abdominals... only for them to move to my sides/lower back and tops of my thighs near my hip bones... as I grew, the stretch marks followed.  I carried them to 38w5d.

katiebenes

I had some from before.

The only thing I can say: when I used lotion religiously after they appeared - they went from purple to light pink MUCH QUICKER. 

MuseumMaven

I thought I escaped them entirely, but I got them on the sides of my belly and couldn't see them. They weren't bad, though, and faded quickly.

Mayan2011

I carried to 37w2d (gained ~60lbs) and didn't get any.  I used cream and a body bar from Lush every day.

Here is a link to the cream - https://www.lush.ca/Charity-Pot/9999902674,en_CA,pd.html?start=1&q=charity%20pot.  I likely used at least 10 of these!

Here is the link to the body bar - https://www.lush.ca/King-of-Skin/02176,en_CA,pd.html?start=1&q=king%20of%20skin.  I can't remember how many of these I went through, but it was a lot.  I used it after every shower.

I should also say that I do agree with OPs re: genetics.  My mom didn't get any and she carried 5 singleton pregnancies.  That said, my sister got them and she carried a singleton to 37wks and carried quite small her whole pregnancy.  Genetics or not, I wanted to do everything I could to try and avoid them.

Breezy8407

I didn't get any. My mom also never had any so I figured I would have a shot at not getting them. 

I used Bio Oil and Burt's Bees Mama Bee though...Burt's before bed and Bio Oil after each shower. I really believe it's genetics though. 

BabyCarryingVessel

lynn0926:

I thought I was going to escape them. Nope, nope! They showed with a vengance overnight during week 34.

ETA: I use burt.s bee ma.ma bee oil and coco butter lotion. 

This was me exactly. Thought I was in the clear, then they showed up around 34 weeks and got worse every day. I guess they say no amount of lube will make that big of a difference, but I still desperately tried. I really don't mind my marks now, though. I saw something one time that said to think of stretch marks as earning your tiger stripes.   

jennifire7

2moms2b:

Like PP it's all hereditary.  I mean you can lotion and oil but if you are meant to get them they will appear.

I thought I escaped them but at 36 weeks (3 days before I delivered) I got a couple around my belly button.  Now post pregnancy I notice that I actually had a ton more but they were the same color and never purpled.  Now my belly is saggy so you can see them all.

I figure wear them proud as I have two little precious boys that caused mine and I would take the stretch marks any day over not having them.

I thought I had escaped them as well, but 1 week out, I can now see them on my saggy skin. My mother never had them either, but I assume its because of the twins and extra stretching to accommodate both of them.  

BananaPancake

I got them around 36 weeks, very mild right around my belly button. I really thought I was going to get away without them! You can't really see them unless you look closely, but since i look closely...sigh. Oh well, two babies for the price of one isn't bad!