How Can I Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy?
One of the dreaded pregnancy symptoms doesn’t attack your digestion, your sleep, or even your muscle groups, but instead your sense of vanity - stretch marks! Many women look rapidly upon observing their growing belly for a remedy for these telltale signs of advancing pregnancy. We’re here to help you understand the cause, and find some solutions if you can to advancing your tiger stripes!
Stretch marks start to appear for a majority of pregnant women who are predisposed to them during their late second and third trimester. A lucky group will escape a great many of them until the very tail end of their pregnancy, while some will avoid them altogether!
What causes stretch marks? After searching in exasperation for clues, doctors have focused in on - you’ve guessed it! - hormones! The multitude of hormonal changes in pregnancy can lead to excess fluid retention in the skin. When this occurs, the collagen that bonds the fibers of the skin (and makes for that taut, buoyant effect many women seek in advancing age) relaxes. The skin that is stretched and given more applied pressure as the belly, breasts, hips and more grow isn’t given enough time to support itself and tears, causing a stretch mark.
Try as you want to, those who have a genetic predisposition to stretch marks probably will still spot them in the mirror during pregnancy. However, there are a few things you can do to try and avoid a whole crop come delivery day.
Moisturize
Slathering your growing belly, hips and breasts with a collagen rich and vitamin rich body oil can help the skin as it grows to keep strong bonds and help with the cross of fluids across the epidermis. BioOil is a favorite among many who already deal with stretch marks!
Up Your Vitamin C
Vitamin C is great for many things, and has been tied to assisting the skin in its job of staying strong and healthy, so grab that glass of orange juice and check your prenatal vitamin for a good healthy dose!
Avoid Rapid Weight Gain
While weight will creep on during pregnancy at a much faster rate due to the growth of baby and necessary assistance of other organs and fluids, trying to avoid a burst in your weight gain bubble will help your skin adjust to the new changes gradually. Sudden onset of additional weight can cause more tearing.
Your stretch marks may seem unsightly to you, but at the end of pregnancy when your baby is in your arms, you might be able to see the beauty in their appearance as a sign and indication that you became a mother. Wear them like a badge of honor and know that they will fade over time with the same care you gave them!
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