When did you start getting stretch marks

Now I know that some off you got lucky and got no stretchmarks, but for those of us who are not so lucky...when did you start getting them?  I am 23 weeks and not a skinny girl to start off with (could have done with losing 20 pounds before falling pg), but I think I am going to get them any day now.

[greenpixie]

I'm 31 weeks and just started noticing them.  They are mostly on the sides of my belly, near my hips.  So far that's the only place they are showing up.  I'vebeen slathering my belly in shea butter lately b/c it helps with the itching.  Supposedly shea butter is also supposed to healp with stretch marks.  I don't know if that's true, but who knows?  Maybe I'd have a lot more if I hadn't been using the shea butter.

[Jenny77]

I am 37 weeks and no stretch marks on my belly at all yet. Hopefully won't get any at this point. But I did get just a few tiny stretch marks on my one breast by about 2 months. Sometimes it has more to do with how fast you gain the weight or grow. My belly has grown at a nice even rate, but my breasts just all of a sudden grew to a bigger cup size within like a few days back at the beginning. Oh well, DH will be the only one who sees my few stretch marks...I highly doubt that he will care at all.

[JJety]

I thought I was home free, but mine showed up around 36-37 weeks.  It was right at the end when the baby was really packing on the weight.  Ugh.

[Momoftwogirls]

The first time around I was a size 14 (190 lbs) when I got pg - I got them around 5 months - or started getting them.  And they were so horrible and I tried every cream on the market. Either you are blessed w/the genes for good skin elasticity or not...apparently I was NOT.  But 2nd pg not a single new stretch mark. Try not to worry about it too much - they honestly do fade - so they won't be BRIGHT red forever - but you'll always hate those lucky gals that didn't get a one. =-)

[Sha2004]

I'm prone to stretch marks, but never had any around my stomach. Mine started to appear early at 12 weeks. Now at 20 weeks, I have stretch marks on top of stretch marks. It's horrible.

[my2zipps]

I didn't notice any marks untill after my dd was born...when everything was trying to get back to normal (it never did..lol)
They have gotten really light as time went on and I can barley see them anymore....I am hoping with baby #2 right now I am as lucky...but I can already start to see some of them coming out of the wood work and I am only 16 weeks!

[girlybuff]

I am 5'8" and was 50 pounds when I got pregnant.  I gained about 40 pounds total throughout.  I didn't get any stretch marks until I was about 8 months and even at that I got 2 large ones near my navel.
If you're going to get them you're going to get them and no amount of magical cream will stop it but it's always good to keep your skin hydrated.  Drink lots of water too.
tghey fade to white lines you can barely see within a year I hear.
I just had my daughter 3 weeks ago.

[girlybuff]

I meant I was 150 nnot 50.  Wow, that would be just a little too thin.

[ctsmom]

Im 5'7 and I was 130 lbs before my pregnancy and my first stretch mark showed up at 25 weeks, and when i delivered had about a hundred, so good luck I hope you can through with out too many, I even used the stretch mark cream, so I dont think there is anyway to avoid them

[Jules_za]

I am really scared about 2 things, 1 = tearing during birth, 2= hubby gets funny because I have a hundred stretch marks (eventhough I know my hubby doesn't have a mean bone in his body) Did your hubbys attitude change afterwards?

[sherryroberson]

oh god! With my first, i started out at 130lbs and i started getting my stretch marks around 7 months, they were terrible and i cried and cried. I have them all the way up past my belly button. They did fade, but they're still there, and i've noticed some new popping up, man! i just can't get rid of em!

[pdxfirstpregnancy]

I have heard that Stri-vectin is WONDERFUL for making them disappear!  I have not tried them, but I hear it is worth the money.  IT can be rather expensive.

[Facere23]

I'm about 5'9" and was around a size 16/18 when i got pg.  I grew VERY fast VERY early.  And I noticed my first stretchmarks around 18wks..I was mortified...i had been slathering cocoa butter on for weeks before that in hopes to avoid it...but, now, at almost 24 wks, I've got 4 or 5 bright red ones on the sides on my stomach right around belly button level...and lets not mention the ones that haven't turned red yet!  And to make things worse, my DH pointed them out the other day and said "Baby, Did you stop using that lotion?" and touched one...i wanted to cry!  He feels horribly about it now.  He didn't think about it before he said it.  But, it's all worth it.  My father used to tell us that stretch marks showed who the REAL women are...lol.  That's old fashioned think for ya.

[kcooper]

My first pregnancy I used the Palmers with Cocoa Butter lotion for stretch marks, I was very good with rubbing that stuff in every day and night.  I came out of that pregnancy with no stretch marks.  My second pregnancy I was a slacker and didn't use the belly cream, I ended up getting some stretch marks from it.  I'm usually 5'8 and 135 lbs., my first son was 8 lbs. and 5 ounces and my second was 9 lbs. and 7 ounces.  I think the cream works, but you have to be consistent from the begining.

[laydee23]

k i have been noticein that i have been getting stretch marks on my breast close to my nipples and on my stomach. and i also noticed my stomach getting bigger. My brest feel really heavy and im peeing more then usual.
Does this mean im pregnant

[tiredbuthappy]

when was your last period? have you been gaining weight?

[Darkestlight]

I'm not a small girl and could have been good to lose another 20lbs before I got pregnant as well. I think I started getting stretch marks around 24wks or so. I use cocoa butter. It worked up at preventing them from getting worse or me getting any more of them until I got admitted to the hospital and didn't have any with me. I came home from the hospital 4days later with probably 5 or 6 more stretch marks than I had when I went in. ugh!! Luckily my hubby is understanding and doesn't even care.

[Nicole624]

I started getting mine aorund week 27. I am normally a small girl and I jsut have them on my sides. I have a few starting thoguh on my stomach =( I am 32 weeks today.

[ImmortalOne]

With #1 I was 5'7" and 135lbs when I got pregnant... I had no stretch marks till about 4 weeks before she was born, there was nothing then all of the sudden one morning I woke up and I had a road map!

With #2 I was 5'7 1/2" and 165lbs when I got pregnant... My stretch marks started getting worse around week 31, by the time she was born that road map from the first was the size of the globe imo.

With #3 here... I was 210lbs when I got pregnant ... I'm 34 weeks now.  My belly itches a little, but so far nothing new.  I'm hoping this stays this way till I deliver in 3 weeks.  Crossing my fingers that my previous war wounds are still elastic enough.

[chellybeans]

there is NO magic cure. it is a genetic predisposition that will determine whether you get them or not. if your mom has em' or you sister has them, then chances are pretty good that you will too. sorry girls...years in Dermatology taught me that one. i've seen so many women coming in looking for that wonder drug, laser or whatnot to get rid of them. it just doesn't exist. your best bet is to drink plenty of water. it does help the elasticity of your skin . the lotion will help with the dry itchies that are associated with pregnancy though. :)

[KellyTexas]

I got them with my last one - none yet on this one, but I'm only 8 weeks.  What will stop the itching though?  It's driving me crazy.

[Crritter]

I got htem with my first baby, but not till the last month.  I had one I just got the day before my 36 week check up.  At my Dr. appt. they discovered my son was breech and scheduled an external averion for that afternoon.  My poor belly suffered from all of the tugging and pushing and my whole belly was covered by the next morning, everything from my belly button down is a total diasater.  I'm not a big girl, very short and just about right.  I think I would have gotten them anyway as my first son was over 10 lbs. and I have a very short torso.  He had nowhere to go but out and I was ridiculously huge.  I also had excess water.  My second little guy I did not get any new ones thankfully, had a lot of water again, but not nearly as huge.  I kept waiting to explode, but it never happened.  You may be lucky and not get any, or you could be an accident waiting to happen like mine was.  Good luck, if you're gonna get them though there's no stopping it.

[chellybeans]

aveeno makes a good oatmeal based cream or cetaphil. actually pretty much anything will help. just remember that cream is thicker than lotion so it will last longer and hopefully be more effective.

i also take oatmeal baths. i buy the single us packets from aveeno,but have heard the doctors tell patients they can do just as well to use regular oatmeal(the kind you cook) one cup in the tub and soak in it at a nice luke warm temperature(not hot, that makes you more itchy and is bad for baby). it just leaves an awful mess to clean afterwards, but seems to help :)

[cyndy_07]

i gained 20lbs by the second month of pregnancy. i was rather skinny. i started getting really bad stretch marks at about 4 months. i gained 72lbs through out my pregnancy. i had toxemia (preeclampsia...spl?) and i swelled up a lot. my stretch marks were about 3 to 4 inches long and a little over an inch wide...my skin tore up really bad. no creams/lotions helped at all. i scratched my feet and arms because of my condition, but not my belly. so good luck. oh, and my waist was a 26 and it went to a 54, so maybe skin shouldn't stretch that much. i got them everywhere...so good luck to you.

[decogrl]

I never got them and my belly button never popped out.  I think it is genetic but also how fast you gain the weight.  I put on 35 gradually over the pregnancy, exercised and ate right.  

[RAWINA]

I never got it in my first pregnancy. I am 22 wks no and nothing yett. I use olive oil 2-3 times a day. in my culture we believe it helps alot. Try it and good luck

[Crritter]

I gained little weight with both of mine, 23 lbs. the first one and 18 lbs. the second one.  I was huge the first time, but my belly button never popped out that time.  The second baby, got no more strectch marks but my belly button did pop out, which was weird 'cuz I was way tiny.  I think it's mostly genetics but keeping your skin hydrated will help some and also ease the discomfort when they itch.