Me... Stretch Marks? Is it possible?

[ammanda]

I thought I would share with you girls what I found last night, so we just moved into a new place, and there is a jacuzzi bathtub in our bathroom, so I was very excited to take a bath, I got to relax!!!  When I got out I was putting my lotion on like I always do. And to my surprise I found 2 tiny stress marks!!! ooooo no..  I thought i was doing so good, I have gained about 24 lbs and I am 31 weeks, and just now I get one.  There really tiny and I had to show them to DF.  So does that mean since I got those two, that im going to get more, and that there gonna start to get darker and bigger?  

I have always been a small girl, who loved to dress cute in sun dresses and skirts and everything.  But if I get major strech marks I swear I will never wear a bikini again.  And I will never get naked in front of DF again.  It so very sad Im Due may 7th.  Its just gonna start warming up then and I was so excited for swimming weather.  

Is there anything I can do to prevent them from getting worse?

I know I sound like a cry baby, and Im sorry for that.  But my body meant the world to me!! and its not that im not happy with my baby and would blame him at all, just wondering if theres anything I can do?

[ammanda]

Thanks girls, i really appreciate the feedback, it helped alot, Me and DF talked about it earlier and he explained that he loves me no matter what and that I will always be attractive to him.  Ha he even had to use the whole "im the one that still tries to have sex with you all the time" lol.. It was cute.  

And alaysha, id appreciate it if you didnt come on my thread when I need support and a good talking to and be rude like that.  Just stay away if you dont have anything helpful to say.  thanks!!!

[alaysha]

I had SOOO many stretch marks on my belly, boobs, butt and hips it was ridiculous. But after a couple of months they disappeared. I can still tell that they are there sometimes, but when I take off my clothes and put on a bikini no one can really notice. I know that your body meant the world to you, looking attractive means a lot to many people, but you got pregnant knowing that your body would change. I think it is absolutely ridiculous to be crying about it now.

[HeatherLF16]

Don't worry too much you may not get that many at all since you are not very prone to them to begin with.  Also, I am a small girl as well I have a few on my hips even prior to pregnancy just from fluctuating between 5-10 pounds (gaining then losing) and they are white you cannot even see them, they go away when I tan.  I imagine that is how they look after your skin goes back to normal. Over 90% of women get them nothing to be ashamed about.  Just keep using the lotion, also I have heard that baby oil helps too so you may want to try that.  I am sure my whole belly will be covered in them soon, but as long as I can get my body back the stretch marks won't bug me.
My sister has the funniest story about her first stretch mark when she was 7 months pregnant, she noticed this tiny little mark and put some neosporin on it, then covered it with a band-aid.  She woke up the next morning and the stretch mark was bigger than the band-aid along with about 4 others (but she also gained way too much weight).  If you are going to get them it's going to happen lotions help, but don't prevent.  

[Melka76]

I used the Palmers cream and it does help .. but I have a few from 5 years ago that are kind of coming out with this pregnancy- they do fade... and you cant notice mine when I am in the sun or bedroom unless you look very closely... Trust me .. you husband has specific areas that he tunes into when you are undressing.. he is not looking for imperfections.. he is happy to be witnessing the show.... Remember the skin is streched right now so they look worse than they really are.. just keep using lotions - and when you do tan again.. put sun screen on them for the first year... I have always found that if I let a scar or something like that tan.. they remain a little darker when my suntan goes away!!

[LosingMyMindInGA]

Keep doing what you are doing and you may prevent them from being as bad as they could have been.  Unfortunately there isn't much you can do to prevent them all together.  Some women are more prone to them than others.  I've never bothered trying these, but you can try things like mederma and other scar fading creams after delivery to try and minimize the appearance of them.  Most stretch marks fade and become very light and hard to see after several months.  

If you saw the stretch marks I have you'd run screaming for the hills.  But I choose to look at it this way, they are souvenirs from my pregnancies, they are reminders of the wonderful gifts of life that I had growing inside of me.  When you get pregnant your body changes in many ways.  Very few women are fortunate enough to get their body back exactly as it was before.  If you make it through this pregnancy with a few minor stretch marks and everything else goes back to the way it was before then you are doing better than the majority of women.