Tips to Prevent Stretch Marks in Pregnancy
Wednesday, January 24th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Most mothers-to-be say that there is nothing as satisfying and fulfilling as the sensations of their baby growing inside of them during the pregnancy. They know that their body is nurturing and slowly giving life to their child, while the miracle of pregnancy brings many dramatic changes to their physiology. Along with the wonderful experience of pregnancy, comes the aftermath of physical changes to your body. One of these is the stretch marks that result from over-stretched and damaged skin.
Many women believe that the best defense is a strong offense, so they attempt to prevent stretch marks in pregnancy as an ongoing preventative practice. Unfortunately, you can almost guarantee that you will get at least a few stretch marks on your body during pregnancy. But there are ways to help prevent stretch marks during pregnancy, if you are determined to avoid them.
Before you start to develop a skin care program to prevent stretch marks in pregnancy, you should first know what causes this skin damage.
What is the Cause of Stretch Marks?
Collagen and elastin are two types of skin tissue that help to keep the skin stretchy and flexible. Basically, stretch marks occur the skin tissue is stretching so much that it tears, thus creating streaks reflecting this stretch. This occurs due to weight gain either during pregnancy or excessive weight gain. The amounts of stretch marks you get depend quite a bit upon genetics. The elasticity of your skin is in your genes. If your mother or father got stretch marks after gaining weight, then chances are you are susceptible to them as well.
How to Avoid Stretch Marks
Doctors state that almost 9 out of every 10 pregnant women will get some level of stretch marks. The areas where this most often occurs are: thighs, hips, buttocks, and breasts. These are the areas that experience the most weight gain during pregnancy.
There are some women who choose to allow there skin to stretch out, showing their pride in carrying a baby. We have found that these women are in a small minority. Most women want to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy as much as possible.
Most doctors will agree that while no process is guaranteed, there are a few ways to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy.
Limit Your Weight Gain
Keep your pregnancy weight gain between the normal 25-35 pounds. Any weight gain past the normal amount will cause stretch marks to appear even more.
Watch Your Diet
Drinking a lot of water and eating right during your pregnancy will help keep your skin healthy and enhance elasticity.
Use the Best Stretch Mark Cream
Using the best stretch mark cream available will keep your skin soft and supple. A lotion for pregnancy stretch marks will usually contain Vitamin E or cocoa butter to help maintain the health and appearance of your skin.
These tips on how to prevent stretch marks in pregnancy will give you the foundation for your own stretch mark prevention program.
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