Pregnancy Stretch Marks - Find Answers
Stretch marks have been a major dread and concern of every pregnant women I have ever met.
That should come as no surprise when you consider that 70 to 90 percent of all pregnant women develop stretch marks.
Most frequently the marks develop in the breast, the abdomen, the hips, thighs, and butt.
Three haunting questions about stretch marks during pregnancy are: 1.
Why do I get them? 2.
Can I prevent them? 3.
How do I get rid of them? Doctors from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota believe that pregnancy stretch marks appear when a pregnant women produces more corticosteroids.
Corticosteroid is a hormone produced by the adrenal gland that decreases the amount of collagen in the skin.
Collagen is the protein that keeps our skin fibers stretchy.
When skin stays stretchy it is less likely to develop stretch marks.
Rapid weight gain during your pregnancy can increase the chance of developing stretch marks.
Surprisingly enough rapid weight loss after the birth of your baby can also increase the same chance.
Normal weight gain during pregnancy is 2 to 4.
5 lbs in the first twelve weeks.
During weeks 12 to 28 a gain of 10 to 14 oz.
a week is expected.
The last 28 to 40 weeks a gain of 2 to 6 lbs.
a month is within normal range.
It is difficult to prevent pregnancy stretch marks but there are measures you can take, starting early in your pregnancy, to possibly avoid them or at least minimize them.
It is important for pregnant women to take their prenatal vitamins.
Along with the vitamins, a healthy diet rich in protein, calcium, whole grains, fruits and vegetables will nourish your body and keep it working to its maximum potential for a problem free pregnancy.
This wouldinclude stretch marks.
Vitamin E, C, zinc and silica help to keep the skin healthy.
Drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day will help to keep your body hydrated to maintain its elasticity.
Massaging your skin every day will help improve circulation and using creams and lotions will keep it supple.
Make sure you use natural creams and lotions.
Consult your health care provider if you have questions or concerns about the creams and lotions you are using or want to use.
Cold weather, hot showers and the sun will dry your skin out.
Patting dry and applying baby oil after your shower is recommended to keep your skin smooth and stretchy.
Let the baby oit dry before applying moisturizing lotion.
Because it is unclear if sun screens can harm your baby, it would be better to use light clothing to cover your skin in place of sun screen.
Unfortunately you will never get rid of your stretch marks but...
rest assured, they are not serious and over time they will fade and become less noticeable.
Continue a healthy diet, keep drinking water, and use moisturizers even after your baby is born to diminish the appearance of stretch marks more rapidly.
If you already had stretch marks before you became pregnant, following these suggestions, you will be able to minimize the appearance.
That should come as no surprise when you consider that 70 to 90 percent of all pregnant women develop stretch marks.
Most frequently the marks develop in the breast, the abdomen, the hips, thighs, and butt.
Three haunting questions about stretch marks during pregnancy are: 1.
Why do I get them? 2.
Can I prevent them? 3.
How do I get rid of them? Doctors from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota believe that pregnancy stretch marks appear when a pregnant women produces more corticosteroids.
Corticosteroid is a hormone produced by the adrenal gland that decreases the amount of collagen in the skin.
Collagen is the protein that keeps our skin fibers stretchy.
When skin stays stretchy it is less likely to develop stretch marks.
Rapid weight gain during your pregnancy can increase the chance of developing stretch marks.
Surprisingly enough rapid weight loss after the birth of your baby can also increase the same chance.
Normal weight gain during pregnancy is 2 to 4.
5 lbs in the first twelve weeks.
During weeks 12 to 28 a gain of 10 to 14 oz.
a week is expected.
The last 28 to 40 weeks a gain of 2 to 6 lbs.
a month is within normal range.
It is difficult to prevent pregnancy stretch marks but there are measures you can take, starting early in your pregnancy, to possibly avoid them or at least minimize them.
It is important for pregnant women to take their prenatal vitamins.
Along with the vitamins, a healthy diet rich in protein, calcium, whole grains, fruits and vegetables will nourish your body and keep it working to its maximum potential for a problem free pregnancy.
This wouldinclude stretch marks.
Vitamin E, C, zinc and silica help to keep the skin healthy.
Drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day will help to keep your body hydrated to maintain its elasticity.
Massaging your skin every day will help improve circulation and using creams and lotions will keep it supple.
Make sure you use natural creams and lotions.
Consult your health care provider if you have questions or concerns about the creams and lotions you are using or want to use.
Cold weather, hot showers and the sun will dry your skin out.
Patting dry and applying baby oil after your shower is recommended to keep your skin smooth and stretchy.
Let the baby oit dry before applying moisturizing lotion.
Because it is unclear if sun screens can harm your baby, it would be better to use light clothing to cover your skin in place of sun screen.
Unfortunately you will never get rid of your stretch marks but...
rest assured, they are not serious and over time they will fade and become less noticeable.
Continue a healthy diet, keep drinking water, and use moisturizers even after your baby is born to diminish the appearance of stretch marks more rapidly.
If you already had stretch marks before you became pregnant, following these suggestions, you will be able to minimize the appearance.
Source...