I was so worried during my first pregnancy, that all I thought about was getting stretch marks. I read many blogs and articles about how to prevent them and what supplements or creams I should use. I also stumbled across a section that specifically spoke about stretch marks and how they can be hereditary. My mother had me and my sister (we're twins) and her belly was twice the size of mine. Her stretch marks weren't even bad. But what is considered bad?
Nothing is considered bad to answer that. It is perfectly OKAY if you get some stretch marks. I know thinking about so much was very overwhelming for me, as a lot of things are when you're a new mama! So, I decided to go through my first pregnancy with only using/doing 3 things.
First things first: I used an oil daily and rubbed it all over my belly and boobs, also my thighs and booty! Obviously, most women use some type of cream as it is recommend. I used Earth Mama Belly Oil off Amazon and I swear by it!!! This oil is FREE of petroleum, mineral oil, parabens, and artificial fragrances. The ingredients are so natural, I seriously love this. I have to thank baby daddy for this one because he bought it for me to start using during our first pregnancy and it has WORKED.
The second thing I did was drink milk! I know that not everyone drinks cow milk or you may be lactose intolerant. However, if you CAN drink 2% or whole milk (preferably organic), 8oz daily... please do. Not only is milk a good source of calcium, Vitamin D, riboflavin, protein, and energy; it helps bone development and growth for the baby. In the later stages of pregnancy, the fetus starts to grow more rapidly so consuming higher amounts of protein is super beneficial to you both. You can consume calcium through other foods like:
- Other dairy products - yogurt and cheese
- Broccoli
- Dried Figs
- Oranges
- Salmon
- Red beans
- Chick peas
- Calcium supplements
The third thing I did was obviously take my prenatal supplement, but not just any prenatal. The best of the best and even my OBGYN was impressed! My dose was 4 GUMMIES (yes, gummies) per day with flavors like lemon, orange, and strawberry banana... YUM. I used SmartyPants Prenatal also off of Amazon and the best part about them is that they have DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which is an omega-3 fatty acid. This is what helps with proper development of baby's eyes and brain. They are also FREE of synthetic colors, artificial flavors and preservatives, yeast, wheat, milk, eggs, soy, gluten, peanuts, tree nut allergens, fish allergens, shellfish, and salicylates.
The one thing these prenatal gummies lack is iron, which iron in a prenatal can make you feel nauseous. I ended up taking iron separately due to this. During my first pregnancy, I received iron infusions because I was more on the anemic side. Anyways, for some reason I believed these gummies truly helped me in preventing stretch marks.
So there you have it mamas!!! I have 0 stretch marks and I am currently 34 weeks pregnant in my 2nd pregnancy. What worked for me might not work for you but I wanted to share what I did in case you wanted to try or pass it along. There are a few other ways to prevent stretch marks, pregnant or not, that I wanted to share with you:
- Make sure you eat healthy throughout your entire pregnancy and also in general - it's important to maintain a healthy weight so take care of your body.
- Eat a nutrient-rich diet
- Try to drink a gallon of water daily or at least stay hydrated
- Eating foods that are rich in zinc
- Bitter almond, castor, lavender and frankincense oils
You can also do your research too Mama! It's always good to read yourself or even ask your Doctor.
Here is a study ya'll can read about stretch marks, it is super helpful!
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5440454/