Conference moira::parenting_v3

>I have no strechmarks!
>By the way I have had no common
>    complaints since I got pregnant, such as no heartburn,morning sickness,
>    itchy belly,swelling, NOTHING Besides a growing belly and a hearty
>    appetite. 


I can't tell you why some do and some don't, but my pregnancy was exactly
as yours is now.  I did use a lot of baby oil after showering to try and
prevent stretchmarks, but I have no idea whether this was really working or
just a placebo!  Count yourself lucky!


Marty

    
    Geez, Sandy, you are so lucky!!
    
    Stretch marks - everyone's skin is different. Stretch marks are
    actually cracks in the skin - I mean , the skin can't stretch anymore,
    thus breaks. Some people have more elastic skin and can handle more
    stretching. And once form, they don't go away since the skin cannot
    "rebuild" itself.
    
    Good luck,
    Eva.

    Why no stretchmarks?
    
    It could be because you're a first time mom - often they occur in
    second and third etc pregnancies.
    
    It could be because you're only in your seventh month - not so big yet
    that your skin can't handle it.
    
    It could also be that they're there but you won't notice them till
    after delivering baby - happened to me.
    
    Or... it could be that you're one of the lucky ones that simply don't
    get stretch marks!!
    
    Stretch marks are sort of a tearing of the underlying tissues of the
    skin, because it can't stretch to accomodate your growing anymore.  I
    always thought of it as similar to a run in your stocking. 
    Unfortunately, once there always there.  
    
    Consider yourself lucky!!
    

	Not to put a damper on you, but just as I was congratulating myself 
on avoiding the nasty little buggers around my 8th month.  Pop! There they 
were, all at once.  

	Katie is 13 months old and I still have'em but they have faded 
considerably.

	I think I read that only 50% on pregnant women get them.  Research has 
shown that oils and creams and the like are not effective in preventing them. 
If your gonna get'em, there is nothing that modern medicine knows of yet that 
will keep it from happening.
 

Tracey

    And sometimes they show up when you shrink.
    
    I didn't get any from the growth, but as soon as the baby popped
    out, there they were.
    
    I also have a few stretch marks at the top of my thighs that date
    from high school, when I had the flu real bad and lost seven
    pounds in a week.  I wasn't overweight, but the loss was more than
    my skin could handle.
    
    You sometimes see the same thing when you blow a rubber balloon up
    very full, then let the air out.  Sometimes it will wrinkle in
    funny places.
    
    --bonnie

I had always heard that if your mom got stretch marks ... chances are you
would, too.

My mom didn't get any and thankfully, neither did I during my pregnancy.  (So
maybe it's true!)


:^) Elaine

    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
       
    
    
    
MY MOTHER HAD REAL BAD STRETCH MARKS AND I WAS SO WORRIED I'D HAVE THEM TO
BUT I DIDN'T. I'D PUT OILS ALL OVER MYSELF THEN READ IF YOUR GOING TO GET
THEM, YOU WILL JUST GET THEM. WHEN I WAS PREGNANT WITH MY SECOND BABY, I
DIDN'T BOTHER WITH ANYTHING. I HAD MY BABY THREE WEEKS AGO AND STILL NO 
STRETCH MARKS.
    
I THINK IT JUST DEPENDS ON YOUR SKIN.                       
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    Well just consider yourself lucky right know.
    
    When I was pregnant with my son, around the 5th month they started to
    pop out and I have them all over my belly and a few on my thighs and
    butt.  
    
    Now I put alot of cream on my belly while I was pregnant, but this
    didn't help.  My son weighed 9 lbs 7 ozs. and was 21" long and I gained
    only 20 pounds while I was pregnant.  My doctor told me I doesn't
    matter how much weight you gain or how much cream you use to prevent
    them your going to get them one way or another.
    
    My son is 7 1/2 months old and they are stil there but fading.  I'll
    tell you this much I will never ware a two piece bathing suit agian.
    
    
    Good luck,
    
    Liz

    
    
    I never got them with my pregnancy..  I thought for sure I would
    cause I got some when I lost 30 pounds in high school with the
    flu..  but I guess I was *very* lucky..  My girlfriend, who just
    had a 10lb 5.5 oz baby has them REAL bad..  I'm just really glad
    I didn't get them...

    I read in one of my Pregnacy books that the biggest cause is from rapid
    weight gain. But I don't believe that is always the case, becuase my 
    sister-in-law gained 40 pounds with her first and hers are very
    minimal. But oneof the women i referred to in note 40.0 had them at 5
    months and didn't gain more than 10 pounds at the time. 
    
    well, I guess i'll just keep a lookout for them. I mean if i get'em
    nobody will see them except me the doctors and my hubby!(oh my god,
    1 too many people!)
    
    Sandy

    -1 I also heard that rapid weight gain (which for each person is
    considered different) can cause stretch marks.  Don't know how true
    it is though.
    
    I have two children and 1 on the way....Never got any stretch marks!
    I think it really depends on your skin.  My sister and mother both
    got them...and in some areas of the body, they seem to be worse than
    in other areas.
    
    Consider yourself lucky....I do! (and so does my husband!)
    
    Lisa

 My Mom told me it was heredity and your skin's elasticity.  She had 8 kids
and no stretch marks - so I never expected to get any.  My two sisters and 
myself didn't get them, each of us has 1 child.  Durng my pregnancy, I gained
weight fairly quickly (to total 48lbs) and didn't use any kind of creams or
oils - so I really think heredity has something to do with it.
               Laura

    I agree with the last reply to the base note.  I believe it is
    hereditary - the elasticisity of your skin that is.  I had two 80 lb.
    pregnancies and I don't have any stretch marks either.  My mom had two
    (normal weight-gain) pregnancies and my maternal grandmother had 14
    children, all of us without stretch marks!  And I have heard the creams
    are a waste of time.  So, if you don't get them, consider yourself
    lucky!
    

    I had always believed in heredity too, until!! 
    
    I never used creams or lotions during my pregnancy because my mother,
    nor her mother, ever got strectch marks.  Well after gaining 62 lbs.
    with Samantha I have more stretch marks than I care to count.
    
    I still believe that heredity is a possibility, maybe my father would
    have had stretch marks if he had a baby :).
    
    Good luck, I hope you are one of those lucky people that don't get
    them.
    
    Cheryl

    Actually as far as heredity goes, I had heard that stretch marks were
    more likely to occur in fair skinned, Northern European heritage types,
    such as Irish, English etc.  Not so likely to occur in those with
    olive, or darker skinned heritage, such as Italians, SDpanish, some
    French. 
    
    How true?  Speaking from my own - quite true.  Both my parents are of
    Irish descent, I am quite pale skinned, and got quite a few stretch
    marks as a result of pregnancy.  I believe is has something to do with
    being "thin-skinned", literally.  Any comments on this ladies?
    

    
     Sorry, not working for me....  Both my parents are fair skinned,
    both my sisters and myself as well.  We're all blonde and blue and
    none of us (women) have stretchies.  Of my 5 brothers, a few have
    gained and lost large amounts of weight and to my knowledge (from
    looking at them at the beach) then don't get stretch marks either.
              Laura

    
    Nope, that doesn't work for me either. I'm Oriental, with supposedly
    thicker skin than any Caucasian. My mother and I both have stretch
    marks, all over. My sister-in-laws are Scottish/Lithuanian with 
    paper-thin skin and they don't have any, not even one!!!
    
    
    Eva.

    It's not the thickness/thinness that counts, but the flexibility.
    
    --bonnie

    I'm 5'1" and gained 40 pounds with my first pregnancy, I was huge...
    no stretch marks at all.  I really didn't expect any because my skin
    is very elastic.  My second pregnancy I gained about 30 pounds. I also
    spent three months totally bedridden on my left side.  I have some 
    pretty weird looking stretch marks from that one...all on my left side!  
    Luckily they are not very noticeable.

    Jodi-

    re. .19 - That's very interesting what you said.   It's my belief women
    tend to get stretchmarks more with there second etc pregnancies for
    this very reason - gravity if youwill.  The stomach muscles get more
    stretched and less able to completely support the pregnancy with each
    child, and so stretchmarks appear as the skin is stressed.  I know I
    got bigger faster with each successive pregnancy, my doctor confirmed
    it.  

    I got my first stretch marks 3 days before Eric was born.  At my
    40 week check up the doctor said, "No stretch marks!"  Eric was
    6 days late.  I figure if he had just been born on time, I would
    have been spared.  By the way, he was 10 lbs 2 ozs.  I started out
    quite underweight and gained 32 lbs.  My stretch marks aren't bad,
    though, just a few small squiggles around my belly button.
    
    Donna
    

    
    I've got a couple, my question is:  do they disappear??
    
    
    Chris  :-)
    

    
    re: -1
    
      Sorry they don't go away, but they do fade so that they are not
    so noticable.
    
    Tina
    

    Small correction:  They USUALLY fade so that they aren't so
    noticeable.
    
    --bonnie, who didn't . . . 

    
    Well, they kind of fade but when I go out in the sun ,the stretch marks
    don't tan, so they become noticable again. I'll never wear 2 piece
    bathing suit again, that's for sure.
    
    
    Eva.

    
    I thought it was great that I didn't end up with any in my first
    pregnancy - thought for sure with my skin I would.  Well, in my 8th
    month with my second, and way underneath my belly (I can only see them
    if I look in a mirror and kinda pull my belly up!), I have a couple.
    So maybe 2nd time around is true!  I don't care, I never had any 2
    peice bathing suit days anyways...
    
    elizabeth
    

   Well, this is sort of idle thought, and certainly not from first
   hand experience, but...
   
   Would aloe work?  A friend of mine uses aloe all the time to help
   reduce/remove scar tissue on burns and such, and another friend has
   seen it work wonders on a dog who had some nasty injuries from a
   fight - no scars at all.  I'm told if you rub aloe into existing
   scars that over time the scar tissue will diminish.. I wonder if it
   would work on stretch marks?
   
   - Tom
   
   btw - you can often buy aloe gel in bottles at health food stores -
   its easier than trying to cut up fresh aloe all the time, and on
   burns there is nothing like cold aloe gel to relieve the sting.

    
    re. 27
    
    Thanks for the suggestion, but NOTHING works. Stretch marks are
    not really scars. The skin is not really injured, it is torn
    beneath the surface. Unless aloe can penetrate into the skin
    and glue the pieces back together...
    
    
    Eva.

    re: .27
    
    I tried aloe and it didn't help -- the skin isn't injured or
    scarred, it's just cosmetically, um, smudged.  
    
    I didn't let them stop me from wearing two-piece bathing suits,
    either.  I was kind of proud of 'em -- "Hey, look, world, I'm a
    mother!"
    
    --bonnie

    
    bonnie,
    
      How long has it been since you had your baby?  It took mine a long
    time to fade.  Let's see Josh is now 27 months old and I think it was
    about when he was 18 months that I noticed that they had started
    fading.
    
    Tina
    

    re: .30
    
    Sixteen and a half years . . . 
    
    --bonnie

    I am one of the lucky ones. I did not get any marks (I only gained 23
    pounds). I have been told that zinc helps with skin elasticity. Pumpkin
    seeds are suposed to contain a lot of zinc (and iron). I did eat a lot
    of them during pregnancy but I am not sure whether that helped. Neither
    my mother nor my grandmother had any strech marks either. I come from
    central Europe and I am very fair skinned.
    
    I wonder whether exercise can make ones skin more elastic. I exercised,
    walked and rode a horse during the whole pregnancy. Maybe that helped
    too.
    
    Ania

    
    Don't mean to be the doom and gloom lady here, but you either get 
    stretchmarks or you do not.  Heredity has nothing to do with it.
    Your elasticity in your stomach(or affected areas) is the key, if it
    is flexible, then you won't get any, if not you will.  As for exercise,
    you could be an aerobics instructor and that still wouldn't guarantee
    you "no stretchmarks".   Creams don't help prevent or remove them.  
    
    I have had several talks with doctors on this subject and they all say
    it's the elasticity of your skin.  
    
    I am 7 mos. pregnant now and I have gained 24lbs. so far, in my 3rd
    month a zillion stretchmarks popped out.  Before being pregnant I was
    not overweight or too much out of shape.  I just have poor elasticity
    the doctors say...
    
    Anyone want to buy a brand new hot pink and black bikini?  ;-)
    
    Nancy

	re -.1

	But Nancy....  The elasticity of your skin is determined by heredity.
so whether or not you are likely to get stretchmarks *IS* hereditary. 

	Other than that, what I've read and heard from my doctor agrees with 
what you said.

Tracey

    I think I am going through the Question stage of becoming a mother.
    I have 11 more weeks till the big day. Due Feb.4,92....
    
    -Will I be a good mother?
    -Why am I so emotional?
    -Will these ____ streatch marks stop coming?
    
    The third question on streatch marks is getting to me.  Yesterday
    I have discovered a whole new colony of streatch marks on my lower
    abdomin.  I keep telling myself that this is a gift, that those are
    the signs of coming into motherhood.  
    I thought Puberty was tough, this is really tough.  
    
    Here is my request:  Does anyone know of anything to do to help
    slow down the outbursts of streatchmarks?  I know they are unavoidable.
    But theres got to be something to mentally or physically get through
    them.   
    
    (another question...)
    PS. Does anyone else out there have any similar feelings?
    
    
    JOAN
    (excited, confused, anchious Joan)  pss. excuse the spelling.
    
    

    Joan:
    
    My daughter was born 17 months ago, and I can relate to the stretch
    marks!  I smeared Bag Balm (several friends suggested it--it is
    normally used on utter (spelling?) of cows, and is supposed to be
    extremely moisturizing to the skin), and several creams which appeared
    to minimize them.  But, since I only had one baby, and did not leave an
    area uncovered, I cannot guarantee that the cream is what did it.  
    
    I CAN tell you that they do get quite a bit smaller, and become much
    more normal skin color!  Mine are totally unnoticable unless I get a
    sunburn, or look at them close (and I mean close).  Most likely, you
    will not even the ones on your abdomen after pregnancy.  The only ones
    that I can still see are on my upper thigh which is exposed to much
    more sun (the skin is darker)
    
    To the other questions, you WILL be a GREAT mother.
    You wouldn't be concerned if you would be a good mom, or even consider
    the "stretch marks" as rewards (I never could look at them that way--I
    gained 45 pounds (I'm 5'2 and of slender build) and lost it all!!!), so
    you indeed will be a good mom!
    
    As you probably already know, You are emotional because of hormone levels 
    that are soooo out of the
    normal range . . . you have never experienced anything like this even
    at the normal monthly fluctuation!  I could be happy one minute, and be
    crying because I broke a nail the next.  Then laugh at the fact that I
    cried . . . only a psychologist could total explain this !  Not to
    mention the constant worries that come along with having a baby.
    
    Chin up!  Keep in touch with us, and don't worry too much about the
    stretch marks -- keep them softened with cream, and be glad they are
    not on your legs!
    
    Best of luck, and enjoy the baby moving!!!!
    
    Jolene
    
    
    

    
    Joan,
    
    Like you, my wife is also expecting her first child. And, like you, is 
    extremely concerned about stretch marks. She is currently 24 weeks
    along. 
    
    My wife is a licensed Aestitician (skin care specialist) who,
    needless to say, has quite alot of experience where skin is concerned.
    
    I called her today specificly to ask her what she does so as I could
    share it with you. Her professional opinion, and what she practices
    herself, is to mix equal parts Lavendar oil and either vitamin E oil or
    wheat germ oil, and apply it in the morning and before bed. She also
    applies a lanolin creme over to seal it in. She said that Lavendar oil
    is the absolute best, but also mixes in the vitamin E oil for it's
    specific properties. At 24 weeks, due March 14, she has no marks. She is
    also showing quite a bit so it's not like her skin hasn't been
    stretched yet. 
    
    You should be able to find these oils at any nature food store/GNC.
    
    Best of luck !

         I guess it must be all in who you are.  I worried about
    stretchmarks just like everyone else and didn't get any.  I gained
    about 30 lbs so I wasn't HUGE but my stomach did stick out quite a bit.
    Went from size 7's to size 14-16.  I did absolutely NOTHING so maybe it
    all depends on your skin to begin with.
    
    
                             ---Sue

    I didn't receive stretch marks on my belly, and I gained 45 lbs. What I
    did was rub lotion on my belly in the morning and before bed. I think
    the moisture helped. I did get small stretch marks on my legs though,
    since most of my weight gain was in the stomach, upper legs and butt 
    area! :^)
    
    Keep the lotion on, and that should help.
    
    I'm going through it again now, so I'm hoping that's what helped
    the first time!!!
    
    Sheila
    

    my Doc and other health care professionals I spoke to said that 
    if you have the tendancy to get them, then lotions can only minimize
    and NOT make them disappear. Mine only showed up AFTER the delivery.
    (between my hairline and my navel) 
    
    When I showed my mom the stretch marks, she tried to console me 
    by saying:
    "look at the ones I had on my leg with you, see, they've almost 
    disappeared."
    Mom! I'm 32 years old! You're not helping!
    8-) 8-)
    
    Monica
    

    Thanks everyone for making me feel a little closer to norma.
    
    I am doing the lotion in the mornings and nights, with husbands 
    help ofcourse.  I think I've almost accepted the stretchmarks,almost.
    
    I know I've got other things more important to think about.
    Baby, boy or girl... Raising baby in an apt.... on and on and on.
    I will try to find a note to discuss these questions.
    
    Thanks again for making me feel comfortable.
    
    JOAN...  10 weeks to go!!!!!!!!

    I'm not sure why this happened but I got stretchmarks with baby number
    two but not with baby number 1.  With baby number 1 I would religously
    put on moisturizing cream every morning with baby number 2 I didn't.  I
    may have been about 5 pounds heavier with #2 because my starting
    pregnancy weight was higher.  
    
    It can't hurt to try the cream.
    
    Karin

I always believed that if you're going to get them, you'll get them; If you're
not going to get, you won't.

But when faced with the possibility of having them myself here was my thinking:

1) There is nothing I can do to avoid them if it is meant to be.  
2) I don't believe the creams/oils will help.
3) If I use the creams/oils, and I get them, then "Oh well! I was going to get
them anyways and at least I took sometime to do something nice for myself.
4) If I use the creams/oils, and I DON'T get them!, then who's to say wether it
was the cream or if I wouldn't have gotten them anyway!

(Turns out I didn't have any until I dropped)

My vote is to indulge yourself and pamper a bit.  Because Lord knows the 
defintion of the word pamper changes from things like this to being able to
get dressed before 1 o'clock in the afternoon very quickly!!

Wendy-

    
    I don't think it matters what you do, if you are meant to get them you
    will. My sister-in-law tried every cream recommended and still ended up
    woth them, I didn't use anything and only got one on my right hip after
    my second child. Just don't worry about it, focus on your baby as you
    have been doing. It's worth it all!!!
    
    Trudy 

    I've got plenty of stretch marks on my stomach and on my upper legs
    from both of my pregnacies.  Used lotions, but to no help.
    
    You know how some folks will kinda brag or show off their scars from
    animal bites or attacks, or some car accident or some other courageous
    feat or happening, that's how I tend to look at my pregnacy scars.
    
    They don't bother me much, but I'd love to tighten my stomach muscles
    just a bit more!
    
    Cindy

    	I had stretch marks on the under side of my stomack from the 3rd
    month on.  I put the creams and lotions on all the time.  My doctor
    told me the fairer the complexion, the more stretch marks.  She said
    that fairer skin has less elasticity, so more stretch marks.  When I
    dropped (during my 8th month) i started getting stretch marks on the
    TOP of my belly button.  Now, 9 months later, my stretch marks have
    blended into my normal skin tone.

I read a short blurb in a magazine last night that said that Retina-A cream
that they use to minimize severe acne scars has been shown to get rid of 
stretch marks.

However, they'd really have to bother you to go through the treatment, as it can
be uncomfortable.

    
>>>I read a short blurb in a magazine last night that said that Retina-A cream
>>>that they use to minimize severe acne scars has been shown to get rid of 
>>>stretch marks.
    
    I hear that is strong stuff -- I am sure I once read that it should
    never be used WHEN you are pregnant. 
    
    Monica
    

Sorry to have been misleading..

the Retina-A is strictly for post-partum use.