‘Being a mom is worth every stretch mark, wrinkle, and sleepless night.’

 

Just the other day I visited an old friend who has recently become a mother and as I watched her glowing in the new ‘motherly’ avatar, I realised that giving birth to a child is probably the most beautiful chapter in a woman’s life; however it didn’t go by unnoticed that pregnancy had brought about some major changes in her body.

One of these changes was the appearance of stretch marks around the area of the abdomen, thighs and breasts. As I sat there, it occurred to me that this is a chapter in life that I will go through and maybe so will you (if you haven’t become a mother yet). After extensive research, reading and talking to other friends who are also mothers, I penned down this article, in the hope that these tips on how to deal with pregnancy stretch marks will be of use to you someday.

 

Eat Healthy

You must maintain an adequate amount of healthy food in your diet intake so that your skin is nourished. Include green vegetables, lots of fresh fruits, juice, and at least 8 glasses of water in your diet. Remember to eat your prenatal vitamin/s and also consume the adequate quantity of calories by eating healthy food that provides you with plenty of proteins, vitamins, whole grain and calcium.

 

Stay Hydrated

Consume at least 8 full glasses of water in a day. You should also drink juices to keep your skin hydrated so that it maintains its elasticity. By juices I do not mean packaged ones that are readily available in the market or your nearest grocery store. Instead, opt for fresh vegetable and fruit juices.

 

Be Active, Keep Moving

Keeping active through your pregnancy will help you to gain weight slow, which is suggested. It is said that the faster you gain weight during pregnancy, the more prone you will be to developing stretch marks. Post pregnancy, stick to a regime that will help you rapidly lose weight and also not give you stretch marks.

 

Keep Your Skin Nourished

You must moisturise your belly area, breasts, lower back, sides, legs and thighs at least once in the morning and then once at night. Lotions & creams help to make your skin feel less itchy & dry. Proper skin exfoliation will help promote new and healthier skin growth. Some great choices are Almond Oil, Shea Butter & Cocoa Butter. You can also try Wheat germ Oil and Pure Lanolin.

 

Go the All-Natural Way

Any moisturiser you use must be all natural and safe. You can also make a stretch marks cream yourself at home using Olive oil, Vitamin E and Cocoa Butter.

If your skin feels dry and itchy, know that there’s a problem. To avoid that situation, keep your skin well hydrated. Remember that a hot shower in cold weather will tend to dry out the skin. So every time you take a shower or your skin feels dry, moisturise it thoroughly. Applying baby oil on the skin after a shower really helps. Allow your skin to soak in all the oil and then apply a coat of the moisturiser you made at home.

 

Keep Out of the Sun

Avoid exposure to the sun and tanning booths. When stepping out in the sun, apply sunscreen and wear protective clothing.

 

Always Read the Label

The next time you go to a health store and buy a body care product, check the label before purchasing to make sure it’s PURE. For example, pure cocoa butter is rather solid and hard, so you will have to grate some using a cheese grater or micro plane. To use, heat it in the microwave or a double boiler. Wait for the melted cocoa butter to cool down and when it’s slightly warm, gently rub it in over the area of the belly.