How to Reduce Stretch Marks During Pregnancy

A good percentage of pregnant women will develop stretch marks while pregnant. Although this is not good news, knowing how to reduce stretch marks beforehand can help. Just realize that not all methods will work and none of them are 100%. You can try these suggested tips below to help prevent stretch marks or at least diminish the appearance of them.

Stretch marks result from the rapid stretching of your skin during pregnancy. Although you can get stretch marks anywhere on your body such as your hips, breasts and buttocks, the abdomen is the most common. Stretch marks are usually pinkish or brownish in color depending on the woman's skin tone. Getting stretch marks or the amount of stretch marks that you get really depends on how elastic your skin is and no amount of prevention is going to keep you from getting them if your skin does not have enough elasticity to support the weight gain.

Knowing this, you can reduce stretch marks during pregnancy with a proper diet. Do your best to keep your weight gain under control. Your doctor will tell you a safe amount of weight that you should gain during your pregnancy and if you stick to a proper diet, you should be able to control this. A proper diet will include taking your prenatal vitamins, drinking plenty of water and eating light frequent meals. This will help you to develop soft supple skin during your pregnancy. You can also try light stretching exercises a few times a week to keep your skin flexible.

Many women swear on using lotions or creams to help with stretch marks. If you are going to go this route, apply the lotion several times a day and try to use cocoa butter or vitamin E. Applying the lotion regularly will not only help keep your skin soft, but will also give your baby your loving touch by gently massage your belly.

There is no tried and true way to reduce stretch marks during pregnancy and it really depends on the woman's genetic makeup and how elastic her skin is. You can enjoy the benefits of staying healthy and keeping your skin soft and smooth using the methods above while waiting for the arrival of your new baby.