For those who have given birth or are currently pregnant!! Just a quick question

[Needabun]

Hey ladies!

Just up late day dreaming .... And looking at my gut . Im 22, 142 lbs, most of that is in my curves, (thighs, butt, breast) I've always had a flat stomach. Anyways, i was thinking... Should i start focusing on tightning my abdominal area while ttc OR is just a little fat in that area good for when i become pregnant?? You know, to kinda decrease the chance of having really bad stretch marks afterwards . I've seen so many skinny skinny girls have extremely bad stretch marks on there stomach after having their baby because they're so tiny.

Appreciate any advice. Thanks!

 

[Gypsy99]

I'm not big but have barely any stretch marks with my two children. I have a long pelvis though and didn't get that big. I didn't strengthen any muscles at all. I just used cocoa butter and have about 3-4 stretch marks and that's it. I think it depends on the person though. You just don't know whether you will get them or not.

 

[Wish85]

I was tiny with a flat stomach when pregnant with my DS and I didn't get one stretch mark - even without using fancy creams. Little known fact that stretch marks are actually hereditary so there is nothing you can do to stop them if you are predisposed to getting them. I checked with my mum and she didn't get any either, and she had 5 children.

I'm on my second pregnancy now and my starting weight was more this time but I'm pretty confident I won't get very many, if any this time as well. Time will tell..

 

[Needabun]

I was tiny with a flat stomach when pregnant with my DS and I didn't get one stretch mark - even without using fancy creams. Little known fact that stretch marks are actually hereditary so there is nothing you can do to stop them if you are predisposed to getting them. I checked with my mum and she didn't get any either, and she had 5 children.

I'm on my second pregnancy now and my starting weight was more this time but I'm pretty confident I won't get very many, if any this time as well. Time will tell..

Makes since. My mom has 6 kids and didn't get any either so hopefully ill be straight
Thanks!

 

[Needabun]

Thanks for your response Gypsy!!

 

[MindUtopia]

I would say get yourself in good physical shape for pregnancy and birth, but don't obsess about it. Whether you have a flat stomach or a curvy one won't make a bit of difference in terms of how your body changes during pregnancy or whether or not you get stretch marks. Stretch marks are largely genetic, you're either predisposed to get them or not, but it's also determined by how quickly you put on weight in pregnancy. I'm someone who gets stretch marks. I have them on my thighs and sides from just puberty and growing, but I didn't get a single one when I was pregnant. I think it's probably because I didn't gain much weight (16lbs total) and what weight I did gain, I gained steadily and slowly spread over the 9 months. I think sometimes people who have often had guilt about food see pregnancy as an excuse to finally eat whatever they want when they never felt like they could before, so they suddenly gain lots of weight all at once and that can lead to stretch marks if you're prone to them. If you eat healthy, stay active through pregnancy (if you can), and aim to gain weight steadily rather than all at once, you'll be less likely to get too many stretch marks. But really, what size you start at to begin with won't matter. Ideally, just be healthy and active as much as you can before you start and during pregnancy which just makes everything easier anyway.

 

[Needabun]

Thanks for the great advice Utopia! This will be my first pregnancy so there's so much i don't know from a personal experience, but im confident and i know i can do this.

Thank you all so much!!

 

[ms sunshine]

I read stretch marks are made worse by when u are pg ur skin gets super itchy and it is really bad and when you scratch it, it makes stretch marks worse. I was quite slim and very fit when i conceived so being fit didnt prevent stretch marks and i used the creams but i did scratch my inner thigh as it was soooooo itchy. And bang thats where i got stretch marks. So its worth remembering just in case there is something in it. It was the only place i scratched i ignored every where else and the only place i got them.

 

[ms sunshine]

Also u can get that oil forgot the name its the red oil and it reduces scaring and stretch marks it really does work i used it for a months. Some of it went completely and some of it faded so its not as bad

 

[Needabun]

Yea i have heard that before. And you maybe referring to bio oil. Maybe...

 

[krissie328]

The itching makes sense for me. I itched the top of my bump and that's the only place I got stretch marks my whole pregnancy. I thought it was such a weird location.

 

[Moet]

I didn't work out before pregnancy, same weight as you, thin, never got a single stretch mark. Neither did my mom with two kids. And I wasn't obsessive with creams. I put some belly butter on like maybe once a day but would forget for days at a time to put any on. It really is genetic. Good abs sure help in labour tho!!

 

[Needabun]

Thank you everyone for all for responses. I feel much better about the whole situation now!!

 

[Dream.dream]

Whether youll get stretch marks or not is nore determined by your genetics then anything else. There are things you to improve skin elasticity like not gaining excessive wiegh and staying hydrated vitamin can help too

But at the end of the day whether youll get them or jot isnt soemthing you can control and it doesnt really have alot to do with whether youre bigger or skinny before hand