Help request: how did you prevent stretch marks & sickness?

[Clara cluck]

Hello new mummies! Congratulations on your new bundles of joy. I'm just starting my 2nd trimester and wonder if you can give me some advice on your recent experience...

Did any of you use preventative stretch mark cream and did it work? There seems to be so many of them?

Also, am really struggling with sickness. Any advice on how to ease this would be most welcome. I can't bear ginger by the way and have been wearing sea bands. It's hard to lead a normal life sometimes, I've gone off most foods and loads of smells make me gag. Very embarrassing!

Thanks so much

X

 

[buddyIV]

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Sorry to hear you've been suffering with sickness; I'm afraid I cant help on that score as I seemed to escape that particular delight of pregnancy.

I didn't get a single stretch mark, and I used Palmers Cocoa Butter every single night, and every morning after I showered. I have no idea if it made a difference, or whether I wouldn't have gotten stretch marks regardless (I had a neat bump) but it feels nice to rub it on your bump, and it smells awesome!

 

[SackBoy]

I got loads of stretch marks in the last month so I'm not sure anything can truly prevent them. I was using stretch mark cream/oil as well. As for the sickness I found it tailed off a few weeks into the 2nd trimester but I went off foods as well; nothing really helped other than eating all the time for me.

 

[KittyVentura]

Firstly - A HUGE congratulations on your bundle and making it into the 2nd trimester. I remember how much easier I could breath when I got there myself lol.

Stretchmarks - Unfortunately nothing seems to prevent them. Creams might help reduce your chances but I never used one so cannot recommend. I didn't get any stretchies with Fin HOWEVER I used to be VERY big and lost 6-7 stone a few years before I had Fin. I already had stretchmarks from then albeit very faded. I think my skin was just a little more felxible as a result.

If you get them, try and embrace them. They are mummy love lines. Signs that your body did the most wonderful thing imaginable. It grew and carried a (hopefully) healthy baby.

They really do fade in time and without creams. Again I never used any when I lost my weight and they really did go to almost not noticable. The only lasting sign was that when I led down, if I gathered the tummy skin together it was a little "cottage cheesey". Here's a couple of pics to show you what I mean. One of my size before (I don't have any of my bare tummy & stretch marks before so this is to show how big I was and hopefully give credit to the claim of having so many lol) and a couple of my tummy after losing the weight. There was only a year between my biggest and smallest so it does not take long for them to go. I know that's not directly related to pregnancy stretchies but I hope it helps you feel reassured should you get any.

Sickness - Mine went at about 14 weeks, most women I know experienced similar so hopefully you'll feel better soon. I found dry cheesy crackers - like Cheddars, cheeselets etc - the best to ease mine, I have to nibble all day else I felt too sick to eat and not eating made me feel sicker and it just spiralled.

Good luck on your pregnancy, I'm a little behind you but hope to see you in the trimseters and here again in the new year xxx

 

[Mooshie]

I used bio oil, not as religiously as I probably should have tho, and I didn't get any stretchmarks until AFTER my LO was out! Theres only a couple of them around my belly button and theyre not too noticeable. I had an emergency section and I think the stretching and pulling of the surgeons caused it. I have a friend who had exactly the same thing happen to her!

 

[KatieB]

I was lucky, I didn't get stretchmarks but IMO you can't do anything to prevent them. Having said that I rubbed No.7 dry body oil spray all over my bump every night and it kept my skin lovely and smooth. I suffered from terrible nausea during first trimester but like you, don't really like ginger although I did try lemon and ginger tea in desperation - it didn't work! Tropicana pink grapefruit and eating loads of citrus fruit like satsumas and clementines was the only thing that made me feel momentarily better! Then one morning I woke up and it had gone, I felt normal again! Congrats and hope you have a wonderful pregnancy (sickness aside)... xx

 

[hanelei]

I used Bio Oil and didn't get any stretchmarks but I really think it has more to do with genetics than anything else. My mum didn't get any stretchmarks through 3 pregnancies so that's probably why I didn't!

I had the kind of morning sickness which was made worse by an empty stomach so I had to eat a banana before I got out of bed. It didn't really matter what I ate, the main thing was not to have an empty stomach or I got really nauseous.

 

[Mooshie]

Firstly - A HUGE congratulations on your bundle and making it into the 2nd trimester. I remember how much easier I could breath when I got there myself lol.

Stretchmarks - Unfortunately nothing seems to prevent them. Creams might help reduce your chances but I never used one so cannot recommend. I didn't get any stretchies with Fin HOWEVER I used to be VERY big and lost 6-7 stone a few years before I had Fin. I already had stretchmarks from then albeit very faded. I think my skin was just a little more felxible as a result.

If you get them, try and embrace them. They are mummy love lines. Signs that your body did the most wonderful thing imaginable. It grew and carried a (hopefully) healthy baby.

They really do fade in time and without creams. Again I never used any when I lost my weight and they really did go to almost not noticable. The only lasting sign was that when I led down, if I gathered the tummy skin together it was a little "cottage cheesey". Here's a couple of pics to show you what I mean. One of my size before (I don't have any of my bare tummy & stretch marks before so this is to show how big I was and hopefully give credit to the claim of having so many lol) and a couple of my tummy after losing the weight. There was only a year between my biggest and smallest so it does not take long for them to go. I know that's not directly related to pregnancy stretchies but I hope it helps you feel reassured should you get any.

Sickness - Mine went at about 14 weeks, most women I know experienced similar so hopefully you'll feel better soon. I found dry cheesy crackers - like Cheddars, cheeselets etc - the best to ease mine, I have to nibble all day else I felt too sick to eat and not eating made me feel sicker and it just spiralled.

Good luck on your pregnancy, I'm a little behind you but hope to see you in the trimseters and here again in the new year xxx

Wow!! You look fantastic!! Don't suppose you have any tips?!*

 

[michelle82]

Congrats!

I got a few stretch with my 1st, didn't get any this time. think this was because with my first I didn't slap the cream on as much, this time I went through about 5 tubs! I used a mixture of palmers cocoa butter and Sanctuary do a few nice ones, think they do one for mums 2 be.

I suffered from sickness with both my pregnancies, i'm sorry to say I never found the cure try eating little and often and drink plenty of water, I found that eased it slightly.

xx

 

[emme]

Cole helped me feel abit better after being sick, must have been the sugar! X

 

[Clara cluck]

Thanks so much for your replies! I will definitely take all the anti sickness advice into account, I so wasn't ready for how ill I've felt. So I need to eat more often and drink more it sounds like Stretch marks, well Mum and Sister didn't get any (I think my sis got 1!) so hopefully I'll be ok and if not, I'll try to embrace my 'mummy love lines'!

Thanks again, invaluable advice, good luck with your beautiful babies going forward. Seeing the pictures on your signatures reminds me why I'm going through this discomfort. Really appreciate all your help

Clara xxx

 

[KittyVentura]

Firstly - A HUGE congratulations on your bundle and making it into the 2nd trimester. I remember how much easier I could breath when I got there myself lol.

Stretchmarks - Unfortunately nothing seems to prevent them. Creams might help reduce your chances but I never used one so cannot recommend. I didn't get any stretchies with Fin HOWEVER I used to be VERY big and lost 6-7 stone a few years before I had Fin. I already had stretchmarks from then albeit very faded. I think my skin was just a little more felxible as a result.

If you get them, try and embrace them. They are mummy love lines. Signs that your body did the most wonderful thing imaginable. It grew and carried a (hopefully) healthy baby.

They really do fade in time and without creams. Again I never used any when I lost my weight and they really did go to almost not noticable. The only lasting sign was that when I led down, if I gathered the tummy skin together it was a little "cottage cheesey". Here's a couple of pics to show you what I mean. One of my size before (I don't have any of my bare tummy & stretch marks before so this is to show how big I was and hopefully give credit to the claim of having so many lol) and a couple of my tummy after losing the weight. There was only a year between my biggest and smallest so it does not take long for them to go. I know that's not directly related to pregnancy stretchies but I hope it helps you feel reassured should you get any.

Sickness - Mine went at about 14 weeks, most women I know experienced similar so hopefully you'll feel better soon. I found dry cheesy crackers - like Cheddars, cheeselets etc - the best to ease mine, I have to nibble all day else I felt too sick to eat and not eating made me feel sicker and it just spiralled.

Good luck on your pregnancy, I'm a little behind you but hope to see you in the trimseters and here again in the new year xxx

Wow!! You look fantastic!! Don't suppose you have any tips?!*

Haha, thank you. Those are before Fin, I don't look like that now. I'd daren't bare all right now. Still had some to lose and now expecting again. I gain weight faster than a snowball rolling downhill! I don't really have any tips, it's really weird. I'd tried for years to lose weight on every diet going and failed. Then one day I just woke up with all the motivation and will power in the world. Managed to lose 9lbs in 2 weeks and then I was just in the zone, I didn't follow a particular diet. I just tried to keep to between 1200-1400 calories a day and joined a gym. It didn't even feel very hard so I think you just have to really be in the right place to lose weight and then you will. I knwo that sounds silly and a bit hippyish but after trying for so long and failing... then just suddenly waking up feeling ready and doing it... it's the only way I can explain it.

I didn't get that kick back after Fin though and losing anything was hard. I know LOTS of people have success and rave about Slimming World and the new WW plans.

Sorry to have gone off topic OP xx

 

[special_kala]

If your going to get stretch marks then no matter what cream you rub in your still going to get them im afraid. Iv had2 fairly large babies on a small frame and luckily got none.

Arrow root (sp) biscuits helped my sickness, also try not to let your self get too hungry that can trigger it.

 

[Wiggler]

Congratulations hun!

As other ladies have said, I don't think anything can prevent stretchmarks, I used lots of creams, oils and lotions and still ended up covered, but they faded really quickly, and with my second pregnancy I only got a few.

With sickness, I found I felt a lot more sick if I was hungry, so instead of meals I would snack all day instead to keep the hunger away, it helped a lot. x x x

 

[k4th]

Congratulations on your pregnancy

I found Ginger helped my sickness & dry crackers- YUM!

In my second tri I used some boots botanics moisturising oil spray on my tummy. In my third tri I used palmers Tummy butter at night and cocoa butter moisturiser in the morning. The palmers tummy butter is very oily & ruined my nighties so I didn't use it during the day. I did get two stretch marks on my hips (totalling 2cm) and because I wasn't putting cream there I think the creams did make a difference for me.

Hope your sickness goes away soon

 

[feedindy]

Stretchmarks:
I got a ton of stretch marks on my hips in my young teenage years so I was sure I was destined to get them. But I used Palmer's Cocoa butter 2x per day and ate a healthy balanced diet. It was a good think my cravings were all fruit, and junk food and sweets grossed me out. I also remained active by walking throughout my pregnancy. I read that if you eat a healthy diet with plenty of whole grains and vegetables, these actually built the collagen and elasticity in your skin, allowing it to stretch easily. I am also sure a healthy diet will prevent from gaining too much to quickly and gradually put on weight. But for me I didn't gradually put on any weight. I didn't gain a single pound until 21 weeks when I suddenly gained 10 lb, and then at the end of my second trimester I gained another 8 lbs. I didn't gain any weight in my third trimester, who knows why.

Sorry I have no tips about morning sickness, mine left at about 14 weeks and I just had sea bands. Every food repuled me, so in my first trimester I didn't care about a balanced diet, I just ate whatever looked good and I could get down.

 

[sequeena]

Nothing helped with my ms and I never thought to go to the doctor to get sickness tablets as for stretch marks I had them pre pregnancy and I haven't noticed any new ones. I'm like an atlas

 

[Lauren25]

Congratulations first of all

I thankfully didnt have any sickness so i cant help you there but stretch marks i didnt have any until my due date and then each day they got worse and worse! So i dont believe anything works, i used bio oil, coco butter for stretch marks and god knows what else & i thought it was all working until my due date. Im now showering in baby oil and the ones on my belly seemed to have gone lighter but the ones on my legs havent yet!!

 

[chloeandbaby]

I used body shop cocoa butter but dont really think it made a difference. i had sickness all the way through and nothing really worked im afraid maybe it was just me lol x

 

[kmumtobe]

I think if you're goin to get em/it you're going to get em/it im afraid x