One of the biggest woes of pregnancy, at least to me, is the possibility of having stretch marks. If stretch marks are inevitable, then can we minimise stretch marks? I’ve seen it on many mothers before and I don’t think I’ll enjoy having even more than what I already have on me. :/
When I found out I was pregnant and during the 1st Trimester, the only thing I bought was stretch mark cream. I am really someone who never before had much contact with mother-baby stuff. So you can probably tell how overwhelmed I was when I stepped into that world and quickly backed out again cos there was just WAY too much information and I wanted to take one step at a time.
To me, step one was to minimise stretch marks.
See stretchmarks are a weird thing. Either you get it or you don’t because healthcare professionals say that the appearance of stretch marks are due to genes.
Well genes or not, I am taking every precaution of preventing it as much as I can, helping my skin resist the changes that will come my way. Here are some tips on how to minimise stretch marks!
1) Gain weight gradually
If you do your research, you’ll understand that one of the reasons for getting stretch marks is sudden weight gain or sudden weight loss. Your chances of getting stretch marks drastically increases because your skin will then be stretched too fast to accommodate your weight gain. I’m going to be taking up pre-natal Pilates with Pilates Fitness soon so stay tuned for that!
Don’t listen to the random people around you who tell you to eat for two or to eat more just because you are pregnant. Believe me, your gynae will tell you otherwise.
2) Exercise regularly
Exercise throughout your pregnancy has many benefits but one of which is to ensure you don’t gain weight excessively and it also helps to tighten the skin and keep it healthy with proper blood circulation. It also helps for you to massage the problematic areas daily such as your stomach, breasts, hip, lower back and thighs.
3) Moisturise
Keeping your skin moisturised from very early on in your pregnancy till you give birth will help to minimise stretch marks because it helps to increase elasticity in your skin to allow for the stretching that will occur throughout pregnancy. The women I know around me use special cream for pregnant women for the prevention of stretch marks like Palmers’ and Bio-Oil.
I have been using Palmer’s Cocoa Butter myself till I found out about Mustela 9 months range.
First of all, I found Mustela off the shelves of Spring Maternity in Singapore and I was intrigued because this is a pharmaceutical brand with a lot of research and technology backing their products.
I have just started on Mustela’s Stretch Marks Double Action which is specifically formulated to care for skin during pregnancy. It helps to:
♥ prevent the development of stretch marks
♥ minimise new and recent stretch marks
PROVEN EFFICACY: 96% of Pregnant Women who used Stretch Marks Double Action did not develop stretch marks during their pregnancy (details of the study here)
My Personal Experience:
I have been using Palmer’s Cocoa Butter since the start of my pregnancy till now. I have actually even stocked up on it. Cocoa butter is a great moisturiser and will definitely help to increase elasticity. The formula is however, very thick and takes a little more time to get absorbed into the skin.
Mustela’s Double Action Stretch Mark cream is a pretty fresh experience. It is like most moisturisers, easily absorbed and goes on easily. It has a creamy formulation and does not make my clothes cling onto my skin after application. I really like how little time I take to apply the cream in comparison to Palmer’s! The fragrance is also very mild and delicate compared to cocoa butter. :) The huge 250ml bottle that I have should last me quite a long time! I am using it day and night.
I hope this post helped you in taking steps to minimise stretch marks! :)
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Mustela Double Action Stretch Mark creams can be purchased at selected pharmacies and appointed outlets in Singapore. The other stretch marks creams mentioned on this post (Palmers’ and Bio-Oil) can be found in most Watsons and Guardian stores in Singapore.
