What's the best way to avoid stretch marks during pregnancy? :
What are stretch marks?Stretch marks are small, depressed streaks in the skin that appear most often on the abdomen in the later stages of pregnancy when the belly is rapidly expanding to accommodate a growing baby. Some women also get them on their buttocks, thighs, hips, and breasts. What's the best way to avoid stretch marks during pregnancy?
Slide 3:
Stretch marks are caused by changes in the elastic supportive tissue that lies just beneath the skin. They start out pink, reddish brown, purple, or dark brown, depending on your skin color. They later fade, although they never totally disappear.
Slide 4:
How can I tell if I'll get them?It's hard to predict. At least half of all pregnant women get stretch marks, but no one really knows why some women get them and others don't. Research suggests that genetics plays a role: If your mother or sister got stretch marks during pregnancy, you're more likely to.
Whether you'll get stretch marks also depends on how much and how quickly your skin has to expand during your pregnancy.
Slide 5:
"The skin is very elastic, but the weight gain that comes with pregnancy can be pretty dramatic, and sometimes it's more than the skin can handle," says Alexa Boer Kimball, an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard. For this reason, you're more likely to get stretch marks if:
• You gain a lot of weight rapidly.
• You're carrying multiples.
• You're carrying a big baby.
• You have excess amniotic fluid.
What can I do to prevent stretch marks?Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do. Gaining no more than the recommended amount of weight — in most cases, 25 to 35 pounds — and gaining it slowly may help reduce your chances of getting stretch marks.