Pregnancy comes with a lot of changes. Your body is growing a human life, an experience that will make you feel simultaneously powerful and out of control. It’s a beautiful experience I am extremely grateful for but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little worried about developing stretch marks during pregnancy.
Eight months in, and I’ve been lucky to not develop any stretch marks yet. Whether or not you will develop stretch marks during pregnancy largely depends on genetics; some people are just more susceptible to them than others. Other factors that can contribute to developing stretch marks during pregnancy are weight gain (which is totally normal and healthy!), hormonal changes, and having twins or multiples.
While there’s no fool proof way to prevent stretch marks (no matter what any influencer tries to sell you), there are some things you can do to slow down their formation and lessen their appearance. Eating a well balanced diet and exercising can help with not just helping you have a healthy pregnancy but with stretch marks too.
Shop my pregnancy stretch mark prevention routine
This is my stretch mark prevention routine that I’ve been doing all throughout pregnancy, even before I had a visible bump:
After showering, I use a body oil like Hatch Bump Oil and Elle Vie Shea Butter Body Oil.
After a shower when your pores are open is the best time to moisturize. I’ve been using Elle Vie Body Oil since before pregnancy (my favorite scent is Date Night) but started using the Hatch Bump Oil specifically on my bump. Stretch marks love dry skin so it’s important to keep your skin hydrated!
Then, I seal in the oil with CeraVe Moisturizing Cream or La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5.
This step may seem a little extra but it really helps lock in the moisture. When my skin was especially dry in the winter, the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 really soothed my skin. It’s great for dry skin on the face and hands, too. The CeraVe Moisturizing Cream is affordable for a large tub and is what I’ve been using most of the time.
I always, always wear sunscreen.
I’m militant about wearing sunscreen all over my body whenever I step out into the sun. Sun damage can make stretch marks darker and more visible, so don’t forget this step. The mineral sunscreen I’ve been using throughout pregnancy is the Coola Mineral Body Sunscreen Lotion (I love the Tropical Coconut scent). I really like this brand because it’s very moisturizing and has great ingredients.
Remember, stretch marks are normal and a symbol of how strong and magical our bodies are. Don’t be ashamed of them!
