10 STEPS TO HAVING A BELLY ONLY PREGNANCY & NO STRETCH MARKS

hen I was pregnant with my 1^st son, I was horrified reading article after article, “your body will never be the same”. Sure, my body isn’t what it used to be after having two baby’s, but I found it wasn’t as bad as what I was expecting. As is the case with most things, we tend to anticipate situations being far worse than what they actually end up being.  While there is nothing wrong with stretch marks (I have them from adolescent growth spurts), I preferred to not get more. If you have spent any time reading about this topic, you have likely read that genetics (if your mother had them) is an indicator. However, in my case, my mom got stretch marks, I have them, and yet, I still did not get ANY stretch marks during either pregnancy.

Through trial and error, and lots of research, here are 10 things I did. I have listed them in the order of what I feel most attributed to no stretch marks during both of my (big) belly on pregnancies.

Dear mama, in the end, if you do get stretch marks, it isn’t the end of your beautiful body. In no time they will fade, be less pronounced and be a gentle reminder of the extraordinary journey you went through. I still have a faded linea nigra on my tummy and love it.

1. Eat Healthy

I never got morning sickness, was constantly hungry, dreamed about food, and I love sweets. So, trying to curve the urge to eat everything was HARD.

What I did to help: Ate six healthy meals a day (see my separate post), didn’t let my husband bring any junk food home, portioned out “cheat” foods, relied on meal planning, and for good measure, put an “EAT CLEAN” post-it note on my fridge.

2. Cardio

I did at least 30 minutes of cardio 5 times a week at a moderate level. Nothing fancy, just an upright stationary bike and watched British baking competition shows while pedaling away.

3. Water

Water is so important for your body, especially during pregnancy. Among many benefits, as it relates to stretch marks, water helps keep your skin hydrated, soft and as a result, elastic. Skin elasticity helps your skin stretch better and subsequently can help to reduce the onset of stretch marks. There are varying intake recommendations, but I drank +/-100 ounces a day per my doctor’s guidance.

TIP: I used a 30oz water tumbler to make it easy to track my intake. You can also add fruit, ginger, citrus, or noncaffeinated teas (pregnancy friendly herds) to naturally flavor the water.

4. Gradual Weight Gain

When skin stretches too far (and fast) it tears and does not have the ability to stretch well. I gradually gained weight which allowed my body time to respond and stretch.

TIP: Gradual weight loss is just as important postpartum. If you lose weight too quickly, your body doesn’t have enough time to respond, and you could end up with sagging skin.

5. Collagen Supplement

Collagen can help promote strong, healthy and elastic skin. I religiously took collagen during pregnancy and postpartum.

TIP: I used high quality multi-collagen pills which includes all 5 types of collagen I, II, III, V & X. If you are vegan, you can search for collagen alternatives.

6. Oil & Massage

I massaged oil into my tummy, thighs, butt, and breasts at least twice a day (or more if I could). Massaging the oil in is just as important as the properties of oil itself.

TIP: After researching oil properties and trial & error, I landed on these products Palmers Skin Therapy Oil and Mothers Special Blend All Natural Skin Toning Oil. Or if you prefer the DIY route, this recipe’s ingredients are spot on, but I never had the chance to make it.

7. Dry Brushing

Dry brushing is great for your body, circulation, and skin, even when you are not pregnant. I dry brushed once a day before a bath or in the morning. Here is a great post if you want to learn more.

8. Kept Within Weight Recommendations

I regularly discussed weight gain with my doctor to ensure baby and I were healthy. These guidelines from What to Expect are helpful.

9. No Itching

Even if it’s just a myth, I wasn’t taking any chances.

TIP: Whenever I had an itch I would tap or apply raw Palmer’s coco or Palmer’s shea butter. These products were the only ones that stopped my itching, especially in late 3^rd trimester.

10. Rest & Grace to Know – “It’s OK”

Rest you say? I can see the eye roll now. Hard to do when you are pregnant with your first and literally impossible with two or more. But rest leaves you feeling well and in turn you are less likely to binge, stress eat, and have more energy to cook!

I also gave myself the grace to know – ITS OK. I knew each week or day for that matter would not go to plan. I would snack more than intended, skipped dry brushing, forgot to take my pills, etc. However, I knew I was doing the best I could and shrugged off little mishaps, telling myself “There’s always tomorrow”. I kept to my routine 70-80% of the time and that was ok for me.

My Daily Routine

(On Most Days – I’m Human)