Stretch marks are one of the more unfortunate things that can come out of pregnancy. While pregnant women are not the only ones to get stretch marks, a good number of pregnant women will get stretch marks during pregnancy. Some studies suggest that at least half, and possibly much more than that, of pregnant women will have some stretch marks during pregnancy.

Stretch marks tend to appear during pregnancy toward the end. Specifically, after the sixth month of pregnancy a woman’s belly will expand rapidly in order to make room for her baby. Typically, stretch marks during pregnancy will occur on the abdomen, although it is not entirely uncommon for stretch marks during pregnancy to appear on the thighs, buttocks, hips, lower back, upper arms, and even breasts.

There are some things that you may be able to do to minimize or even prevent stretch marks during pregnancy. Gaining the recommended amount of weight, and gaining it slowly and steadily can help. Rapid weight gain will only exacerbate the stretch mark problem. Keep in mind here that you should still be gaining the required amount of weight, as not gaining enough weight can be harmful to both you and to your baby.

Making sure that your skin is moisturized throughout your pregnancy may help to prevent or lessen stretch marks during pregnancy as well. There are a variety of skin products available to accomplish this task. There are even some moisturizing creams that are specifically designed to help reduce or prevent stretch marks.

In addition to helping both your health and your baby’s health, eating a balanced and healthy diet can help to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy. Specifically, good nutrition will help to strengthen your skin and to make it more healthy, and help it to stretch easier and to contract back after you have given birth.

While it may not be entirely possible to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy, following these steps may lessen their impact, and may even lessen their severity.

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