How Can I Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy?

Stretch marks are scars that appear on your skin due to sudden changes in body size.

Stretch marks that occur during pregnancy (striae gravidarum) are usually due to hormonal changes that affect your skin.

The stretch marks form when the skin rapidly expands and its elastic tissue tears.

Studies have shown that more than 70 percent of women will get stretch marks during pregnancy. Many pregnant women will see the dark lines lines appear on their abdomen, thighs, arms and breasts. 

So how can one prevent stretch marks during pregnancy?

Tip #1: Stay hydrated

Drinking water is great for the body and is absolutely essential when you are pregnant. Water helps detoxify the body and helps your skin cope with the stress of stretching.Your skin also needs to be hydrated for optimal skin elasticity.

Ideally, you should aim to drink at least eight glasses of water in a day.

Tip #2: Don't overeat

Your appetite increases at various points in your pregnancy and it’s normal to put on weight, but it is a myth that you need to ‘eat for two’. Pregnant women need to take in extra calories to nourish baby (about 500 extra calories per day), but make sure these calories are from nutritious foods, not fatty ones, so that you put on weight gradually and are able to shed pounds easily once you’ve finished breastfeeding.

Gaining pregnancy weight steadily may help minimise the effect of stretch marks.

Tip #3: Massage and moisturise your skin regularly

During pregnancy, the areas that are most prone to stretch marks are your tummy, sides, lower back, thighs and legs since these areas undergo the most strain as your baby grows. Therefore, in order to help the skin in these area stretch without forming marks the skin needs to be well moisturised.

Many Nigerian women testify to using coconut oil, cocoa butter and shea butter.

Coconut oil’s ability to nourish the skin has been known for centuries. Coconut oil is full of saturated fatty acids which consists primarily of medium chain fatty acids. Coconut oil can easily be applied topically. It is best to apply right after a shower to keep the moisture in.

Shea butter and cocoa butter are good at keeping the skin moist and hydrated. Cocoa butter is a natural fat extracted from the cocoa bean. Shea butter is made from the nut of the karite tree. The fatty acids are extracted from the nuts shell. These work by stimulating the skins renewal process. This can help prevent and also help in reducing stretch marks.