Let’s have some real talk about stretch marks…
1) There’s nothing wrong with stretch marks!!!!! Stretch marks are just a new part of your amazing, capable, beautiful body! Like summer freckles. And they’re a sign that you brought new life into the world. What could be cooler than that? Think of it like nature’s free “mama” tattoo. :)
2) In some cultures, permanent bodily changes that a mother endures after pregnancy and breastfeeding are considered beautiful and something to be held in high esteem because it’s a symbol of the contribution she’s made to her community.
Pretty cool huh? I love that fun fact and want to encourage more of that mindset around here.
So now that we have that cleared up and we’re on the same page that stretch marks are not the enemy here… I get it that some mamas are still interested in preventing them during pregnancy. So let’s chat about what that approach could look like.
If you want to prevent or lessen the appearance of stretch marks (in a healthy and sane way!), I suggest an internal AND external approach.
Internal approach (i.e. food):
This means eating nutrient dense foods and including collagen in your diet during pregnancy and postpartum. Collagen helps the skin retain its elasticity and supports skin repair. While there aren’t yet studies to show that directly consuming collagen will for sure prevent stretch marks, from the way it works in the body it is presumed by nutrition experts to be true. Anecdotally I have witnessed this time and time again, and I myself (a very fair skinned lady with plenty of old stretch marks from puberty) found this to be true. Get more collagen in your diet by eating meats cooked with the bone in and skin on, and bone broth. A powdered collagen supplement can also play a role here for sure (find my favorite collagen powder here and use code “wildflower” for 20% off your first order!), but I recommend you don’t let it completely replace collagen in your diet.
Plant based peeps— if you’re not consuming collagen, you can support your body’s own collagen production by eating vitamin C and antioxidant rich foods like bell peppers, berries and citrus fruits.
External approach (i.e. skincare)
The external part of your daily regimen involves keeping your stretching skin loved up and moisturized. Use a high quality topical body butter (this is typically thicker and more moisturizing than a standard body oil) and massage it in every day, sending your body loving messages. It’s not about a rejection or stress over your skin, it’s about respect and admiration of your skin! Your body is beautiful and is growing a baby— this is amazing!
Another nice thing about doing daily moisturizing massage on your belly is that it feels really good. As your belly grows, the skin starts to get tight and can sometimes feel itchy, scratchy, or even a tiny bit painful (I mean, you’re literally stretching to accommodate another human in here!). Keeping it moisturized can definitely help keep things more comfortable. Plus it’s a special time for you to connect with baby and give them a little massage too! If you’re looking for a belly butter made with all natural ingredients like shea butter and botanicals, check out my favorite one by my friend Ashley over at Skin to Skin (and use code WILDFLOWER for 20% off!).
Having said that, if I had to choose one area to focus on for stretch mark prevention, I would recommend focusing on including those healthy foods over focusing on skincare. But luckily these practices are simple enough that including both in your day to day life is definitely achievable.
By the way, we covered why including collagen in your diet is important here, but don’t be fooled into buying those lotions and potions that contain collagen for your skin! Your body doesn’t absorb and utilize it when applied topically the same way that it does when you consume it internally. Those collagen skincare products are all about marketing, not results. I recommend you spend your money on quality food instead.
Also know that it is possible that there’s a genetic component and some people are simply more predisposed to getting stretch marks, so don’t trip, baby girl. Sure, have fun experimenting with these ideas! Be a biohacker! But don’t stress on it cause at the end of the day it may not be entirely in your control. Like Christina said, “you are beautiful in every single way!”
The best part of the suggestions mentioned above is that ASIDE from potentially preventing stretch marks, these practices (high quality diet with collagen and self massage with a nice oil or butter) provide many benefits and overall support a healthy, comfortable pregnancy with no negative side effects.
Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about! Win, win!
Now, mamas! What has been your experience with stretch marks? What wisdom do you have to impart? Feel free to share below!