Stretch marks. An unfortunate by-product of being pregnant and even more worryingly, it is not just confined to the tummy area. As your body blooms, you may find that your skin would also need to strr-eeetch to accommodate more of, well, you. Some mummies are fine with this and treat them as battle scars – if you could deem pregnancy as a war against your body.
Most of us though, would like our epidermis to remain intact. And all is not lost – you can prevent stretch marks as long as you start early! Early means as soon as you see those-blue-lines-on-your-pee-stick early. Don’t wait until you develop a bump. You want to prep that skin now and here’s how:
The MakChic Stretch Mark Prevention Action Plan:
- Gather your lotions and potions, namely a body oil, a stretch mark specific lotion and an extra unctuous cream to soothe itching.
- Liberally apply and rub oil to the tummy, hip and bust area after your bath or shower. Once the oil has absorbed, slather on the stretch mark cream. The oil is for optimal moisturisation whilst the lotion will help to seal it all in. Do this at least twice a day. Â This will keep skin soft and pliable, and if done from early days, it will help to prepare the skin to stretch a little more comfortably to accommodate the baby over the next nine months. It may seem unnecessary when you are just eight weeks in with nothing but a heavy appetite to show. However, your skin will thank you when you are eight months gone.
- It’s best to continue with this plan, even in the first four weeks post-delivery. Once you are in your third trimester and you get the late night itchies on your belly area, it would be a good idea to have a soothing unctuous cream on standby on your nightstand to keep scratching at bay.
Recommended:
- Bio Oil, RM32.95 (60ml), RM 54.95 (125ml) and RM 74.95 (200ml) – Reasonably priced and firm favourite with many mummies. Available at pharmacies nationwide.
- Clarins Tonic Body Treatment Oil, RM195 (100ml) – The brand’s best-selling body oil is made with Hazelnut Oil and Rosemary and Geranium extract. Available at Clarins counters nationwide.
- Mama Mio Tummy Rub Stretch Mark Oil, RM116 (120ml) – My personal favourite, though a bit on the pricy side. Extra points for its soothing fragrance too. Available at Mama Mio.
- Pureen Stretch Mark Lotion – Cheap but effective. Why spend more? RM28.90 (150ml). Available at Caring pharmacies nationwide.
- Mama Mio Tummy Rub Stretch Mark Butter, RM116 (120ml) – High quality ingredients including shea butter, sweet almond and borage oils justifies its high(er) price. Available at Mama Mio.
- Moo Goo MSM Soothing Cream – The definitive cream to treat and soothe those unbearable itchy moments that you get at the latter stages of pregnancy. One for the SOS kit. Available at Caring pharmacies nationwide.
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Azura Rahman is a radio presenter and producer at BFM 89.9, and a mummy to a very cheeky toddler named Inayah. She hasn’t had a full night’s sleep for two years and is still on the hunt for the holy grail of eye creams.
Image credit: She Knows.
