As soon as I got a +ve my mind was working non-stop thinking of everything that could happen. But one thing that was more worrying than anything else (apart from how the hell will the baby get out of here) was getting disgusting red lines on my belly. So, as usual, I referred to the guru, the internet .
If you want to know more about the how and why these marks are caused you can visit the NHS website.
Stretch mark creams are not 100% guaranteed to work but I'm not taking any chances so I started using them as soon as. Apparently drinking alot of water reduces the risk as well as putting on creams containing Vitamin E.
It's quite nice to massage the belly with these creams however some of them are foul smelling and if you have nausea it's the last thing you'd want to smell!
I started off using Palmers Organic Therapy 399 ml Olive Oil + Vitamin E Lotion Pump
which has a sweet smell of olives. It absorbs quickly and leaves the skin feeling smooth.
Another good one that I'm using right now is Palmers Cocoa Butter Massage Stretch Marks Lotion 251 ml
. It is a non-greasy lotion with Cocoa Butter, Vitamin E, Collagen, Elastin and Shea Butter that leaves the skin feeling moisturized. You can smell the cocoa as you're applying it that reminds me of dark chocolate!! And, it only costs around £5.59. I like both this and the olive oil one because they come with a pump which makes it easier to apply. But if you prefer it in other containers, it also comes in a tube, a tub.
Mama Mio Tummy Rub Stretch Mark Butter, 125g, prevent stretch marks, safe for pregnancy
is also a good one. It's rated as the best stretch mark cream/butter in more than one magazine. There is also an oil version of it Mama Mio Tummy Rub Stretch Mark Oil
. These are one of the very few products that are proven to reduce the appearance of stretch marks. I haven't personally tried this brand yet as it's slightly more expensive but it's worth a try if you feel like pampering yourself.
So far, I don't have any signs of stretch marks (I'm keeping my fingers crossed) so the creams are probably doing something. Even if they're not I just love putting cream on my growing belly at least it relieves some of the skin itching thanks to the growing bump.