Videos you might be interested in
Videos you might be interested in
Videos you might be interested in
Suggested for you
Stretch Marks During Pregnancy
Almost every mother earns her stripes, but rarely is one proud of hers. Stretch marks are one of the few pregnancy symptoms that carry over into a woman’s postpartum life. Although they never completely fade, there are several ways to prevent them, and if that does not work, treat them. Read on for some simple solutions to the problem
What Are Stretch Marks?
Stretch marks are depressed, small streaks that appear on the skin of a pregnant woman towards the later stages of pregnancy. The elastic fibres under the skin tend to break because the body grows faster than the skin’s ability to cope with. You may notice these marks on your tummy, buttocks, thighs and even on your breasts. They may appear pink, purple, reddish brown or brown on your skin. The colour of your skin determines the colour of the marks. They eventually fade away with time but do not completely go away. These marks are also genetic, which means if your mom had stretch marks, then there is a good possibility that you will have them too.
Causes of Stretch Marks in Pregnancy
These tiny tears in the skin may be caused by various reasons. Some common causes of stretch marks in pregnancy are following:
Gaining weight is very normal during pregnancy; however, if you gain weight rapidly, you may get stretch marks on your skin.
Having excess amniotic fluid.
Carrying multiple babies
If your baby’s weight is more than average.
If your mother or sister had stretch marks during their pregnancy, you may have them too.
If you are a young expecting mother.
If you have had stretch marks in your teens.
How to Prevent Stretch Marks?
Following are some of the measures that you can take to prevent stretch marks in pregnancy:
Keep yourself hydrated. It is very important to keep yourself well hydrated during pregnancy in order to facilitate your increased blood volume and building the water sack for the baby. The lack of water in the body or dehydration will hamper the elasticity of your skin, making it prone to damage because of stretching skin
Include gelatine in your diet. The collagen in gelatine helps improve skin’s elasticity. You may include gelatine in your diet to prevent the marks.
Include vitamin C in your diet. You may take vitamin C rich diet, as it is very effective in the formation of collagen and cartilage. It is recommended to include foods rich in Vitamin C, such as guava, kale and green bell peppers, rather than taking supplements.
Use coconut oil for moisturising. Coconut oil is an excellent source of saturated fatty acids and these do not get easily oxidized, thus it provides good moisture to the skin and prevents stretch marks.
Check for a zinc deficiency. If you have a zinc deficiency, then it hampers your body’s ability to produce adequate collagen and antioxidants. Therefore, you should include zinc-rich foods, such as eggs, chicken and nuts to prevent the marks.
Use oil treatments. You may use various oils such as castor oil, vitamin E oil and other essential oils to improve the elasticity of your skin. These oils have antioxidant properties which are helpful in free radical damage and in preventing stretch marks.
Use cocoa and shea butter. Shea and cocoa butter work wonder to keep the skin hydrated and moist by stimulating skin’s renewal process, and thus preventing damage.
Use over-the-counter stretch mark serums. You may also use serums available on the market to keep your skin moist and hydrated.
Eat foods that improve your skin elasticity. It is recommended to include food rich in gelatine, vitamin A, C and E to help improve the elasticity of your skin and keeping the marks at bay.
Monitor your weight. Sudden or rapid weight gain in pregnancy also leads to stretch marks, therefore, keep your weight in check and gain in a healthy manner to prevent them.
Home Remedies to Remove Stretch Marks
Stretch marks cannot completely go away; however, some home remedies are effective in fading them, such as:
Use alfalfa leave. These leaves have detoxifying and antifungal properties. The paste made of alfalfa leaves and chamomile oil can be applied to the affected area twice a day for results.
Use sandalwood and turmeric. You may apply a paste made from equal amounts of sandalwood and turmeric, on the affected area. Scrub off the paste to get a brighter and even skin tone. You may apply this paste for 5 to 6 months to see an improvement.
Use potato juice. You may apply potato juice on your stretch marks and wash it off with warm water. Apply for a few months to see them fade.
Apply apricot paste. Make a paste from the apricot fruit after deseeding it. Apply to the affected area for a few minutes and rinse off. You may repeat it on regular basis to get rid of the marks completely.
Apply lemon juice. You may apply lemon juice on your stretch marks and let your skin soak it for a few minutes. Rinse with warm water and repeat regularly for best results.
Apply sugar scrub. Make a scrub with sugar, lemon juice and almond oil and apply before bath every day for a few months to lighten.
Use eggs whites. You may apply egg whites on the affected area and let it dry. Wash with cold water and apply olive oil. Use this treatment for a few weeks to fade away the stretch marks.
Apply honey. You may apply honey on the affected area and wash it off after a few minutes with warm water. This helps reduce the marks
Apply aloe vera. You make apply aloe vera regularly on the affected area to get rid of the marks. It also soothes and heals your skin.
Use oil treatments. You may use various oils, such as castor oil, Vitamin E oil, Olive oil etc to massage the affected area. Massaging with these oils help improve the blood circulation, which is very effective in removing stretch marks.
Apart from various preventive and home remedial measures, there are many medical treatments such as laser therapy, chemical peels, glycolic acid etc. You should consult your doctor before opting for any treatment to get rid of stretch marks.
Also Read: Skin Care During Pregnancy Read more
Suggested for you
Suggested for you
Stacking By Size Skills in Toddlers
Toddlers develop the skill of stacking blocks from a very young age. They start by feeling the bumps on the blocks, and then trying to stack them on to each other. In the area of child development, stacking blocks can help your tot explore his creative side.
Toddlers learn various important skills through play to form the basis for many more. Block play stimulates learning in all fields of development– physical, intellectual, and emotional. It’s also important for cognitive development, especially problem solving, self-expression, imagination, and a capacity for creative, divergent thinking. Blocks help to develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination, spatial skills, and language skills.
7 Ways to Encourage Block Play in Toddlers
1. Be a Participant
Be a part of your child’s play time. Show him how to build houses and towers and castles, and he’ll soon be engrossed with blocks and building things. Toddlers may learn to stack blocks from as young as 15 months old, so keep a handful of blocks ready.
2. Add Other Toys and Characters
Stimulate your child’s imagination by adding other toys like cars. They encourage pretend play and give children ideas for construction projects with blocks. Small figures of people can also be introduced later.
3. Combine Stories with Block Play
Make block play for toddlers more interesting by adding a story to it. If you’re telling your toddler a story about princes and dragons, he can make a castle to go with the story. Tales also give ideas to children and encourage them to build things based on the same.
4. Challenge Your Child
Challenge your child with items to build. The good thing about stacking blocks for babies is that you can do so much with them. They can be stacked to create a tower, or joined to make a track. Test your child’s imagination by giving him new ideas to make things. Suggest a structure or show him a picture of something you would like him to build with the blocks.
5. Make a Fun Play Area
Set up an inviting area for play to encourage your child to play with his blocks. Give him space to spread his toys and watch as he gets involved with them.
6. Put It on Paper
If your toddler is having a tough time building what he wants to, he’ll get frustrated and gradually lose interest. Encourage him to draw his ideas on paper, or draw simple shapes for him, which will make it easier for him to construct what he wants to.
7. Start Big
Getting your 19-month-old to stack by size will be easier if the blocks are easy to handle. Don’t give him small blocks because they may be difficult to connect with each other. There’s always the danger of your child putting them in his mouth and choking too.
Research suggests that block play and stacking activities are linked with advanced math skills in later life. Blocks also teach toddlers how to count, stack, and sort. They’re a wonderful tool to teach shapes and colours as well. An important baby milestone, stacking blocks is a fun activity for children of all ages. Read more
Suggested for you
Positive Review of BabyHug's Wooden Number Puzzle for kids
The knob number board is quite useful for children from the age of 2.5-3 years old. This is a fun board for the kids. This not only helps them in recognising numbers but also associate quantity with the numbers. It is a great product to use as it aids us to teach our children numbers very easily and in a fun way. The knobs help in improving their pincer grip and also fine motor skills.
The number board is a new way to teach numbers to our children. It is made of wood and is very light weight. As a parent, this product can be used as an open ended activity too. The kids can explore the product and learn not only numbers, but, colours and fruits names as well.
It is a pretty good product for the children to use and learn new concepts of numbers and quantity association. It is lightweight and easy to use. The knobs on the number help in using it pretty easy for our little ones too.
I liked the colourful pattern that is used to make this product more attractive for the little ones to use. It is colourful, bright and light weight. The company has successfully managed to include two to three concepts in the same board which is commendable. It is not only a number board but also a new method to teach quantity association very easily. Moreover, the children can also learn colours and the names of various fruits.
The only suggestion I have for this product is to make the knobs with wood too. The wooden knobs are stronger and cannot be chewed by the children too. The ones made with plastic are easily spoilt or broken by chewing them.
I would strongly recommend this product as it serves more than one purpose. It nis educational and fun at the same time. Children get attracted with the colours of this board and learn new concepts in a play way method. Read more
Suggested for you
How Meditation Helped Me Heal After Delivery
Delivering a baby is one of the toughest tasks for a woman. Being a mother is not easy. I was excited to have a baby and had planned a lot. Day after day, I planned for other things. There were a lot of dos and don'ts that I had to follow for the little one who was going to come into this world. I had lots of ideas for my baby. Days passed and finally came the day I had been waiting for. I was admitted to the hospital and after some time, I heard my baby crying. I had a smile on my face and I fainted.
Taking care of a baby seemed easy when I used to look at other moms taking care of their babies. But when it came to taking care of my baby, I was a little puzzled. I was unable to adjust to the new scenario. It was a drastic change to be surrounded by a baby always and the changes that my body was undergoing were not pleasant at all. I experienced a lot of pain.
The only thing left in front of me was darkness. I used to cry and feel lonely, but my family supported me and gave me the courage to work on myself and heal. Meditation helped me a lot too! It proved to be the best tricks to come out of depression and be the best mom.
This was the time when I was not attracted to my baby at all, and today is the time I can't stay away even for a second, from my baby. All women go through this phase. When you become a mother for the first time, you have a lot of 'ifs' and 'buts' moment, but not everyone has people to support them. But I assure that meditation is the best remedy for everything. It can heal you and make you happy. It can help you accept the change and be comfortable with your baby.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and positions (including content in any form) expressed within this post are those of the author alone. The accuracy, completenesarticles/contribution-how-meditation-helped-me-heal-after-delivery/s and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The responsibility for intellectual property rights of this content rests with the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with him/her. Read more
Suggested for you
Is it too late and risky being pregnant after 35?
Is it too late and risky being pregnant after 35?..I personally know so many who is having this doubt.some of them even put a full stop on their wish for a second baby, only coz they are above 30.. especially 35 !!
If same question asked to me, I would say NO...it's my personal opinion..I too became a mother to my second lovely baby, in my 30 s, especially in my 39 th!! Yes!..and I didn't had to face anything more than from what a 20 s pregnant lady has to face..like vomiting, slight bp variation , chord issue etc..and same issues and much more were faced by other pregnant ladies who were with me at that time, who were on their 20s...
In today's world, most of the ladies gets married around 26 , settles in life, then only thinks about their babies..and first baby comes near to their 30s. And it's unavoidable that their second comes after 35 only.
But there are things which we should keep in mind while planning.
First and important thing is whether we want this baby? Whether you really enjoy being a mother of a baby at this time.
Next is we should make sure we are healthy enough to give birth to a healthy baby.As you are growing older ,your health also must be in risk. So you must make sure about your health.If we are not healthy enough, it might cause problems to our new born. So if we are, our baby will be too!
In respect to our physical health, mental health matters equal importance.If you find yourself older to be a mother to a new born baby, you are spoiling the lively childhood memories of your baby.!.So you must be mentally young enough to be a mother of a kid, spend time, play with them..etc..don't make them feel they are born to a grandma !!..
And above all, avoid what society says !!..It's your decision , your life , your family , and your baby !!!
And am really happy that I became a reason that someone who put the full stop on their dreams for a second baby, erased that full stop and took initiative and is now enjoying their second pregnancy in late life.!!... Read more
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
3 hours ago
Q. hi sir/mam i had taken nerothrestrone prevent-N one tablet of 5mg when i was unaware of my pregnancy to delay my periods only one dosage was taken by me and i scanned fewdays and heartbeat came but there is the gap of 2weeks in my edd according to lmp and esg is there any problem please reply i am so tensed
Read moreDr Ghouse
Paediatrician
2 hours ago
A. it's okay no problem now. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 2 months
3 hours ago
Q. #asktheexperts advice some parenting hack.
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
2 hours ago
A. regarding what ok repeat question. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Nikitha has added a new answer
Father of a Newborn child
2 hours ago
Q. #asktheexperts what is the best time to keep baby in the sun and for how long?
Nikitha
Mom of a 9 yr 5 m old boy
2 hours ago
A. hello in the morning around 7 to 9:00 a.m. for 10 minutes you can get your baby exposed to the sunlight which would be safe on baby so the child will also get the vitamin d naturally which should be good and nothing to worry about
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
2 hours ago
Q. currently I'm in 25th week of my pregnancy. I would like to when is my 7th month or red trimester is going to start?
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
2 hours ago
A. you had to complete 28 weeks ok. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
2 hours ago
Q. #asktheexperts I am having vaginal infection from last 2 months my doc have given me antibiotics meds but still I am having it …. 8 months pregnant I am ….is anything I am doing wrong that’s y I am having this infection
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
2 hours ago
A. ok cd. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due this month
2 hours ago
Q. Hlo sir / madam
I m 36week 6 days pregnant
My baby’s head doesn’t fix into the pelvis
Lightening or baby dropping not happend
My AFI is 18 (mild polyhydroaminous)
What should I do?? Normal delivery possible?
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
2 hours ago
A. your treating doctor will advise accordingly ok. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Check out this new Memory
Kajal Meena
Guardian of a 8 m old boy
New Memory
#happybaby
0 Likes
0 Comment
Check out this new Memory
shubhangini
Mom of a 1 yr 10 m old girl
New Memory
#babyno.1
0 Likes
0 Comment
Check out this new Memory
Hitesh kataria
Father of a 10 m old boy
New Memory
#babyno.1
0 Likes
0 Comment
Check out this new Memory
naga sowmya
Mom of a 10 m old boy
New Milestone
My son 10 th month birthday
0 Likes
0 Comment
Check out this new Memory
Diksha rawat
Mom of a 9 m old girl
New Memory
#thephoto
0 Likes
0 Comment
Tell us more about yourself get More Personalised
- Infant0 to 6 Months
- Baby6 Months to 2 Yrs
- Toddler2 to 4 yrs
- Kids4-6 yrs
- Big Kids6+ yrs
- Expecting
- Trying to Conceive