Gaining weight, piles, a bad back, varicose veins and stretch marks are just a few of the many potential side effects of pregnancy. Combined with a massive change of body shape and the wobbly appearance of your stomach after pregnancy and it’s no surprise that many women suffer from baby blues or full blown postnatal or postpartum depression.

Whilst many of these changes are inevitable and out of your control, there are some things you can do to alleviate a number of the potential problems of pregnancy.

Avoiding stretch marks on your stomach during pregnancy is one of the things you may be able to influence. Experts are divided on this issue, so there is no conclusive evidence on either side to say that stretch marks can or can’t be avoided.

Basically it all boils down to caring for yourself properly at a time when you need to be as healthy and as strong as possible. The following tips will give you the best chances of avoiding stretch marks: -

• Make sure you eat a well balanced diet. If you minimise the amount of weight you gain during pregnancy you can help to offset the chances of suffering from stretch marks all over the body. This doesn’t mean starting any type of diet, just simply following the usual rules of healthy eating. Eat well most of the time and allow yourself the occasional treat. Keep an eye on what you are eating, don’t throw all consciousness of a healthy diet out of the window just because your shape is changing anyway.

• If you regularly moisturise your skin at least once a day using a cream containing vitamin A or vitamin E, applied by hand or using a massage glove you will help to improve the circulation and the elasticity of the skin. Applying the cream may help to stop the skin becoming too dry and therefore avoiding stretch marks forming.

• Drink plenty of water to ensure that your skin retains its moisture levels, experts suggest at least 2 litres a day. Dry and dehydrated skin has been shown to form stretch marks far more easily than well hydrated skin.

• Taking a multi vitamin or a vitamin formula specifically designed for pregnant women may help to cover any deficiencies you may have, again helping to improve the quality of your skin.

• Regular activity will also help to improve your circulation, which means the skin will be supplied with the nutrients it needs much faster and the increase in rich oxygenated blood from your lungs will also improve its quality. Exercise will also burn off any calories you don’t need which would otherwise be stored as body fat that stretches the skin forcing stretch marks to appear. Not high impact exercise or anything that is too intense, but gentle activities such as walking and swimming are ideal.

Avoiding stretch marks may or may not be possible, but many women who haven’t been affected by them swear it was the action they took during pregnancy that was the reason for them not getting them.

If you want to feel happy about your body and stomach after pregnancy then it makes sense to take any steps possible to avoid the many side effects your body is subjected to over the course of the nine months and beyond. Not only will you benefit but the health and well being of your new baby will also be improved dramatically.

Jago Holmes is a registered personal trainer and director of New Image Fitness Ltd. He is a qualified personal trainer with over 10 years experience working with new mums and pregnant women. He has created a website for new mothers, devoted entirely to safe and effective weight loss after pregnancy. You can get instant access to his free reports here – http://www.greatshapeafterbaby.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jago_Holmes

Pregnancy brings some unavoidable problems with it – backache, fatigue, queasiness, and, almost invariably, stretch marks. As the term of childbearing progresses (usually during the 6th or 7th month) something like 80% of all women can expect to find red striations to appear on the skin of the abdomen. Depending on the degree of change in weight gain, stretch marks can also develop on the upper thighs and waist.

Some dermatologists attribute the susceptibility to stretch marks in pregnancy to heredity, so some women may be at greater risk than others. Whatever the case, this need not be cosmetic Armageddon. Since the pregnancy/stretch arks connection has been discovered, a lot of research has gone into tackling the problem.

Pregnancy-related stretch marks can definitely be prevented and almost certainly minimized with the right precautions. For instance, pregnancy need not and should not equal indefinite and uncontrolled weight gain – which is the main reason for stretch marks in pregnant women.

In other words, it is important that the mother-to-be maintains a strict nutritional regimen (read no compulsive consumption of dill pickles, no matter how strong the craving). At any stage of the pregnancy, weight gain should stay within 20 to 30 pounds. A proper diet should also be supplemented with regular exercise like walking and stretching. With these precautions, weight gain will follow its naturally appointed course and the skin will not be subjected to abrupt stresses which it cannot accommodate.

Maintaining proper body hydration by means of adequate water consumption will ensure that the skin stays moist and supple, thereby maintaining its elasticity and eliminating a major cause for stretch marks. In most Eastern countries, expectant mothers also receive daily oil massages with vitamin E and C-rich massage media to reduce the possibility of stretch marks – we in the West would do well to take a leaf out of that book.

Stretch Marks provides detailed information about stretch marks, home remedies for stretch marks, laser stretch marks removal and more. Stretch Marks is affiliated with Progesterone Creams

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Max_Bellamy

Have you been looking for a way to get rid of stretch marks on your stomach?

Have stretch marks been making you want to cry?

Having a baby should be one of the happiest events in any woman’s life. Seeing your little one and knowing they are a such a big part of you is difficult to put into words. Many things come with having a baby including an increased feeling of pride, a desire to be the best person you can be, and unfortunately, stretch marks. Most women who become pregnant and have a baby all seem to get those unsightly marks on the bottom of their stomach.

Stretch marks are sort of a badge of honor in being a mother, and even though they are well worth the end result of having a child, they can be discouraging to many women to look at. Although you want them to disappear, you can’t just wave a magic wand and hope they go away, but you can do something about them.

What Are Stretch Marks?

Why are stretch marks happening anyway? The exact cause for a stretch mark is due to the skin being pulled. This can easily happen in people who are overweight as well as pregnant mothers. The second layer of skin can also be damaged and the severity of the stretch marks will vary depending on how far the skin was pulled as well as the original condition of the skin. When the skin does go back to where it was originally, either from having a baby or losing weight, those marks will often become more noticeable and fading them becomes a goal.

There are several avenues you can take when it comes to fighting stretch marks. One is to purchase a cream or lotion specifically developed to combat the effects. What these stretch mark creams will do over time is to fade the stretch marks enough that they won’t be as noticeable.

How To Get Rid Of Stretch Marks On Your Stomach

Stretch marks are will usually look like a pinkish to red color when they first develop. This is also when you’ll probably first spot them. In many cases they can naturally fade over time though even without the use of cream. So it’s important to consider the cost of the treatment in regards to the actual effects it will have.

Another cream that is said to have good results is cocoa butter. It’s fairly inexpensive and can produce good results in removing stretch marks. To get results you will simply apply the cream twice a day to remove stretch marks and in time they will fade. The added moisture to the skin will help it to heal better.

How to get rid of stretch marks before having your baby? Well, if you are pregnant it’s worth nothing that using cocoa butter through the duration of your pregnancy can actually help to reduce the number of stretch marks. In this case a bit of preventative measure will ease the effects later on.

By the way, you can find out more about How To Get Rid Of Stretch Marks On Your Stomach as well as much more information on pregnancy at http://www.WeeklyPregnancyGuide.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_Edwards

For many women, along with the miracle of birth comes the unpleasant side effect of stretch marks during pregnancy.
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