Best Way To Prevent Pregnancy Stretch Marks? Hint: No Fancy Cream Needed

Pregnancy stretch marks are a point of contention for women everywhere. Do a quick google search of “things I need during pregnancy” and you’ll find hundreds of creams that claim to prevent or treat stretch marks. When I got pregnant, my Instagram feed became a stream of targeted ads for every type of product to “get rid of stretch marks.”

So what really helps prevent stretch marks around your belly? It’s not necessarily chemical creams. The secret is much simpler, actually: develop the same good habits you would outside of pregnancy. Let’s take a look at some of those good habits for momma and baby.

Move your body

Exercise can help boost energy levels, improve blood sugar regulation, and help with blood flow (and reduce swelling). But did you know it can also help prevent stretch marks? Exercise increases your circulation, which helps promote the health and elasticity of the skin as it stretches to make room for baby.

Good exercise also lowers blood pressure and improves the strength of your veins and capillaries. Everything about your body functions better when it is properly moved, so don’t skip it during pregnancy if you can.

Stay hydrated

I grew up in the North East, and during the winter my skin would crack and dry out because of how dry the air was. Cracking is essentially what happens if you don’t drink enough water during pregnancy — your skin dries out and begins “breaking” as the baby grows larger and larger.

Staying hydrated during pregnancy keeps your amniotic fluid healthy, and also keeps your skin well-hydrated. During the second and third trimesters, aiming for about 1 gallon of water a day is a great way to stay hydrated. You can also add electrolytes to your water to help balance the minerals in your body.

Simply put: there’s nothing more vital to overall health and wellness than proper, daily hydration.

Nourish your body with good diet and supplements

What we eat during pregnancy matters so much. Not only do our bodies desperately need the nutritional boost, but baby also derives nutrients directly from our diet, too. And as for stretch marks, the quality of nutrients we consume almost certainly have a direct impact on how our skin looks postpartum.

Our skin contains collagen, which helps keep it smooth, taut, and elastic as it stretches and returns to “normal” after baby leaves your belly. Nutrients like vitamins E and C, Zinc, and silica all help produce collagen. Vitamins B2 and B3 are additional nutrients that also promote healthy skin. These are all nutrients that you can (and should) get from your food to help you better absorb them. And just in case your diet doesn’t do the trick, a good quality prenatal vitamin will also have these nutrients from food sources to help with that extra boost. 

Using a high quality collagen supplement during pregnancy can also help improve your skin’s elasticity. At 24/7 Health, we love Organixx Collagen because it is packed with the nutrients needed for healthy skin.

Ultimately, what we put in our bodies during pregnancy will help more with stretch marks than what we put on them. Staying hydrated, nourished, and active during pregnancy can help offset a lot of pregnancy complications, including the more superficial ones like stretch marks.