At 21 weeks pregnant, your baby might be starting to leave his mark — in the form of stretch marks, that is — all over your stomach, butt, thighs, hips, and breasts.
These pink, red, purple, reddish-brown, or dark brown streaks appear as your body expands and your tummy and breasts just keep on growing. The supporting tissue under your skin gets torn as the skin stretches.
Estimates vary, but at least 1 in 2 women get stretch marks, though you're a likely candidate if your mom had them during pregnancy.
Rapid weight gain can also predispose you to getting stretch marks — another good reason to try to add on weight more slowly and steadily, at an average of about a pound a week.
Depending on your complexion and the genes you inherited, these lines first show up as red, pink, or brown streaks, and with time, will eventually fade.
There's no proven way to prevent stretch marks from zigzagging their way across your body (though there's no harm in applying moisturizers like cocoa butter; if nothing else, it will prevent the dryness and itching associated with pregnancy-stretched skin). After delivery, they usually fade to a less noticeable shade.
The Mutlu Anne app is with you every step of the way on your pregnancy journey.
Thanks for reading.
