The side effects of pregnancy: Stretch Marks

Aah, the perks of pregnancy….eating more ice cream than you ever would, getting your husband or significant other to lift the groceries or clean the bath tub and buying the cutest little layette. However, stretch marks are one of the ugly side effects of most pregnancies and something most women wish they did not have to contend with.

Stretch marks are not a serious medical condition or something that you need to lose sleep over. For centuries, women have had to deal with stretch marks as the side effect of carrying a new life in their belly for nine months.

As the baby grows and needs more room to wiggle around, the outer lining of a woman's uterus also expands and the skin which is visible starts expanding correspondingly. This extreme stretch leaves marks that can be purplish or pinkish or could be brownish in color due to different skin pigmentations.

Women need not worry about the stretch marks as irreversible as they may have had to accept them centuries ago. They may have had to live with it for life. However, in this day and age there are several options that one can choose from to get rid of these marks.

There are several options for stretch mark removal. From cocoa butter creams and lotions to home remedies and even surgery, some women do go the extra mile. if they can afford it and if their profession calls for it (such as actresses and models) or even if someone just wants to look good in a bathing suit in the summer, stretch marks are no fun.

The Bright Side Of Stretch Marks

Of course, unlike varicose veins and wrinkles, you do have a plus side to stretch marks. In most cases, you do get to give birth to a miracle, a bundle of joy that you have nurtured in your belly for so many months. Some women are lucky enough never to have stretch marks but like nausea and swollen feet, they usually are part and parcel of the game. Some mothers have stretch marks that vanish on their own.

Those too are not very common, but still heard of. Just like each pregnancy is different, your experience with the marks can be different too. You might have had many stretch marks in your first pregnancy but not after that. Similarly, your mother may have had a squeaky clean belly during her pregnancies but you may have not inherited that particular gene!

So do try the various options out there, but remember that even if they do not completely go away, think of your stretch marks as your medal of honor for bringing a new life into this world.