Mum-to-be Diary: Fending off stretch marks!
27 weeks and counting
At the time of writing, the sun is streaming through the window and it is a beautiful day outside. I feel as though we have enjoyed glimpses of spring over the last few weeks but with a gloriously sunny weekend ahead, it seems like it has finally arrived in full force.
I have been thinking that having a summer baby may help with the initial shock-to-the-system, with regards to lack of sleep. As a rule of thumb, I always find it easier to get up early in the morning during the summer months because it is so much lighter. The clocks go forward this weekend and so there are plenty of long, bright summer days ahead.
It is difficult to predict anything when you have your first child, but being woken up in the middle of the night may perhaps be softened by the thought of beautiful early morning sunrises that take place in the small hours. We shall see whether it makes a difference or whether I am in fact just being naïvely optimistic… it is something I shall reflect on further at the time!
At the moment Baby has kindly started preparing me for early morning wakeup calls as the kicks are getting much stronger, and often happen at about 4am. While it is frustrating to be woken up, one Mumsnet guru was right when she wrote at least you don’t have to listen to the crying that goes with it at this stage.
The kicks have definitely been getting much more obvious and some people panic if they don’t feel them by a certain stage in their pregnancy. It has been noted that I have a high placenta (which is a good thing apparently) so this means that it is harder to feel the kicks and they arrived a little later than other mums-to-be. Now they are here, it is a reminder of how much change your body has to experience. My tummy is growing bigger and bigger by the day. So far (touch wood), I have escaped stretch marks. I have been relatively vigilant with using products to counter these and I mentioned in a previous diary piece that my husband had bought a magic cream for me as a Christmas present. Mother’s Balm by Neals Yard has been great at helping counter the stretch marks so far but I have also tried a couple of other products.
Bio-Oil has long been known as a miracle worker for stretch marks or scars. You can use it directly on your skin but I have also found that adding a small drop to the bath is really helpful. Basically, the more supple you can make your skin, the better. Adding a few drops to the bath is great for those who don’t like their skin to feel too oily as the texture can be odd at times. This method still allows you to have the benefits of the product.
Back at the end of January, I enjoyed a pregnancy massage at the Sofitel London and this used Little Butterfly Massage Oil. As part of the treatment you walk away with the rest of the bottle of this product and it is great to use at home. My partner isn’t really the type to give a massage, but if you are lucky enough to have a doting other half, this is the best product to use. That said, I apply it myself to Bump sometimes for extra help against stretch marks.
Until next time,
Your Resident Mum-to-be x