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How good would you feel if you knew the secrets of how to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy? Your body will undergo many changes during your pregnancy, but many of those changes will disappear soon after your baby is born. Stretch marks are one change that won't go away or at least not very easily. The following healthy pregnancy tips are the key to the secrets that unlock the mystery of how to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy.
Tip #1: A Healthy Diet For Pregnant Women
Stretch marks typically appear during the 6th and 7th months of pregnancy. The number one reason for stretch marks is that the skin is forced to stretch too much, too quickly. Like a piece of elastic, if you over stretch it, it will lose some of its elasticity and won't return to its original length, and you may even find that it becomes wrinkled along the edges. The same can happen with your body.
The best way to prevent that from happening is to eat a healthy diet and have controlled weight gain during the course of your pregnancy. This gives your body, especially your tummy, time to adapt to your growing baby. A healthy diet during pregnancy is rich in nutrients and includes foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and cereals, and lean proteins.
During your pregnancy if you are in the normal weight band you will gain about 25 to 35 pounds (10 - 13 kilos). If you are overweight you should gain a little less and if underweight a little more. If you can keep your weight gain within the recommended range then you have unlocked the secret "how to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy".
Tip #2: Make Water Your Best Friend
Water is your best friend when you are looking to understand how to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy. You need to drink plenty of water - at least 8 glasses a day and more if you exercise or if the weather is hot. If you are not drinking enough water then your skin will become dry and it will not have the elasticity that it needs to handle the stretching during pregnancy. And of course drinking plenty of water is also necessary to keep your growing baby healthy.
Tip #3: Pamper your skin
Moisturizing your skin and protecting it from the sun is very important for maintaining suppleness and elasticity. Pick a moisturizer with a sun protection factor of at least 15 and check with your pharmacy for pregnancy safe moisturizing creams. While most commonly used products are completely safe there are a handful of ingedients that doctors recommend you avoid such as "retinoids" which are commonly used in anti-aging creams.
There are many moisturizing creams that may be suitable but it's important to test them on a small part of your skin as not all moisturizers suit everyone.
The nest way to appy the moisturizing cream is to gently rub it onto your body in a circular motion. A circular motion helps to bring blood flow to the surface of the skin which is important for healthy skin.
Using these healthy pregnancy tips should help you understand how to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy or at least make them less noticeable if they do appear.
So stay healthy and enjoy your pregnancy.
