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The Fight Against Stretch Marks
Saturday, March 09, 2013 by Chaunie Brusie from Blog from the Belly
When I was pregnant with my first daughter, I was sorely duped in the stretch mark arena. I sailed through my pregnancy (well after puking almost every day), certain that my 21-year-old body would easily withhold the rigors of pregnancy.
I was smug with self-assurance, and I almost got away with it.
For the entire pregnancy, I had nary a stretchmark. Not one. I checked almost every day, for some reason, anxiously convinced that I could preserve my once bikini-ready body if only, if only, I didn’t get a stretch mark.
And then I delivered my daughter.
Enter rude awakening.
In a set of events that I had never even heard of, let alone believed was possible, I discovered that I did indeed have stretch marks—except they were so stretched out that they were apparently hidden. That’s a quote directly from my midwife—my stretch marks were actually too stretched out to even see. Who knew that was even possible?
Not only did I have stretch marks, but they were the reddest, angriest stretch marks I had ever seen. It literally looked like someone had attacked me with a butcher’s knife, so ragged were my stretch marks.
Since that sad, sad day when I went from smug young preggo to a stretch mark surprise, I have remained convinced that there is no possible way to stop stretch marks from happening. If history, situations, or genetics declares it, you will get stretch marks, no matter how young you are or how much body butter you slather on.
I’m no longer saddened by my stretch marks or convinced that they have ruined my body for life. Because let’s face it, stretch marks or not, this body isn’t seeing the light of day in a bikini ever again. I’ve accepted my stretch marks for what they are.
And I’ve given up the hopeless fight against them.
What about you? Do you think it’s possible to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy?
Photo credit: Flickr/BarelyFitz
Chaunie Brusie
Chaunie Brusie is a writer, speaker, and labor and delivery nurse. She began serving as an advocate for young mothers after discovering her own two tiny blue lines during her senior year of college. She blogs about her journey as a young mom of three at www.tinyblu...Read More
