# Developing stretch marks AFTER birth?



## Pohuehue (Apr 9, 2007)

I swear these weren't here when I gave birth! (I was shirtless all the time, always looking at my stomach, and even 4 days before birth my CNM said during an exam "wow, no stretchmarks!")

I noticed a few faint lines on my stomach under and around my navel about a week and a half after giving birth and now they seem to be getting darker and more pronounced! I know that it would've been hard for me to see the ones on the underside of my belly during pregnancy, but I'm seeing a lot more on the sides of my navel, and I know I wouldn't seen those.

So...any ideas? Do you think these will be getting worse? Why would I be getting stretchmarks now (2-4 weeks postpartum)? Anything I can do (wearing an abdominal support)? (Note, I didn't have them first pregnancy, but have a lot on my hips that I've had for years.)

**I'm very grateful to have had a healthy pregnancy and baby and know that stretchmarks are very common and not something that's a big deal at all. That said, I'm a little thrown off since I didn't see them earlier and I have lots of other signs on my body and in life to remind me of pregnancy and motherhood.







I do want to minimize them, but mostly I'm puzzled by their late appearance!**


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## GoBecGo (May 14, 2008)

They probably occured in the labour but didn't show until now. I know that sounds mad but i had one at birth and about 15 appeared the next few days and the midwives told me the uterus straining forwards during contractions can cause that. I also found the next time i shaved that i had a neat and near perfect stretchmark in a long line under my pubic hair, from her descent and exit. Nothing "cures" them. The damage is done already, don't worry, they will probably fade really fast. There is a product "bio-oil" which can help fade them faster. I call mine the map of motherhood, lol. I have to say, i like mine way better from knowing they were from laour itself


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## Belle (Feb 6, 2005)

I know that I didn't get any until my milk came in. Then there was no amount of oil or cream in the world that could have prevented the stretch marks on my breasts.

ETA: I swear that my linea negra showed up the day before Dd1 was born. Then it stayed there for a few months after.


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## WindyCityMom (Aug 17, 2009)

I'm guessing you had them already, but they were "new", and didn't have much color to them, so you didn't notice much. Then, they likely got their color post-delivery. This happened to me.. I knew they were there, though they were subtle (I had many prominent ones so I was on a constant lookout for new ones), and sure enough, not too long after delivery (1-2w PP & beyond) they started to get color.


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## Serenyd (Jan 6, 2008)

Sorry hun, that really sucks.







I'm like you, have lots on my hips/thighs, but two babies and none on my belly, now I have a couple on my lower belly and I blame it on the fact I gained more weight this time than in my previous two pregnancies. I didn't notice them before delivery, but I was pretty big and they could have been there. For some reason my stomach poked out on one side more than the other and that is where the stretchies are.

I hate stretch marks, I've had them since I gained a bunch of weight when I was a teenager, but I've been vain about the fact that my belly was so pretty after 2 kids ... well not anymore! Serves me right I guess. I hope yours fade quickly ... try the cocoa butter or some of that bio oil. I'm using cocoa butter... wish I'd used it when I was preg to avoid, but it's too late now.


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## FrmrsDhtr (Apr 14, 2008)

I had the same thing happen after my third babies birth. I know I didn't have this many stretchmarks while pregnant yet there they are. I swear my linea negra didn't show up until after his birth either, and it was there for several months afterwards. I don't remember having it with the other kids. Weird!


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## Pohuehue (Apr 9, 2007)

Thanks everyone...Whether they were there already, or sprouted during labor (that's kind of cool!), I'm glad I'm not the only one! Part of me was actually starting to wonder if it was from all the sloshing around my newly slack belly was doing once baby was out and about!









What an interesting process! I guess I was really thrown off because I was thinking "ok, baby's here. besides milk coming in, everything else should be on its way back to "normal""

The journey continues and I'm learning to like my stretchies.

I wish my linea negra would stay. I really like it.


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## Mackenzie82 (Sep 17, 2015)

Stange enough....for me that is when they show up everytime...I go the whole pregnancy without getting any and then after I have my baby and the next few days home, mine start to show up...just a couple each time, but enough to gross me out. :O(


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## CathyContorno (Jan 23, 2017)

After having a baby.. most of us get stretch marks in the belly, mine were not that bad not that good but I decided to try Dermelastic serum for all the good reviews.. after 2 months of use, I noticed they still look pretty obvious but the redness faded. and generally my belly looked better. Yes I would recommend dermelastic....


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