Who Invented Stretch Marks Anyway...?

The consensus seems to be that if you're one of those who may be predisposed to getting stretch marks, for the most part they can't be prevented 100%, but there are things you can do to lessen their severity:

• eat healthy foods (ie lots of fresh fruits & veggies), and especially those that promote healthy skin, like Vit's A, C, E, as well as zinc and silicon / silica
• drink at least 2 liters of water a day - staying hydrated keeps your skin more supple & soft and less likely to develop stretch marks as easily
• exercise daily - this is good for your whole body and also helps keep muscles firm and skin healthy
• massage - regularly massaging the areas that are likely to be affected could help reduce stretch marks by increasing blood circulation
• moisturizing creams and oils - this also helps to keep your skin supple and soft, which helps to reduce stretch marks or the severity of them, since dry skin is more likely to tear and lead to stetch mark scarring...so begin doing this everyday as soon as you get your BFP!  (wheat germ oil has shown good results in some women, especially when applied from early on).  I've also read that stretch marks can develop with rapid weight loss, so continue with the oils and creams until you've reach your pre-pregnancy weight.
• try to limit your weight gain, and avoid rapid excessive weight gains as this usually results in stretch marks.  Ask your doctor what is a healthy pregnancy weight gain for YOU, since it could also depend on your BMI...so it's different for everyone
• don't scratch the areas that are prone to developing stretch mark, since this damages the already-stretching skin and could cause stretch marks or worsen the ones you already have - if the stetch marked areas are itchy, rather massage with an oil...just don't scratch
• for the boobs...because they get heavier during pregnancy, wearing a good supportive bra will help to carry the weight, thereby reducing stretching.  Also, applying moisturizer could help too 

And most of these things (except maybe the weight gain, I'm not sure about that yet - although with a healthy diet it should be easy enough to do!) can be easily accomplished...so goodie for that. :)

When we first started ttc (way back in Feb 2011) I already began applying oils and creams to my stomach & boobs...needless to say that effort has been abandoned for the time being, to be commenced again once I get my BFP! :)