A. As you can tell from the name, we get stretch marks because of the stretching of the skin over the abdomen as the baby grows. We can also get them around our breasts as they can grow quite a bit in pregnancy and around our buttocks and thighs for the same reason. Not everyone will get them because they depend on the age and elasticity of the skin. Very pale women, such as redheads, will almost always get them and black women will hardly ever get them. There is not a cure for them but they do become much less obvious with time. They will initially be quite red as a result of the hormones we have in pregnancy but the colour fades away once the pregnancy ends because of the decrease in hormone levels.

See our fav belly products for some other hints.

– Dr. Linda Ducholke, a mother of two, has been a successful Family Practitioner with Obstetrical privileges for the past 20 years. The main focus and passion of her practice is obstetrics and childcare.