Belly balm?

[smokeylo]

Hi Mamas,
I haven't gained much but I found my first teeny stretch mark this week and was thinking I'd like to get some really good belly balm to use on my tum for the pregnancy. I know there are a lot out there. Does anyone have a rec. for a brand that's natural and smells pretty nice (not too strong)?

Thanks.

[isra1986]

Sorry, but I have no recomendations, but would also like to know of this. I found my first 2 small strech marks underneath my belly button yesterday.

[flapjack]

I quite like pure shea butter (no point in me quoting stockists at you.) Also, rose hip seed oil can actually help heal stretch marks...allegedly, that is. I think mine are beyond repair, though.

[weeirishlass]

I used body butter from the Body Shop and I loved it. It's not exactly a belly balm, but it leaves your skin feeling so nice. Sadly, however, if you're destined to get stretch marks, you're gonna get 'em no matter what you slather on. The proof is in my belly!! (but Mederma scar cream does help to make them less visible, but it's expensive and not all natural)

[smokeylo]

I'm not interested in fighting the stretch marks, it just seems like a nice thing to do! Thanks for the recs. Does plain shea butter smell bad? I can't stomach anything stinky right now.

[LoveChild421]

I've been rubbing a blend of oils on my belly religiously. This blend: http://secure.anakiri.com/merchant2/...tegory_Code=BC
I add Frankincense essential oil to the oil blend because Frankincense is amazing at preventing stretch marks! I've seen amazing results with Frankincense for scars too. The aromatherapist I work with had a c-section with her son and used Frankincense after the scar healed enough to rub and she barely has a scar at all compared to the c-section scars I've seen.
I also use shea butter, it doesn't smell great like the oil does but I like the combo of oil and also a thick balm. I'm definately trying my darndest to prevent stretch marks- I didn't get a single one with my son and I credit my skin care habits and dietary habits (gaining only a reasonable amount of weight and lots of pure cod liver oil, borage, and flax oils for stretchy skin!). My mom's belly is nothing but stretch marks so although I agree that there is a genetic component, you can definately defy genetics.

[weeirishlass]

Thanks for the rose hip seed oil tip; I bought some today!
I also got Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter and it seems nice and natural and not heavily perfumed. It just has a nice, clean smell. And it has rose hip seed oil, as well as cocoa butter, vitamin E, shea butter and all that good stuff.
I also got Motherlove Pregnant Belly Oil which is all natural and just has oils and some lavendar essential oil.
Hopefully this ravaged belly won't get any worse with this baby, even if it never gets better!

[snozzberry]

DH has been rubbing Mother's Special Blend on my breasts, belly, and butt every morning after my shower. I don't know if it's going to help stave anything off, but it feels nice to be pampered!

[taransmom]

i made my own from a recipe in "Having a Baby, Naturally":
1 oz vit E oil
3 oz sweet almond or grapeseed oil
25 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops neroli ess.oil
5 drops frankincense ess.oil
5 drops lemongrass ess.oil
Combine vit E and sweet almond oil in clean glass or plastic container. Add ess.oils one at time, shaking or mixing gently.

I haven't noticed any stretch marks so far and I apply the belly butter am and pm. I also get help from my 3 year old!

Good luck!

[nolonger]

I used cocoa butter and it seemed to "work" on all of my pregnancies except Jeanita, who I gained 78 lbs with. I thought it was working fine with her too until after the birth: all of my stretch marks were on the underside of my belly and I couldn't see them when I was still pregnant!

In retrospect, I think genetics has more to do with it than belly balm. My stretch marks with jeanita have faded to almost nothing through the years (I can find them but you probably couldn't) and my mother had no visible stretch marks by the time I was old enough to remember what her body looked like.

I do like the smell, feel, and ritual of cocoa butter and will probably start using it again for this babe, but I'm secretly hoping to get some nice, visible, noticeable, undeniable marks that stick around for at least a few months.

[eilonwy]

I didn't get stretch marks with my first pregnancy; I got them on my breasts, but not my belly. I did get some *after* he was born... : Ugh. Anyway, the only thing I did with him, I did for comfort (the belly stretching was UNBEARABLY dry and itchy!)-- Nivea something-or-other with oil. It smelled like Nivea and we called it "orb oil." I doubt it did anything for the stretch marks, but it felt SO much better. Well, maybe it did help-- who knows? I think it's genetics more than anything, though. I still remember being about 7 month along and a classmate asking me if she could see my belly. I lifted my shirt and she sounded so disappointed as she said, "Aw, it just looks normal!" : Another classmate had had a baby 16 months earlier, and her belly was an absolute roadmap of stretch marks; the first classmate found her belly to be far more satisfactory than my great, smooth orb. :

I've got some now, but they all came after that first pregnancy, like I said. It ain't pretty down there. Not that I can really see much beyond my gigantic, scary-saggy boobs... :

[flapjack]

I've got NEW ONES :

You wait, this is going to be at LEAST an 18lber (ds1, the one who did the damage, was 14lbs. None of the others even came close.)

[BabyBump]

Try Queen Bee's Moon Belly balm. It's a small, woman owned business out of Wisconsin. She has a wonderful line of natural skin products for mom and baby. Queenbeesoaps.com I believe.

[joshs_girl]

My sister sent me loads of the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lotion. Unfortunately, I'm with FJ, in that I'm already get them.

I put on a lot of weight quickly after our wedding, and the underside of my belly had them pop up overnight. They were starting to fade, but I can see now they are getting redder.

I have tons on my breasts already from puberty, and they fade to scar-like colors pretty quickly, so I'm not particularly worried.

I just have the H rub me down with lotion every night - it's his way of "helping" with the pregnancy!

[Kitten]

From everything I've heard it's entirely genetic. I don't have any and never used any lotion or balm during my first pregnancy. I have heard that they help with itchiness though.

[Jujubie]

Originally Posted by Kitten

From everything I've heard it's entirely genetic.

This scares me because I remember my late Mom had a ton of them! :

I already have some marks, when I was 19 I joined the Air Force (i was a stick back then no muscle no fat...) and I gained 25 lbs while in basic training. Mostly muscle, but I gained a lot of stretch marks on my hips and thighs in those 6 weeks. Well in the years since then, the muscle has turned to fat.... ugh.