🤍 Stretch marks: What works, what doesn't (during & after pregnancy)

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🏡 Home & Mom Life

Stretch Marks (Pregnancy & Beyond)

Fact - Stretch marks are genetic: So if your mama didn’t have them, chances are you won’t either (regardless of your size).

Fact - Getting stretch marks depends on how quickly your belly grows: AND if your elastic tissue is weaker, it will snap (create stretch marks) quicker.

Fact - Studies have shown that daily massage with almond oil can help prevent/reduce stretch marks: But it’s not clear what’s doing the work, the almond oil or the massages. Also…this may be a A LOT to ask for 2nd or 3rd time mom!

What To Do/Eat

Choose foods that help strengthen in your skin:

• Protein (animal product and legumes). Why: your elastic tissue is mostly made out of protein.

• Vitamin C (citrus, strawberries, red peppers, kiwi). Why: this is a compound that's essential for making elastic and collagen tissue in your skin. Note: your body can’t store vitamin C (you pee it out) so try to get a daily supply.

• Animal gelatin and collagen (think slow cooked bone broth, slow cooked tough cuts of meat, skin/bone in poultry).

  • Why: Gelatin and collagen are the richest sources of glycine, an important amino acid that our bodies require in greater amounts during pregnancy for baby’s development AND for your own growing uterus, breasts, and belly.

  • Note: Glycine is NOT abundant in lean, boneless, skinless meats or vegetarian sources of protein.

  • What if I hate all of the foods above: You can add beef gelatin and/or collage powder to smoothies, soups, and stews.

Sources: Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols and “Skincare During Pregnancy” with Dr. Jessica Wu.

Product Recommendations

• During pregnancy: Any of the Nature’s Truth collagen products. Note: this is a splurge for sure, but can’t beat the quality. You could go back to a less expensive collagen after birth if needed.

• No one told me any of this during pregnancy, what can I do about my stretch marks now? Don’t worries! Our stretch marks are part of us! They’re (and thus, you are) beautiful. If you want to reduce their appearance: the company Dermaclara has an amazing new approach that mimics the way doctors treat other scars: medical grade silicone patches. Note: yes, stretch marks are a type of scar.

• Beef gelatin: don’t have one to recommend at the moment. If you do, please reply back!

Short Reads, Big Gains

🥄 Streamline Your Mornings with a Make Ahead Breakfast: Slow Cooker Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal

Grease: Coat the bottom and sides of the slow cooker with coconut oil, cooking spray, or butter.

Combine: 2 cups steel-cut oats, 4 cups water, 3 cups milk (any), 1/4 cups maple syrup, 1/4 brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon (or to taste), 1 tsp vanilla (optional), and 1/4 tsp salt.

Cook: 6 hours on low for a firm texture and 8 hours on low for a softer texture. Alternatively, cook on high for 3-4 hours.

Substitutions: This recipe will only work with steel-cut oats; can’t sub these. Sub maple syrup with any other sweeter (honey, agave, stevia, etc.) and omit the brown sugar if you prefer a healthier version/don’t have any on hand.

Ratios: Follow a 2:7 oats to liquid radio if you need to decrease or increase the recipe or if you prefer more/less water or milk. Not recommended to exceed 4 cups of milk (to prevent scorching).

Read the full recipe here.

👟 Let their little toes move as freely as possible. But when shoes are needed: The Danish company Tiny Explorerings will send you a free pair of baby/toddler shoes (sizes 6M-4 Yrs), you just pay the shipping.

💻️ Teen Mom Corner

The Pour Over (Christian news site) wrote a great piece breaking down how to talk to your teens about the pro-Palestinian campus protests that have erupted all over the country due the war in Gaza (8th grade level and above).

Motherhood Inspiration from IG

☕️Let’s Talk! Thank you to the mamas who felt enough trust to send their prayer requests last week. You can keep my family in your prayers also as we’re walking through a job/city transition right now 🙂 Love, - Andrea

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