Although there's nothing wrong with stretch marks - you can think of them proudly as a living medal of your pregnancy - you can still do a lot to prevent them or reduce their severity.
The chances of developing stretch marks during pregnancy are high, around 90%.
Preventing them really is the best approach because even though they fade over time they are permanent.
If you give your skin the best possible care from day one, you will greatly minimise the chance of developing stretch marks.
Natural Healing for stretch marks There are a few ways that you can naturally reduce the appearance of stretch marks and of course, to avoid them in the first place.
These include anti-striae (anti-tearing) strategies, maximising skin elasticity, nutrition for the skin tissues and light massage.
Anti-striae actions Striation of the skin involves profound tearing and when you want to heal skin damage at this depth you need more than just topical creams and lotions; you need something that penetrates beyond the superficial layers of the skin.
This is where herbs are very handy.
In fact the herb Arnica is highly regarded and popular throughout the world as a safe and natural medicine that encourages more rapid recovery of tissues and is perfectly suited to healing the over-stretched skin of pregnancy.
Arnica has been used for centuries for this purpose as well as to reduce trauma, pain and muscle stiffness.
Arnica contains a chemical called Helenalin that quickly acts on inflammation to reduce connective tissue damage and bruising.
Arnica is best applied in an oil base with a light massage.
To prevent tearing it also helps to make the skin smoother and to maximise elasticity.
Maximising skin elasticity To reduce the risk of developing stretch marks you can make use of a few completely natural and toxin free oils to smoothen out your skin, feed skin tissues and rehydrate.
The best oils to use are Sweet Almond oil, Jojoba oil, Wheatgerm oil, and Carrot oil.
These contain deeply nourishing and softening nutrients such as Essential Fatty Acids, vitamins A, C, E, B and also fatty acids to help strengthen skin cell membranes.
Wheatgerm oil is the scar healing oil recommended by natural skincare professionals around the world.
It contains proteins and minerals that help the skin to recover from rapid stretching, and evens out skin tone.
Its bright warm yellow colour distinguishes it from many other base oils and its texture is similarly nourishing and substantial.
Jojoba is another fabulous healing oil for the skin that reduces inflammation and any associated redness.
Sweet Almond oil is not only extremely nourishing and tonifying to all skin types, it has the added benefit of no distinct aroma - perfect for pregnancy.
However, for those of you who prefer a pleasant aromatic experience you cannot go past the calming scent of Wild Rose essential oil which is nurturing, softening and shape-restoring to the skin.
The right nutrition for your skin Nutrients can enter the skin topically and through the blood stream via the diet.
So not only do your topical applications need to contain good nutrients, your diet can also provide these.
To improve elasticity of the skin eat ample amounts of vitamins A and E, found in foods such as carrot, pumpkin, raw nuts and seeds, olive oil, eggs, meat, sardines and Wheatgerm oil.
Don't forget vitamin C, the main collagen-strengthening vitamin.
Eating lots of green leafy vegetables will help boost your vitamin B levels, also very important for skin integrity.
The herb Blackthorn has a reputation for maintaining a strong vital force throughout rapid growth spurts and makes an excellent strengthening tonic for women during pregnancy.
Stinging Nettle tea is also useful.
Massage Valerie Ann Worwood, author of The Fragrant Pharmacy and an international authority on the use of oils and aroma in healing, strongly recommends massage for the prevention of stretch marks.
She is not alone as the very premise of massage therapy is that specific stimulation of the skin can invoke profound changes in the muscles and tissues underneath.
In pregnancy keeping pressure light prevents over-stimulation of organs (not recommended here!) and is strong enough to affect the dermis layer.
Softly draw small repetitive circles over the skin using a skin-elasticising oil combination including wheatgerm oil, almond oil and Rose essential oil - a must have in your program for pregnancy stretch marks.
So where to from here? Make sure that you equip yourself well to handle the stress of pregnancy on your skin.
Look out for the nutrients and oils listed above in any natural skincare product that you purchase, and stroke away! Here are some recommended products to get you started.