Your Skin After Baby: Stretch Marks, Changes and a Little Kindness

Your skin stretched, held and grew a whole person. It is allowed to look like it. Still, it can be a strange feeling to look in the mirror after birth and meet a body that feels like someone else's. If that is you right now, this one is for you.

Why stretch marks happen

Stretch marks form when skin stretches quickly, like it does in pregnancy. Whether you get them depends a lot on things outside your control, like genetics, skin type and how quickly your bump grew. They are incredibly common, and they are not a sign you did anything wrong.

Do stretch marks fade?

Many stretch marks start out red, pink or purple and slowly soften and lighten over months, often becoming paler and less noticeable. Honestly? No oil or cream can promise to erase them. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling a miracle.

What care can do

• Keep skin moisturised. Hydrated skin feels softer, more comfortable and less itchy as it changes.
• Make it a ritual, not a chore. Two quiet minutes after a shower can be one of the few moments in the day that are just yours.
• Look after the whole you. Water, nourishing food when you can, rest when you can.
• Be gentle with scar areas. If you had a caesarean, follow your care team's advice on when and how to care for your scar.

A note on how we talk to ourselves

Try speaking to your body the way you would speak to a friend who just had a baby. She would never hear "you look wrecked" from you. She would hear "look what you did".

This article is general information, written by mums for mums. It isn't medical advice. If something doesn't feel right, trust that feeling and talk to your GP, midwife or child health nurse.