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More than 50 per cent of women will develop stretch marks (striae gravidarum) during pregnancy and they often appear towards the end. Anyone who's had a rapid weight gain or loss is more vulnerable, but it seems the biggest influence on whether or not you'll develop them is your skin type. The collagen and elastin content of skin is partly down to genetics, so if your mum and/or sister have them, it increases your chances of developing them.

The jury's still out on whether or not you can avoid them. There are products on sale claiming to guarantee stretch mark-free skin, but research shows that there's nothing you can do to avoid them completely. It may be possible to minimise them by eating a healthy diet, so your skin isn't deficient in essential vitamins and minerals. You should also drink five glasses of water a day, to help keep moisture in the skin, and massage oil or moisturiser into your skin.
Anne Richley, midwife.

More help and advice

- Putting on weight during pregnancy
- Tips on avoiding heartburn during pregnancy
- Your pregnancy week-by-week

By Anne Richley

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