Stretch marks, weight gain, and excess skin?

I know some mommies who have excess belly skin left over after pregnancy, and it just never goes away. But my mom and some other women say that the skin just shrinks back up, as long as you exercise, eat right, etc. So is it just a random thing, whether you have excess flaps of skin, or is it related to whether or not you have stretch marks, or how much weight you gain?





I'm aiming to only gain 20-25 pounds with this pregnancy (that's what my doc recommends because I was a little over my healthy weight before pregnancy), and then keep dieting and exercising to get another 10-15 pounds off after I've lost the baby weight. I do have stretch marks from this pregnancy already, at 21 weeks, and I am actually 2 pounds under my prepregnancy weight.





So in your experience...did you have excess skin after pregnancy? And did you get stretch marks? How much weight did you gain?
Stretch marks, weight gain, and excess skin?
yea i got a lil bulge, but ya know what helped me lose ALOT of weight after i had my baby? breastfeeding, i cannot believe how much weight i lost for toughing it out and breastfeeding for about 5 months. coca butter and vitamin E helps the stretchmarks fade faster.
Stretch marks, weight gain, and excess skin?
Well, I'm at 35 weeks (until Thursday) and I've got them in places I knew I would have them. For example, I had my appendix out, so the skin is kind thin there and I've got spidery ones all over that scar. I also have them on my hips, where I've always had them from my weight changing over the years.


Don't bother "aiming" for a goal weight...I ate right and exercised throughout my whole pregnancy and I am at 40 pounds now...just the way it is. I'm not saying don't eat right--do that, AND exercise, but just don't be disappointed.


Personally, I don't think I'll have much excess skin...my tummy is just a little rounder than it was before I got pregnant, my excess weight (about 10 lbs) helped my body carry very well, I think.
Reply:i got stretch marks cuz thats part of life you have to accept it.if u don't get em good if you do,that's also good .think of it as you carrying a gift from god and nothing more.
Reply:I had a little bit of excess skin after I had my baby, it wasn't too bad, but not as tight as I would like. I got preeclampsia around week 38 and had to be induced, so all in all I gained 37 lbs, 30 of which I lost in the first 10 days after I had my baby. I didn't develop stretch marks until after I had my daughter, I have a few on each leg and a small patch on my stomach, but again, nothing too bad. My goal weight gain was the same as yours and I ended up gaining 37! Best of luck to you!
Reply:In my experience it is all up to genetics. If your mom went right back to normal then you have a really good chance of it too. Even if you do not gain too much weight you could still have flabby skin left over, it just depends on how well your skin's elastisity it. Hey with technology now days - us women who are not blessed to have firm flat tummies post-baby , thats what tummy tucks are for! =)