The roads that led to motherhood – A stretch mark love story! (Rachael)

Age now: 22
18 months pp.

I became a mother at age 21. My son was born at 7lbs 11 ounces and I absolutely do not regret anything I went through in order to bring him into the world safely. Before pregnancy, I loved my body. I loved my complexion, my height, my weight… everything. I was not conceited in any way though, I was just accepting of the person I grew up to be. I got married to my high school sweetheart when I was 20. A couple months later, we found out we were expecting our first baby. We were ecstatic! We did not plan to have a child so soon after marriage, but we knew that God’s timing is always perfect and happily welcomed the news with excitement! Throughout my pregnancy I worked 30-40 hour weeks. I also realized that I started putting on about a pound a week from the moment I found out I was pregnant. My appetite increased and though I did not eat much during the first few months, I still gained a pound EVERY week. At around the 4th month in pregnancy, I stared retaining a lot of water and noticed stretch marks on my inner thighs. Soon, I noticed them on my outer thighs and behind my knees. I never knew a woman could get stretch marks in those areas until I saw them! From before I knew I was pregnant I used Palmers Stretch Mark Coco Butter creme as a moisturizer so I was convinced that it would help to prevent them – WRONG! I think I have the most stretch marks I had ever seen on anyone who has delivered a single baby. During my pregnancy, I would pray that my stretch marks would miraculously stop… that somehow my skin would not stretch to the point of no return, and I would escape having to deal with the yucky looking ones I saw on other people. Before I became pregnant though, I thought that women who had stretch marks did not moisturize their skin and didn’t do something right, however, I tried EVERYTHING and still ended up covered in them! I have come to love my stretch marks… they tell a beautiful story. During week 28 of pregnancy, I started having symptoms of Gestational Diabetes… constantly thirsty, extremely tired… and I sort of knew I had it because both my Mom and Aunt had it while they were pregnant. It was confirmed by my OB that I did indeed have elevated glucose levels and that’s when pregnancy got a whole lot harder! I had to check my glucose 3-4 times a day. I had to watch my diet and stay away from sugary, carb filled foods and I had to exercise after meals to bring my glucose levels down. It was the most difficult time in my life! During this time, due to elevated blood sugar levels that was sometimes still high even after medication, I knew that my son was growing larger and larger because of it. I saw new stretch marks appear every day and the ones that were already present extended up towards my chest. I also suffered from excruciating pain in my pelvis… it felt like my legs were going to break from beneath me when I would stand up and I could hardly lift my leg an inch… I am convinced now that I suffered from Symphysis pubic dysfunction. The pain was so unbearable at times. Around 34 weeks my doctors decided to test me for pre-eclampsia due to my excessive water retention and pain in my ribs, but thankfully, it was just my son’s foot stuck there. :) I had an extremely tough pregnancy. I worked up until 37 weeks and gained 37 pounds throughout my whole pregnancy and labored 37 hours before having a c-section. I was induced at 39 weeks because of the Gestational Diabetes. Apparently, I had a “failed” induction because I was not dilating, but contracting off the charts. Having went through all I did during my pregnancy and recovering from it, I have to say that those pesky stretch marks that I was so upset about now serves as a reminder of the moments in my life where I depended on God the most. I was not “in control” during my pregnancy – the things that happened to my body was not things I wanted to happen, but it was necessary for me to become the mother I am today. I no longer bother about my stretch marks. They are lovely. I am beautiful and it is a wonderful reminder of the long way I have traveled to be the woman I am today. Those stretch marks taught me so many lessons in life: I cannot always be in control, I should never judge anyone unless I have walked in their shoes & most importantly, stretch marks are a true representation of the transformation a woman goes through in order to become a mother. I am lucky enough to have the evidence of motherhood on my body. It is the most enjoyably experience of my life thus far and I will never regret what I went through physically to be where I am today! I love my son with all my heart and I am thankful to have a husband who loves my body and appreciates it for the story it tells.

I am now 18 months pp and my body is looking pretty good… stretch marks and all! :)

I was 106 when I got married, 113 pre-pregnancy, and 150 the day I delivered my son. Right now I am 118, but working out to get back down to 106. I am 4’10. :)

My first pic is 10 weeks pregnant.
2nd pic is 37 weeks pregnant
3rd pic is all my beautiful stretch marks! :) at 37 weeks pregnant
4th pic is 5 months pp
4th pic is 5 months pp – side
5th pic is 10 months pp.

I have since stopped taking pics to see how my stretch marks are fading because I love them… they are so much a part of me that I can flaunt them any time of the day; I am not ashamed of them. Go through what I have went through and I doubt that anyone will say that they are not ADMIRABLE!