Olive oil to smooth out the skin. Who knew?
A few weeks ago I was covering a story about a teenager who'd been stabbed in the stomach in the cafeteria of his high school (he has since made a full recovery). While reporting on this story I found myself in a hospital room with all five of his sisters.
All of them were pretty, thin, tall and a few were pregnant.
One woman, who was seven months along and said she was having twins, spontaneously lifted up her shirt when there was a moment's calm in the room. She grabbed a bottle from her purse, squeezed a stream of translucent liquid into her hand and rubbed it all over her belly.
"Olive oil," she said, responding to the quizzical look on my face.
"Like extra virgin olive oil?" I asked. "Like the kind I put on my salad?"
"Yup," she said.
"Why are you doing that?" I had to know.
"Do I have stretch marks?" she asked me.
"No!" I said.
"There you go," she answered.
Who knew? I've always knew about vinegar and its many uses. Same with the smell fighting power of baking soda, which is also used to make cake (I am not a baker, can you tell?)
But, olive oil to prevent stretch marks?? That's definitely a new one.
I can't say I've raided my kitchen cabinet just yet..... but I'm thinking about it!
I hate to tell you, but if you're skin prone to getting stretch marks you will. I put every concoction of creams and lotions - including olive oil - on my belly when I was pregnant (I felt like I was basting a damn turkey or something!) and I got stretch marks anyway. Granted, only a few but they magically appeared during my last week of pregnancy (which really irked me).
Posted by: Stephannie | November 25, 2008 at 08:09 AM
Stephannie is correct. Stretch marks are believed to be inheireted from your female relatives. So if your mom had stretch marks, odds are good you will to.
I've LOST weight since getting pregnant from the morning sickness and they're already starting to appear despite cocoa butter and, yes, olive oil and bio-oil treatments.
Posted by: DianaBananna | November 25, 2008 at 02:13 PM
Unfortunately, stretch marks are hereditary. You can try using all sorts of things, but unless your mother, grandmother, etc. all had wonderful tight skin - it's just another wonderful pregnancy myth. Drink water anyways, it helps both inside and out.
Posted by: TorontoMom | November 25, 2008 at 05:06 PM
Sadly what these women are saying is true. I managed to avoid them until last week and now at 37 weeks I have some creeping up on my lower stomach. I used everything (including olive oil) but to no avail! Can't hurt to try though can it? Although I warn you the olive oil is ridiculously greasy and I don't know how anyone could put their shirt back over their stomach after slathering some on
Posted by: Tanya | November 25, 2008 at 08:29 PM
... But olive oil is good for preventing cracked nipples when you start to breast feed and it is okay for the baby to ingest
Posted by: Cheryl at work | November 26, 2008 at 09:31 AM
So, there's no way to avoid stretch marks then?! Phooey!
But if they appear in the last week of pregnancy, they can't get that bad, right??
I give up on vanity, I think. Bring on the massive sweat pants (someone try to stop me!)!
Posted by: Michele Henry | November 30, 2008 at 11:35 AM