How To Pamper Yourself During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a marvelous period during which I feel completely feminine. This is also the ideal time to take care of yourself and to pay particular attention to your body, skin and hair. What's wrong with pampering yourself?

When you are pregnant, your body changes and your skin faces some hard challenges: stretching due to weight gain and changes in the nature of the skin due to hormones. The result: you will have to adapt your beauty regime.

What can be done about stretch marks?
Abdomen, breasts, hips and buttocks - some pregnant women will see white stripes appearing on their skin. These are called stretch marks. They are due to excessively rapid stretching of the skin, causing the collagen fibres to break and creating scar tissue. The first thing to remember is that we are not all equal when it comes to stretch marks: some women get them despite using cream, while others who "do nothing" may get away with it.

Once the stretch marks have appeared, it is practically impossible to make them disappear. Anti-stretch mark creams available in shops can at best slow their progress and maintain the elasticity of the skin. There are no miraculous solutions! To optimise the effect of these creams, it is essential to apply them twice a day, massaging them into the skin. To complete your care programme, opt for cool showers and make use of vegetable oils to massage your skin: sweet almond, avocado or evening primrose oil.

Taking care of your breasts is also important to prepare them for breastfeeding. Your skin will be better toned when it is well hydrated. Consider applying an ultra-hydrating cream to your breasts and throat, massaging it in lightly both morning and night. Suggestions for maintaining a firm bust? End your shower with a burst of cold water all over. Go on - you can do it! Invest in a very good bra, perfectly fitted to your size.

Don't hesitate to ask your pharmacist for advice, as there are several brands of cream formulated for the specific needs of pregnant women.

Custom-made face care
During pregnancy, the nature of your skin will change as a result of hormonal activity. It may become more beautiful, but also thinner and drier or greasier! To ensure that you do not aggravate the problem, it is essential to choose targeted care products and to adapt your day and night cream to the new texture of your skin. Once again, ask your pharmacist or your dermatologist for advice.

During these nine months, you should also avoid exposure to the sun, otherwise you might find brown spots appearing on your face. This is known as chloasma. It is caused by hormones which increase the synthesis of melanin, the skin's natural pigment. It will normally disappear during the year following childbirth, but it is better to prevent it altogether!

Thus: avoid exposure to sunlight between 11h00 and 16h00 and protect your skin with sun-tan lotion with a high protection factor. There are also day creams with a sun protection factor. In practice, without intending to, we expose ourselves to the sun once the weather becomes better.

Eat well to ensure good skin.
Beauty also comes from inside! Opt for foods that are rich in the following:

• Omega-3, to contribute to your skin's resistance: rapeseed and nut oils, oily fruit (almonds and other nuts), fatty fish such as salmon, sardines or mackerel.
• Vitamin C, which helps to maintain your skin in good health: oranges, lemons, kiwi fruit.
• Vitamin A, which prevents your skin from drying out: found in egg yolk, liver, dairy products and some fruit and vegetables in the form of pro-vitamin A (green vegetables, carrots, melons, apricots).

What about after pregnancy? Don't reduce your efforts: continue to take care of your skin and to eat a balanced diet and you will be the most beautiful of mothers!