For many of us, one of the scariest things about pregnancy is the fear of those dreaded stretchmarks. And I bet we've all heard from one source or another that if your mother got them then you would too, and vice versa for the lucky few. Well, in that case I thought I was doomed for sure, because I had not only inherited my mother's body type, child-bearing hips et al (thanks mom!), but would undoubtedly inherit the stretchmarks as well, right?

Well I am thrilled to report that by the grace of god and a few miracle products (knock on wood, bite my tongue and any other superstitious form of protection out there…) it would appear that I was spared! Hooray! Why did this miracle occur? Not exactly sure, but I will share my belly beauty regimen with you as it seems I must have done something right! ;-)

The best advice that I got when I first announced my pregnancy to the world at 3 months, was from my cousin Irene, who instructed me to immediately go to the drugstore, purchase some Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Cream and slather it all over my tummy and hips daily.

She swore by this product, and considering we shared the same genes (our mothers are sisters), I of course followed her recommendation religiously. And I must say that not only did the rich formula help hydrate and soothe the itchy dryness of my growing belly and help keep the stretchmarks at bay, but the delicious scent also made each application an aromatherapy experience that even my super-heightened sense of smell could enjoy.

Shortly after, I discovered two additional products that ultimately resulted in what I like to refer to as the triple threat. The first was the Tonic Body Treatment Oil from Clarins, which I would rub onto my belly in the shower each morning. It is made of 100% natural extracts and aromatic essential oils that help firm skin's texture and tone. Then it occurred to me that just as with our faces, perhaps a little mild exfoliation would help smooth the ever expanding skin on my tummy, so I began incorporating my favorite scrub, Origins Jump Start, which gently exfoliates using apricot seed (yum!) into my routine.

Was it the cocoa butter, the tonic, the scrub, the combo, or simply the daily hydration? It's hard to say, but if we have another baby someday I will be starting a belly beauty regimen from day one, keep my fingers crossed, and pray!

Any thoughts or stretchmark relief secrets you'd like to share? We are anxious to hear them!

-Julia Burke, Baby Blitz Editor

p.s. If stretchmarks do creep up on you, just remember that they fade with time. And if they don't fade enough (or fast enough!), there are also lots of post-pregnancy remedies now available, including laser therapy, topical medications as well as dermabrasion, any of which alone or in combination have been shown to be effective in diminishing the appearance of stretchmarks.

Fun Fact: During pregnancy, the average woman's uterus expands up to five hundred times its normal size – wow!