Mama mio mama mio mama mio!

So, the promised ever helpful pregnancy post on stretch mark oils. I have been using this (awesome, amazing, I can't say enough good about it) mama mio stuff for about a month now:

I wanted to wait to "review" it until I had time to really assess whether I like it or not, and I made myself wait even though I wanted to post after a week of using it. I figured a month was more time to really be a better judge, but regardless, forgive the length of time it took to make this post when I kept eluding to this great lotion I'd started to use in all of my weekly pregnancy recap posts. 

Back up to why I was even contemplating using a stretch mark cream. Clearly I don't have major stretch marks yet as I am not by any means HUGE. Yet. Key word: YET YET YET. Being as that "yet" is the key here, I do have a little turbo growing inside of me and since I'm a fairly petite person to start, there's going to be a lot of stretching going on. I'm fairly sure I don't want to end up looking like a giant road map so taking the necessary precautions to avoid it seemed like a good idea. And also: I'm vain. I really just want to be able to strut around in a bikini again, even if it's with a kiddo on my hip. I like the sun and I like wearing bikinis...even if it's for 2.5 days a year up here in Washington. Also, I'd like my husband to look at my body post baby without tracing the marks around freckles and moles and saying "oh, that mole looks like Kansas City and wow, great guide- I see the route to Jefferson City right there!" So, no road maps for me on my body, even if it would amuse my husband. NO THANK YOU.

Still in the past tense, about a month ago, I wasn't really at the stage where I could really get my mind around the whole birth and labor thing to really plan for it (can you really plan for this? All my mom friends out there right now are laughing...),  I wasn't really at the point where I HAD to buy maternity clothes, and I really couldn't design a nursery yet OR really buy much for the baby... too soon. SO, what else to do but read a few books on pregnancy/labor/parenting and figure out how to a) stay in shape throughout this process and b) be in even BETTER shape after this process. Which includes elimination of the road maps that could be present on my stomach. And thighs. And ass. I'm telling you, this pregnancy thing has GOT to have a positive outcome for all of its negatives.

Enter: mama mio.

I wanted a cream or an oil that would a) at least HELP with stretch marks and the stretching of the belly (apparently it can get quite uncomfortable!) b) was safe for pregnancy and for me this included none of that fake shit (parabens, sulfates, etc) c) included oils that I had read about that had been proven to help with the whole stretching process (IE: avocado, coconut, vitamin E, borage, almond, etc) and d) was rated well. Once I started looking at creams and oils, this met all of my criteria. Nothing artificial, claims to help with stretch marks (and was rated well by consumers), and had most, if not all, of the essential oils I wanted included. SOLD. 

I bought the oil and the tummy butter (maybe overkill, you could probably do one or the other). Only downfall are both are a little pricey- about $35-$40 a pop for sort of small jars considering the surface area you will eventually be spreading it on. However,  I quickly decided after I started using it that it is SO WORTH IT. Not only does it smell amazing but it totally lubes up my stomach. The skin on my stomach, thighs, etc is so hydrated and so smooth. It is really quite astounding, actually. Of course, the whole stretch mark thing remains to be seen in about, oh, five or so months but just for the pure relief of itchy dry skin that could soon turn to stretched, itchy dry skin, I am a true believer (and supporter) of this product. Also: their packaging is totally cute, quirky and fun and if you know anything about me, you know I am quite the sucker for cute packaging.

So, that's my two cents for all of my friends out there who either are pregnant or may be pregnant someday on what to buy for a great cream or oil to help prevent stretch marks or just to help with your skin throughout pregnancy as your skin changes and needs more moisture and love.

(And no, mama mio did not in any way compensate me to write this post. In fact, they don't even know who I am... I truly just love the product!)