When you enter your sixth week of pregnancy, you may find yourself wishing for the joyful days before you were pregnant. You’re now moving into the part of the first trimester that is most difficult for many women. Morning sickness, extreme mood swings, a growing belly, and frequent urination top the list of frustrating symptoms you may start feeling at week six. And while these symptoms may be unpleasant, they won’t last too long. Try to stay positive and focused on how wonderful it will be to hold your baby rather than allowing yourself to become fixated on these unpleasant issues.

Your Baby at Week 6

Your baby’s body and organs are forming rapidly at week six. His head is starting to take shape, and an ultrasound may be able to capture dark spots that will soon become eyes and ears. His heart is beating now too at nearly twice the speed of your resting heart rate. His kidney, liver, lungs, and other major organs are also forming, though his entire body is still probably less than a centimeter long.

Your Body at Week 6

At week six, your body is in full force reacting to your pregnancy. It’s pumping more blood to your pelvic region, so frequent urination is common at this stage. Your hormones are fluctuating, so you may also be experiencing rapid mood swings. It’s good to spend some time with your partner reading about the changes occurring in your body so that you can both understand that your moodiness is the direct result of your pregnancy. Understanding the cause can make these moments easier to handle for both of you.

At this stage, you may also find yourself experiencing your first cravings and first bouts of nausea and morning sickness. Don’t let the name morning sickness fool you—it can occur at pretty much any time of the day. Though the nausea and morning sickness may be the most unpleasant part of being pregnant, it will pass. Usually by the end of the first trimester, women no longer experience morning sickness.

Some women experience spotting in the first trimester. While this is not unusual, spotting can also be an early indicator of miscarriage, so make sure you report any issues to your doctor. He/she will be able to perform an examination to ensure everything is normal and put your mind at ease.

Stretch Marks at Week 6

At this stage, you may start noticing that your belly is growing, though it’s likely to be such a minor difference that only you will be able to see it. While it’s unlikely that your stomach will expand so much this early on that you’ll develop stretch marks, it’s never too early to start taking measures to prevent stretch marks from developing.

Using a stretch mark prevention cream, eating collagen-rich foods, and trying to avoid eating unhealthy foods are all good ways to reduce your likelihood of developing stretch marks at this stage of pregnancy and in the weeks to come.

Stretch marks are caused when your body grows faster than your skin can support. When your skin can no longer support your body’s growth, it tears and scars, causing the unsightly red or white lines we refer to as stretch marks. But a sudden growth of the body does not necessarily mean that you will develop stretch marks. There are several easy things you can do when at risk for stretch mark development to strengthen your skin and prevent it from tearing.

Eat the Right Foods

Individuals at high risk for stretch mark development—pregnant women, adolescents, body builders, and people starting a new diet—can help prevent their likelihood of developing stretch marks by eating foods that strengthen skin and promote skin elasticity.

Collagen is a protein produced naturally in the body that gives skin its strength and structure. For example, the declining production of collagen in the body as a person gets older is one cause of wrinkles. Eating foods rich in collagen can support your body’s production of the protein and prevent stretch marks by providing the elasticity your skin needs in order to stretch without tearing.

To encourage the formation of collagen in your body, you’ll want to make sure that your diet consists of foods that are rich in amino acids. Meat, tofu, eggs, berries, cherries, oranges, cabbage, peppers, and broccoli all promote collagen development and, when eaten regularly, can help prevent stretch marks.

Avoid Sunning

UV rays can reduce the amount of collagen your body produces, so it’s important to stay out of the sun during times when you’re at high risk for stretch mark development. If you need to be outdoors, make sure to apply sunblock with UV protection.

Avoid Sugar

This is not to say that you can’t have any sweets while you’re trying to avoid developing stretch marks; you should just make sure not to eat too many sweets. If your diet is high in sugar, you run the risk of the sugar in your blood attaching to the proteins in your body and damaging them, leaving your skin brittle and increasing your likelihood of developing stretch marks.

Drink Plenty of Water

Water keeps your skin hydrated, so making sure to drink plenty of water is an easy way to prevent stretch marks. Make sure you are drinking the recommended 64 ounces (2 liters) of water every day while you’re at risk for developing stretch marks in order to keep your skin hydrated and supple.

Use a Stretch Mark Prevention Cream or Lotion Daily

Stretch mark lotions and creams are specially formulated to strengthen your skin, keep your skin hydrated, and give it the elasticity it needs to prevent stretch marks. While it’s best to follow all of these guidelines for stretch mark prevention, if you can only do one, using a stretch mark cream daily may be the most effective.

The beauty of being a prepubescent child is that you usually have few worries. Most kids don’t worry about cutting their nails, washing or brushing their hair, or wearing matching clothes. Parents make sure those things get done, and for the kids, they’re just chores.

Kids most certainly aren’t worried about developing stretch marks during a growth spurt, but as parents, you might need to worry about it on their behalf. Some words that adults suffering from the condition use to describe their stretch marks are “distressing” and “disfiguring.” Since no one wants to raise a child who grows up distressed about their appearance and feeling disfigured, it’s important to take steps to help your adolescent prevent stretch marks to avoid many years of self-consciousness down the road.

When Do Puberty Stretch Marks Appear?

Since all children reach puberty at different ages, it’s impossible to pinpoint exactly when you should start taking measures to help your child prevent stretch marks. To be safe, it may be good to start engaging in preventive measures when your child turns ten and maintaining the prevention routine throughout their teenage years.

One sign that a child is getting ready to hit a growth spurt is complaining about legs aching. Often, legs will ache as the body prepares itself to grow several inches, so if your child is complaining about leg pain with no obvious sign of injury, he/she may be getting ready to hit a growth spurt.

Preventing Stretch Marks During Puberty

The good news is that helping your child prevent stretch marks requires only a few minor lifestyle and diet changes.

• Foods That Promote Collagen Development: Green vegetables, berries, avocados, and lean meats are foods that promote the development of collagen—a protein in the body that strengthens skin, elasticizes it, and help prevent skin from stretching, tearing, and scarring during growth spurts. If your child will eat these types of foods, try to integrate them into his/her daily meals.
• Hydration: A hydrated body equals hydrated skin, and hydrated skin is less like to stretch, tear, and scar during growth spurts. Check with your pediatrician to find out how much water is recommended for your child to drink each day, and make an effort to ensure your child drinks it.
• Avoid Overconsumption of Sugar: All children love candy, sweets, and sodas, but the amount of these things they consume should be limited to prevent stretch marks (and other undesirable issues like weight gain). Excess sugar in the body attaches to collagen proteins and damages them, increasing the likelihood that stretch marks will form.
• Have Them Use a Stretch Mark Lotion Daily: While commonly marketed to pregnant women, stretch mark prevention lotions can be beneficial to adolescents as well because they hydrate, soften, and strengthen skin, helping to prevent stretch marks. Check with your pediatrician for advice on a safe product for your child to use—you’ll want to avoid exposing them to unnecessary chemicals—and then have your child get in the habit of using the lotion daily.