6 Unexpected Places to Find Stretch Marks in Pregnancy

If you're pregnant, you've probably given some thought to the possibility of getting stretch marks. Most women expect pregnancy to bring a red valley of stretch marks upon their bellies. Several factors can make you more likely to develop stretch marks, such as your age and family history.

Other factors include:

  • Amount of weight gain
  • Nutrition and hydration
  • Rate of weight gain
  • Skin elasticity
  • Use of skin products (more for the health of skin)

If you do develop stretch marks, you may get them in places other than your belly. Here are a few places stretch marks can show up—some of which may be unexpected.

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5:58

How Will Pregnancy Change My Body?

1

Hips

It should come as no surprise that if you expand in a location that you are eligible for stretch marks. This makes your hips a prime target in pregnancy. As your pelvis fills with the baby and you gain a bit of weight, you may notice some faint stretch marks beginning on your hips.

Sometimes, you may notice that these start on one side your hips and move across to the other side in one big line. Other times, you will notice that these are two distinct areas of stretch mark. Having stretch marks on the sides is not something to worry too much about, these tend to be lighter.

2

Breasts

Stretch marks occur in various places. Since your breasts tend to see dramatic growth in pregnancy, you may notice that you have some faint silvery lines at the base of your breast. Sometimes they go all the way around and sometimes it's just at the bottom or on the sides.

Remember, not everyone gets stretch marks everywhere. You can have breast growth and not get stretch marks, or you may have gotten breast stretch marks in puberty.

3

Legs

It is possible to get stretch marks on legs during pregnancy. The inside of your thigh is a place where you might get a few stretch marks. This is an area that some women gain weight in rather easily. If you are someone who tends to add weight there, then stretch marks are also a possibility.

You might also notice some on your legs. Near the knee is one common place. You can find them on the back side of the leg more frequently.

4

Upper Arms

The inside of your upper arm, closest to your breasts, is a location that you might find stretch marks in. You may have noticed these in puberty or they may show up in pregnancy. The vast majority are hard to see, though when they are brand new they may be most noticeable. Even slight sleeves usually tend to cover the area of these stretch marks.

5

Back

While don't see your back that often, others may notice the appearance of stretch marks there and point them out to you. Stretch marks on the back tend to be low, across the top of your bottom, just below where your waist would be. Sometimes you will only notice them on the area over your bottom.

6

Under Pubic Hair

The area under your pubic hair is called the mons pubis. When you're pregnant, you can't even see this tiny mound of flesh. In fact, most moms only notice if they have been shaved for a c-section or they remove their pubic hair.

Though stretch marks can stretch from the pregnant abdomen all the way to and through the pubic hair. It is also possible to have them start here and move to the inner thigh. Needless to say, these are easy to cover up!

1 Source
Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Farahnik B, Park K, Kroumpouzos G, Murase J. Striae gravidarum: Risk factors, prevention, and management. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2016;3(2):77–85. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2016.11.001

Additional Reading
  • Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. Gaskin, IM. Bantam; 1 edition.

By Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH
Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH is a professor, author, childbirth and postpartum educator, certified doula, and lactation counselor.