Genetics, diet, and skin type all contribute to whether or not you will develop stretch marks during pregnancy. But how you treat your skin is important, too. Well-moisturized skin is suppler and will stretch better; while dry skin is more prone to splitting or cracking. So take five minutes out of every shower to exfoliate and moisturize your skin.

The key to fighting stretch marks is to stop them at the cellular level, by sloughing off dead skin cells, which will help your moisturizer to penetrate deeper to the new cells. Just remember to be gentle - you want to remove just the top layer of dead cells, not rub your skin raw.

Applying moisturizer is essential, but applying it at the right time is also important. Be sure to apply moisturizer within 3 minutes of showering or bathing because after your skin begins to dry the skin cuticle begins to close and will not let anything else in.

If stretch marks do appear, you can decrease their appearance by continuing to apply rich lotion after delivery and using a sunless tanning lotion to even out skin tone and temporarily minimize their appearance. And once you have weaned your baby, you can also try StriVectin-SD, which has been formulated specifically to reduce the appearance of stretch marks.