Collagen In Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

While the female body is designed for pregnancy, there's no argument that growing and carrying a baby can be very tough physically for some women. Alongside hormonal changes, the body must stretch and expand in extraordinary ways. We associate pregnancy with stretch marks and skin elasticity, but deeper layers such as fascia, ligaments, and muscles are all affected as the body changes.

 

Prevention of stretch marks, in particular, is a big business, with skin care brands promoting creams and oils that claim to keep skin elastic. The truth is, no cream or oil can prevent stretch marks as they occur due to rapid expansion and weight gain which are common during pregnancy. Currently, there are no known cures or preventative methods that are guaranteed to work, but there is huge potential for the use of peptide collagen during pregnancy to support the skin and body.

 

By strengthening the dermis and bolstering natural collagen and elastin stores with collagen supplementation, the skin structure is strengthened and elastic. Using peptide collagen through pregnancy and breastfeeding will also support fascia (connective tissue), ligaments, and joints as the body grows.

 

 

Adashiko peptide collagen is absorbed into the bloodstream and carried to cells in the body, where it sends a signal that stimulates fibroblast cells to promote the formation of new collagen. As with any supplement during pregnancy and lactation, we recommend you run it past your midwife or GP first.

 

 

 

When I fell pregnant I knew I wanted to do everything in my power to keep my body as healthy as possible. It felt a bit vain, but I was also really hoping I wouldn't end up covered in stretch marks! During puberty, I had a whole lot of them crop up on my hips, and while they had faded to silver, they were still visible. I was also aware that my age may affect my skin's ability to bounce back. I decided to take Adashiko Pure as part of my supplement regime - I chose Pure after talking to Luci as she told me it has only collagen with no extra ingredients and is completely safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

 

I added my Pure to my morning oats or smoothie every day from very early on, around 8 weeks. It was an easy step in my morning routine and I didn't have any trouble sticking to it (unlike taking vitamin pills every day which I always seem to forget). I also took Vitamin C to help Pure do its work forming new collagen. Before I started Adashiko I was very sceptical about collagen supplements... I wasn't sure they did anything at all. I did my research and chose Adashiko because they use the right type of collagen with a small molecule size so that it can be absorbed properly.

 

My stomach grew - and so did my appetite - and I was fortunate enough to reach 40 weeks and give birth to a healthy baby girl  - and I had absolutely NO stretch marks! I couldn't believe it given that my mum and my sister got them during their pregnancies. Not only that, once my tummy went down I could see that my skin had bounced back beautifully. I had only a teeny tiny wrinkle of loose skin on top of my bellybutton.

 

After I had baby, I was very busy and forgot to take my Adashiko for a few months. Interestingly, I had quite a few stretch marks pop up on my breasts during this time as they expanded due to breastfeeding. I believe this was because I had stopped taking my collagen. I started up again and they faded very quickly and are barely noticeable now. If I have another baby I will most definitely keep up my collagen smoothies through the post-partum period.

 

Another thing worth noting is that I had a very comfortable pregnancy with no back pain or discomfort of any kind (until the last few weeks when I was huge and my hips started to hurt in bed). I managed to work out at least once a week with my trainer right up until 36 weeks with no issues at all - and I never experienced sore muscles after a session. I put this down to the collagen.

 

Now, I won't be without my Adashiko. It has been an absolute godsend.  My skin glows and my nails grow so fast I have to cut them all the time (what a problem to have!). I had some hair breakage and loss around my hairline postpartum and I can see that it is growing back really fast.