A survey by the Department of Dermatology at Stanford University School of Medicine sampled 161 women who had given birth. It found that 48 per cent of the women with stretch marks said their mothers also had them. Nearly 80 per cent of the women of color said they had stretch marks, said Dr Alexa B Kimball, an associate professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, and an author on the study.

Diminishing stretch marks is a patient’s best bet, said Dr Amy Derick, a dermatologist in Barrington, Ill. “There’s really not any data regarding creams,” she said. “But you can do laser treatments or Retin-A after the fact, especially early on when the lines are red and purple.”

Studies have found that topical tretinoin can lighten stretch marks as well as reduce their size. And she is certainly not opposed to pregnant women massaging their bellies with moisturising oils and creams. “It makes them feel like they’re being pro-active, and if it feels good, why not?” she said. “It can’t hurt.”