Do you remember the first time you held your baby? That magical moment when you felt your bub's small hands and feet, those skinny little legs and those gorgeous eyes?

Well, of course you remember it.

The joy and thrill a baby brings into a mother's life is so powerful that a she even forget's the hard labour she just went through and even the 'forever' marks the journey leaves behind. Yes, we are talking about stretch marks.

Indian mums worried about their stretch marks

While today, most new or expecting urban mothers may not fret too much about body image, stretch marks still remain to be a top concern for most Indian mothers.

In fact, a Yummy Mummy Survey by Nielsen, 84 percent new and expecting mums stated that one of the most worrisome aspects of their physical appearances was these marks.

However, there are some crusaders and celebrity icons who are shunning the notion that stretch marks are bad and encouraging women to not hide them.

Take for instance, single mum Malaika Arora Khan.

Soon after giving birth to her son Arhaan, Malaika developed stretch marks on her tummy and her legs, but she didn't shy away from flaunting them at public events. She was recently spotted coming out of a gym in a two piece sportswear and one could clearly see her stretch marks.

A post shared by ankan (@iankan24) on Jun 9, 2017 at 9:17pm PDT

Malaika flaunts post-delivery stretch marks

The Indian cinema's favourite dancer even called out those who pointed at her stretch marks. Back in 2008, she reminded everybody that she was hated on for coming out with her 'ugly' stretch marks in an item song, but she carried on nonetheless.

"I've never bothered about stretch marks, and I'm not going to start now," she told Men's Health at the time.

The recently divorced actor also recently shared that she always follows her heart and that no woman should be dictated to conform to the norms of the society. "Yes, there are certain norms that you have to follow when living in the society, but that doesn't mean I need to be dictated or told," she said.

Way to go, girl! We couldn't agree more.

In fact, more power to mums who readily flaunt their post-delivery stretch marks because they are not just marks, they are a reminder of your strength and your ability to bring a life into this world.

3 ways to reduce stretch marks naturally

So while stretch marks cannot be naturally removed, they can be reduced. Just as Malaika did for her own body. Here are a few ways you can do it too.

Vitamin E rich diet : Follow a diet rich in Vitamin E since it is a fat-soluble antioxidant compound. It's primary feature is that it stops free-radical production, which is responsible for aging (and wrinkles). So you must include foods rich in the compound such as almonds, raw seeds, swiss chards, spinach, plant-based oils, hazelnuts, avocado, papaya and even olives.

: Follow a diet rich in Vitamin E since it is a fat-soluble antioxidant compound. It's primary feature is that it stops free-radical production, which is responsible for aging (and wrinkles). So you must include foods rich in the compound such as almonds, raw seeds, swiss chards, spinach, plant-based oils, hazelnuts, avocado, papaya and even olives. Opt for home remedies : You can also try several home remedies to reduce the look of your stretch marks. Add a tablespoon of lime juice and olive oil to a tablespoon of sugar and mix well. Rub this exfoliator of the marks for 10 mins and follow it regularly for a month or more till you see them fade away. Also remember to increase your intake of water as it detoxifies the body.

: You can also try several home remedies to reduce the look of your stretch marks. Add a tablespoon of lime juice and olive oil to a tablespoon of sugar and mix well. Rub this exfoliator of the marks for 10 mins and follow it regularly for a month or more till you see them fade away. Also remember to increase your intake of water as it detoxifies the body. Be regular with exercise: Incorporate yoga or any other form of exercise to keep your body active and fat at bay. Including yoga or some form of stretching in your daily exercise routine can reduce the look of such marks because it forces your body to burn fat and avoid yo-yo dieting as it leaves the skinny more elastic and stretchy.

Most importantly, learn to love your body just the way it is. Even after everything you may not actually be able to get rid of the stretch marks, but that's okay.

Because in the end, these are signs of your mummyhood and you should be proud of that achievement!

Read: “I am finally learning to be proud of my body and my stretch marks…”

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[All images courtesy: Instagram]