1) Don't gain weight too rapidly.

That might sound simple, but to a large extent, you can control how you gain weight. Some women will gain more or less in certain trimesters, but the thing to remember is that every single day counts when you're pregnant. What you do and what you eat every day counts.
If you fall into the trap of thinking you can eat anything and everything you want just because you're pregnant, then rapid weight gain usually follows. The average pregnancy weight gain during pregnancy is 20-35 pounds
depending on the pregnancy of course.

2) Include essential fatty acids in your diet (EFA's).

Good fats play an important role in every function in the body and are found in every cell, including in your skin. Quality sources of essential omega-3 fats are avocados, walnuts, almonds, salmon, tuna, pumpkin seeds, and olive oil.

By the way, essential fats are important for your baby, too. They help your baby's brain develop properly, and studies show a link between good fats in the pregnant mother's diet and the baby's
performance on I.Q. tests at one year of age. Remember what you eat is passed to your unborn baby!

Some of my favorite Good Fats is Nuts!
Cashews: White Cashew nuts contain 75% unsaturated fat, which means these are great for your heart.
Walnuts: Walnuts have a large amount of Omega-3 fatty acids. This is both good for your brain and heart.
Almonds: Almonds give some of the best sources of Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant and immune system booster.
Pumpkin Seeds: Pumpkin seeds have a good source of protein in these dark green seeds. These "pepitas" provide high levels of phytosterols, which are believed to help lower cholesterol.

3) Keep well hydrated.

Drink your water, and if you don't like the taste of water, add some Crystal Light flavored packs, buy flavored waters, or add a little bit of fruit juice to it. Aim for ten to twelve, 12-oz. glasses of water every day. Just try not to get them all in at bed time. If you do, you will definately see why.

4) Avoid over-exposure to the sun.

It only takes 15 minutes of sunlight to get the daily requirement
of vitamin D, so protect yourself with sun block. Sun will darken any
stretch lines you may have and make them that much more visible. The sun can also emphasize freckles and skin color during pregnancy.

5) Use a good moisturizing cream.

A good moisturizer keeps your skin from drying out and becoming
itchy. It heals damaged or cracked skin. And, it helps prevent stretch
marks. One super-moisturizer is Shea butter. There are several good creams and lotions. A friend informed me about one called Alba Botanica Very Emollient Body Lotion that I found at my local Whole Foods Market. Many mothers-to-be opt for the traditional Cocoa-butter. Regardless, it is very important to keep your skin well mosturized. Rember the baby is drawing off of your body, and that means drying out your skin for most women. I keep a good mosturizer everywhere I am.

Genetics also plays a big part in whether or not you get stretch marks. If you're having twins or a very large baby, you may get some anyway. If you do, don't get upset. They will fade over time, and vitamin E oil and other over-the-counter lotions help clear up stretch marks faster. A friend told me to think of them as 'Love Lines' not 'stretch marks' and that makes the image seem a little sweeter.