Dads don’t have to worry about their bodies changing too much during pregnancy – although I have put on about a stone to be fair. Women however have to endure serious shifts in shape and size, and most are conscious of making sure that any shape changing doesn’t leave permeant marks and in addition, cause any discomfort. This has opened up a huge market for pregnancy wonder creams that claim to reduce or even prevent stretch marks, creams that claim they can increase circulation and even some that say they can reduce weight…scary.

Stretch mark cream in particular is an absolute goldmine for cosmetic companies. As with anything, prevention is better than cure, so supportive dads (like me) go out and cluelessly buy whatever the “specialist” tells them to…it’s so hard to gauge effectiveness because it’s impossible to tell what the condition of the skin would be without using a cream (if that makes sense). Anyway, in an absolute ocean of conflicting advice and marketing, we have settled on one cream (finally) after trying a good few products: Mustela’s Stretch Mark Prevention cream. It is specially formulated for expectant and new mothers and helps prevent stretch marks thanks to its unique combination of active ingredients (including avocado peptides and beeswax). What set this cream above the others for me was the texture upon application and the the non-greasy feel afterwards – two things we found varied across products. From my dad perspective another great feature was the price…I know it shouldn’t be, but considering you get 250ml in a tube, the cream is good value for money and it means you apply it properly instead of scrimping which you might with more expensive creams.

Now, any dad-to-be wants to support their partner through pregnancy, but most who have done it (or are doing it) will quickly realise there isn’t a huge amount you can do when it comes to body discomfort. Yes, you get exploited for massages and foot rubs, but the common dead leg and pins and needles in the feet is a hard one to help with. When buying the above cream for stretch marks, I came across Mustela Instant Comfort Legs. By “came across” I mean I didn’t read the label properly – best misread of my life, massive brownie points for this one! As it transpires, this cream immediately provides a wonderful sensation of freshness that relieves fatigued legs – my wife LOVES it. It’s non-sticky, does not stain clothing, and is quickly absorbed by the skin, so you can get dressed right after it has been used! In this third trimester, legs have been a big source of discomfort – this Mustela number has really helped with that.

It’s brilliant when you as a dad find something that actually works yourself. There is a huge sense of accomplishment. So take it from me, if you’re a dad-to-be who needs some decent creams for the missus or even a surprise to cheer her up, get some Mustela cream. Top dad points guaranteed!