Hi Kimberly,

This is actually a common problem that faces women during pregnancy. The hormone surges of pregnancy are thought to stimulate melanocytes in the skin. Women with fair skin tend not to be affected too strongly (some women experience entire patches of darker skin on the face and hands). However, it's not outside the realm of possibility that your darker insect bites are the result of this over-pigmentation. Most of these cases fade on their own after childbirth. You can help these marks fade, but most of the strongest methods are not entirely safe to use during pregnancy. For now, make sure you use SPF. After giving birth (and after breast-feeding), you can talk to your doctor about hydroquinone or tretinoin creams to help fade the marks if they persist.