In the beginning, you may find yourself unable to stop stroking your baby bump, and it may seem to grow by the day.
Many expectant mothers are entranced by their enlarging baby bump and the little human being that’s developing within it. Nevertheless, how much do you truly know about the changes taking place outside and the pulsating activity taking place within?
At first, it may not be noticeable
It’s likely that you’ll experience a dramatic shift in your emotional state after you discover that you’re pregnant. On the exterior, though, you may not seem to have changed much, except for your bright grin.
When you are pregnant in the first trimester, your baby is still quite small. The size of a poppy seed at only four weeks old! Your kid will be the size of lime by the time you’re three months pregnant, so don’t expect to see much of a bump until then.
You’re going to gain a lot of weight very quickly once you start showing
A stretch mark is a small rip in the skin caused by the supporting layers being squeezed too tight as your uterus grows.
More than half of pregnant women have skin streaks, which usually appear between 13 and 21 weeks of pregnancy. When your stomach begins to expand at about 35 weeks, the streaks may grow darker and more noticeable.
Stretch marks can’t be prevented, but they will vanish after childbirth. But while you’re at it, try to accept them. There is a baby growing inside of you!
It’s very typical for that black line to appear
With the surge of pregnant hormones, your skin may become darker or more pigmented, depending on the severity of the condition. They’re also in charge of the linea nigra, which appears at 23 weeks and runs from your belly button to the pubic region. A few months following the birth of your child, it will fade away.
When you’re out in public, attempt to keep your baby bump hidden if you want to minimise the effect. Pregnancy may worsen skin discolouration by exposing it to the sun.
Probably, your innie will turn into an outie
If you have an innie belly button, it won’t last long. Your belly button will protrude at 26 weeks, making it seem like an outie.
In the same way that your body is going through a lot of other changes right now, this one is completely healthy and will return to normal after you give birth and your stomach shrinks.
What if you have a pierced belly button? There’s no need to take out your naval ring if your belly button piercing has healed (as opposed to newly done).
You may wish to remove it or swap to a straight plastic bar if you find it bothersome because of your expanding tummy. The skin surrounding the ring should also be checked for redness or inflammation, which might indicate an infection.
When you touch your tummy, your baby enjoys it.
In addition to making you feel wonderful, touching or rubbing your baby bump may also help your baby feel better. When a woman touches her tummy, the foetus moves all over the place in response. It has been shown that children are more receptive to the familiar touch of their mother than they are to the touch of a stranger.
Let’s not forget to keep massaging that bump! When you start counting kicks, it might assist to excite your baby. The more time you spend with your kid while he is still in the womb, the better prepared he will be for life beyond the womb.
Even after giving birth, your baby bump will remain
Do not put on your slimmest pair of pants as soon as you are discharged from the hospital. Even after your kid is born, you’ll still have a post-baby tummy. In the end, it took you nine months to grow to the size of your uterus, abdominal muscles, and skin. Therefore, it may take many months or even years for things to return to normal.
You may have diastasis recti if you still have a bump-like look to your stomach months after having birth and experience discomfort around your belly button or lower abdomen. This occurs when the abdominal muscles split and protrude slightly due to the increasing tummy. Diastasis recti may go away on its own, but you should see your GP if the pain persists or worsens. Most of the time, core workouts can solve the issue.
In the meanwhile, take a moment to appreciate everything that your body has accomplished in the previous 40 weeks. And don’t forget to enjoy every moment with your new baby!
Your belly grows and changes from the moment you begin to show until the moment your baby is born. After learning more about your baby bump, you’ll definitely enjoy it more. Your baby’s first nine months are spent in a safe, nurturing environment, and it’s a chance for you and your unborn child to get to know one another better before she is born. Make the most of it!
