Each pregnancy is unique. She causes a storm of emotions in the future mother, and the emotional intensity with the approaching of a significant date only increases.
All physiological changes in the body are as individual as the forms of the abdomen during pregnancy. Sometimes a woman notices changes in her body after a couple of months, while others manage to hide her interesting position even up to six months. And, of course, each of the future women in labor worries what her figure will be.
What affects the shape of the abdomen?
In the first trimester, that is, up to 12 weeks, no visual changes occur. At this time, an important process is that the fertilized egg is attached to the uterine wall. After this, the fetus and its place grow and develop, the amniotic fluid increases, but it is insignificant, because the uterus does not even grow to the edge of the pubis. Because of this, some women themselves are unaware of what lies ahead.
But from the second trimester, the uterus gradually rises to the navel, the stomach grows, and others notice changes. The forms of the abdomen during pregnancy can be different, doctors use them to determine the position of the fetus. Those who believe in traditional medicine claim that it also helps determine the gender of the child.
The size of the abdomen is individual and depends on several factors:
- number of embryos;
- weight gain of the future mother;
- heredity;
- amniotic fluid volume;
- physique of a woman;
- position and size of the fetus.
In any case, pregnant women should be observed by a specialist who determines whether everything is in order with the process and if there are any serious developmental disorders.
How does an increase in the abdomen
It is not easy to determine at what point in time the conception occurred, therefore, in medicine, indicate the date of pregnancy onset as the first day of the last menstruation. From this day, the countdown begins until the baby is born. It takes a lot of time to find out the sex of the child, because ultrasound is done only in the fifth month. Since ancient times, it was believed that the forms of the abdomen during pregnancy by a girl and a boy are different, and with their help midwives tried to make predictions about the future baby.
Ultrasound serves to examine the embryo already in the 2-3rd week, the size of the fetal egg will be 22 mm. At this time, he still can not be called a man. But after another 2 weeks it will be possible to talk about the size of the child, they will be within 6-7 cm, and the weight will be about 25 g. At the sixth week, growth will become 2 times more, and the weight will increase 4 times.
Only from the second trimester, the expectant mother herself will see and feel the changes in the body. At this time, amniotic fluid will also be added to the child’s height and weight , so that he is more comfortable in the womb.
Further development is very approximately. It may vary, but is within such limits:
- 20 weeks: height - 26 cm, weight - 300 g;
- 24 weeks: height - 30 cm, weight - 680 g;
- 28 weeks: height - 35 cm, weight - 1200 g;
- 32 weeks: height - 42 cm, weight - 1700 g;
- 36 weeks: height - 48 cm, weight - 2500 g.
Uterine size
Before pregnancy, the uterus is pear-shaped and weighs from 50 to 100 g, in the first months this value does not change, but over time it increases significantly. The correctness of its shape, location and growth is determined using ultrasound at a time when the dimensions exceed the width of the pelvic bones. During pregnancy, the uterus as a whole increases by 500 times, and its mass reaches 1 kilogram.
Do the forms of the abdomen during pregnancy determine the sex of the baby?
The subject of eternal debate is the gender of the child and what shape of the abdomen corresponds to it. All these disputes were relevant when there was no ultrasound, and even now, in the time of progress in medicine, grandparents in their own way foretell who will be born - a boy or a girl.
The fact is that there are changes in the shape of the abdomen during pregnancy for months. Photos of many women who went through this process prove that sometimes in the fourth month the stomach is more rounded, and by the ninth it becomes elongated. That is, at different periods you can think about a different gender of the child. At the same time, future mothers come to their grandmothers and they predict: "Belly is a cucumber - the boy will be." In another place, mothers and grandmothers say that with this shape of the abdomen, a girl will be born.
Scientists are sure that such a diagnosis is not reliable, and if the adherents of traditional medicine are right somewhere, then this is just a coincidence. They believe that the shape of the abdomen during pregnancy depends on the position of the fetus.
Popular beliefs
In the modern world, the opinion of the elderly, based on certain prejudices, plays a small role, women believe ultrasound more, with which you can determine the exact gender of the child, although in some cases official medicine is also mistaken. They used to believe that the forms of the abdomen during pregnancy by the girl are more rounded, but the elongated tummy spoke of the boy. But such predictions did not always come true.
Belly shape
There is also that category of women who firmly believe that the forms of the abdomen during pregnancy are different for a girl and a boy. Photo of the figure, which changes monthly, is posted in personal diaries, blogs, on copyright websites and on social networks by everyone who leads an active life on the Internet. Some people know that it is better to wait for an ultrasound scan, others prefer to use old folk methods and fortune telling.
It is noteworthy that, although the physique of the mother affects the form, the stomach can be different during the first and second pregnancy. Yet there is some connection between the physique and the size of the abdomen:
- Ideally, when the belly of the woman in labor is ovoid and a little pointed. If a woman has narrow hips, then the point will be especially visible during the second trimester. In primogenous mothers, the pointedness is directed upward, in all other cases - downward.
- The roundness or pear-shaped in the abdomen suggests that the expectant mother was not engaged in exercise and has weak abs muscles, there can also be a large amount of amniotic fluid or a large child.
- A small belly indicates that the woman has low water, or she is carrying a fragile child.
Some deviations from the norm
Although it is believed that the round tummy speaks of the girl, doctors claim that there can be completely different forms of the abdomen during pregnancy by the girl. Photos of the same grandmothers and mothers, examples of the older generation and simply familiar women in the situation are excellent proof. The same applies to boys. You should worry if suddenly the tummy becomes asymmetric and the future woman in labor is uncomfortable. In this case, you need to see a doctor and conduct an additional examination or even treatment in a hospital.
A bit about ultrasound
Ultrasound will help to get the first visual acquaintance with a baby before his birth. In addition to the fact that the expectant mother will be able to look at the shape of the child, this examination is necessary to check something:
- whether there is an ectopic or a false pregnancy ;
- find out the date of the beginning of pregnancy and childbirth;
- check the position of the fetus ;
- determine if there are any deviations;
- whether the child develops normally;
- find out which gender the baby has.
There are other examination methods, but it is ultrasound that is harmless and the most common.
Pregnancy is a happy time in the life of every woman, so do not be afraid or avoid it.