The most obvious sign that a woman is in a position is her growing tummy. In its shape and size, many are trying to predict the gender of the unborn, but already actively growing baby. The doctor monitors the course of pregnancy by weeks, and the growth of the abdomen is one of the indicators of its normal development.
Change in uterus size and abdominal volume
From a medical point of view, the first thing that begins to transform during the development of pregnancy is the uterus. With incredible elasticity, it is able to increase in volume, starting from a starting width of 6 cm and ending with 38 cm at the last stages of the development of the baby in the mother’s womb. It is worth noting that the growth of the uterus until the end of the first trimester does not rush to the voice and is not too noticeable. This is due to the fact that the volume of the uterus increases gradually. If initially its weight is approximately 60 g, then by birth its mass reaches 1500-1800 g (given the mass of amniotic fluid contained in it). During pregnancy, growth of the abdomen occurs somewhat later than the growth of the uterus. A particularly intense period of its increase begins after 15 weeks. The reason for this is not only a growing fetus, but also a regular increase in the amount of amniotic fluid. At the 10th week of pregnancy, the proportion of the uterus increases three times in relation to the initial volume and in size it becomes like a large apple. By the time of birth, it reaches about 1200 g in weight (this does not include the amniotic fluid and the baby himself).
While in the first trimester of pregnancy intensive growth of the uterus occurs in the first place, by the second trimester there is an increased growth of the fetus, in which the abdomen also changes and increases in size. In the third trimester, the child continues to grow, and at the same time it needs more space, so the skin on the stomach stretches, stretch marks can form, the navel protrudes.
When does the stomach begin to grow?
Many women who are faced with an interesting situation, are first concerned about the question of when the growth of the abdomen begins during pregnancy. So I want to quickly tell the whole world that a new life is growing inside, that very soon a new person will be born. Most quickly, the tummy accepts visible changes in women who have a slim or thin figure. The longest inconspicuous position remains among those who are overweight.
If you look inside the female body, you can determine that the growth of the uterus depends on its inner layer - myometrium. This is a kind of muscle frame that supports the uterus. Depending on the speed of division of its cells, an increase in the uterus occurs. Until about the 20th week, this process is carried out almost continuously. Further, an increase in the size of the uterus occurs due to the stretching of the elastic walls. For the entire duration of pregnancy, the uterus increases in size almost ten times.
In the case when the stomach looks much longer than the term, but the pregnancy is single-ended, it makes sense to think about polyhydramnios. This phenomenon often refers to pathology, which, with timely detection, can be brought back to normal in time. As a rule, he is diagnosed in the second trimester.
How does the shape of the abdomen in the first trimester change?
At such an early date, the size of the uterus is determined by ultrasound, and the external shape of the abdomen does not yet acquire visible changes. However, some women at 8-10 weeks can no longer, as before, fasten the zipper on their jeans or trousers, feeling discomfort, inconvenience and peculiar pressure on the stomach. This is mainly due to the psychological side of the course of pregnancy, rather than the physiological. But by the end of the first trimester, a week of 14-15, a woman may notice a slight protrusion in the lower abdomen. Thus, the growing uterus and the fetus developing in it make it clear that the course of pregnancy is going according to plan.
All changes in the female uterus in the first and second months of pregnancy are not at all noticeable. Despite this, you should be careful not to exert excessive pressure on the stomach. It is not recommended to wear tight clothes, to hamper in any way movements. Ideally, after an active day, there should be no residue from clothing on the body. At week 8, the bottom of the uterus barely reaches the bottom line of the pubis. Closer to the 10th raises to its level.
The height of the uterine fundus at 11-12 weeks of gestation reaches the level of pubic symphysis. From the 14th week, upon examination, the gynecologist can feel it during palpation through the abdominal wall. This is due to the fact that the body of the uterus by this time goes beyond the pelvic area. The doctor fixes the data obtained as a result of measuring with a centimeter tape in a medical record, noting compliance or non-compliance with their abdominal growth standards. During pregnancy, these parameters are recorded during each visit by a woman to a gynecologist observing her. These data are extremely important, since they allow you to determine whether the indicators correspond to the gestational age or their deviation from the norm.
Second trimester
The period when abdominal growth during pregnancy can no longer be hidden is in the second trimester. At week 16, the uterus is located between the navel and the pubic bone. From about 17-20 weeks, the bottom of the uterus is approximately 2 cm below the navel. Four weeks later, she moves to the same level as the navel, and at the 28th week the uterine fundus rises 2-3 cm above its level. These indicators are affected by the weight and growth of the fetus, the amount of amniotic fluid. It is worth considering the individual characteristics of each woman, from the specified parameters the data may differ by 2-3 cm, which is not a deviation from the norm.
If a woman notices that her stomach has stopped growing, that there are some other unpleasant and disturbing symptoms, she should immediately consult a doctor. Perhaps the child is lagging behind in development or there was a lack of water. These symptoms cannot be ignored. A woman can detect changes in her appearance if she takes a photo of abdominal growth by weeks of pregnancy. When staged shooting, when she poses in the same body position, this allows you to timely determine the deviation from the norm. You can also find a pigment strip that stretches along the line of the abdomen - this is normal during pregnancy. As a rule, after some time after giving birth, it disappears on its own.
What does the doctor pay attention to?
When a woman comes to see a gynecologist for pregnancy, he establishes the correspondence of abdominal growth to the weeks of pregnancy, paying attention to the change in the weight of her ward, the presence of edema and confirming or refuting the version of possible water shortage or polyhydramnios. The measurement is made on the couch, the pregnant woman is in a supine position. The doctor uses a centimeter tape, the received data is entered into the medical record. Monitoring indicators is evaluated in dynamics.
Normally, a natural pregnancy proceeds in a rhythm of continuous growth. And only by the end of the third trimester we can say that the pace is somewhat reduced. At 37-38 weeks, the bottom of the uterus drops slightly (about 3-5 cm), which may indicate the imminent onset of labor.
Third Trimester: Tummy Growth Topics
Judging by the weeks of pregnancy, abdominal growth in the last trimester is not as intense as in the second. Perhaps this is due to the fact that in the previous period of the baby’s development in the mother’s womb, the main laying of his internal organs has already taken place, and now the crumb’s main task is to gain weight. Visually, the stomach becomes more rounded and elongated. Moreover, in every woman, the shape and circumference can differ significantly. Some from their own experience and looking at others suggest that this is affected by the gender of the child. However, from a scientific point of view, there is no reliable and unambiguous explanation for this.
As for multiple pregnancy, in this case, the abdomen at 30-32 weeks is the same as when carrying one baby at 37-38 weeks. Children reach approximately 37 cm of growth, which requires significant internal space. Their body is actually already preparing for the birth of the world, therefore, by ultrasound, you can notice that a subcutaneous fat layer appears, the skeletal system improves, and the lungs develop. Naturally, the shape of the abdomen at the same time looks quite voluminous, round, spatial. At the same time, the activity of the babies is preserved, and their movements can cause noticeable discomfort to the expectant mother. At about the 35th week, if necessary, doctors try to hospitalize the pregnant woman in a hospital, since the likelihood of labor activity at any time is quite high.
In a one-year pregnancy, a period after 36 weeks is also considered likely for a possible sudden birth. A woman should be prepared for the fact that her baby is almost ready to be born. At this stage of pregnancy, the future mother can feel the appearance of pain in the lower back, which can be confused with contractions. However, they pass as suddenly as they begin, called training. In this way, the body prepares for the upcoming birth. If the pain is localized in the lower abdomen and is accompanied by atypical discharge, you should immediately consult a doctor. Due to the increased load and pressure of the uterus on the internal organs, shortness of breath may appear, as well as swelling and heartburn.
Norms and deviations
During pregnancy, the growth of the abdomen may comply with the standards or may have deviations. This is affected by the weight of the child, his position inside the womb, body weight and height of the woman, amniotic fluid volume, number of babies. If the pregnant woman is overweight, and the pelvis is narrow, then the bottom of the uterus may be higher than the established norm. It can also rise due to polyhydramnios, an incorrectly established gestational age, bearing twins or triplets.
The size of the uterus can be below normal: with a deviation with a difference in its volume of 1-2 weeks, such deviations are considered permissible. In other cases, it is necessary to individually take into account the parameters of a woman. The most common cases are when a woman has a small fetus or a lag in its development is recorded.
At the 18th week of pregnancy, abdominal growth becomes apparent to others, posture is straightened, the baby's height is about 16 cm. A woman can notice a significant jump in weight. From the 24th week, the abdominal circumference begins to increase by 1 or more centimeters every week, and the growth rate of the uterus starts from the 26th week, adding more and more live weight to it every week.
As for the third trimester, at the 30th week of pregnancy, the uterus is 10 cm above the navel, and if measured from the pubic bone, then about 30 cm. A woman may be accompanied by shortness of breath and back pain. This is due to the high load on the organism transformed during pregnancy. It is necessary to use a bandage to evenly distribute the weight of the abdomen.
What does the form depend on?
The normal course and development of pregnancy leads to the fact that the figure of a woman is constantly changing. And the longer the term, the larger the tummy becomes. This is quite natural. Depending on how the baby is located inside, the shape of the abdomen will periodically change. With the correct head presentation of the fetus, the egg-shaped form is visualized. If the baby is placed across, it will be more like an oval.
Those who record the growth of the abdomen during pregnancy by weeks with a photo can notice how it changes. At first it rounds off a bit, then moves outward more, and then week after week grows, changing depending on the position of the crumbs to the birth itself.
If there are pathologies in the development of the main reproductive organ - the uterus, for example, hypoplasia, a decrease in its size is diagnosed.
Another reason for which there is a significant increase in the abdomen during pregnancy (weekly pregnancy can occur as usual and have no visible deviations) is the presence of diseases of the uterine cavity. In particular, this is a myoma, which occupies a certain place and can lead over time to the early onset of labor. Also, with polyhydramnios, the woman’s stomach becomes larger and does not correspond to the gestational age.
Causes of stunted growth
What to fear is lagging behind the norm of abdominal growth during pregnancy by weeks. For example, if a woman has a period of 18-20 weeks, and the stomach looks externally at 14-16, this is a pathology. Moreover, a woman may have alarming symptoms that should be made known to the supervising physician. And yet, you should not make yourself a diagnosis and diagnosis yourself. The reason does not always lie in the delay in fetal development, the presence of an inflammatory process or infection, and oligohydramnios. It happens that the gestational age was set by the doctor erroneously, incorrectly. This happens more often with those women who have a problematic, irregular cycle.
You can track the lag by taking a photo of the growth of the abdomen during pregnancy - this is the easiest and most visual way. In other cases, the doctor traces the dynamics of growth during a routine examination, conducting an examination of the abdominal circumference and measuring the weight of the woman. The most reliable way to understand the reason is to do ultrasound monitoring, which determines the presence or absence of a cause for concern.
Dimensions of the abdomen with multiple pregnancy
If with a single-pregnancy, everything is more or less clear, then during pregnancy with twins, growth of the abdomen occurs much more intensively. By the end of 10-12 weeks, a woman can notice a bulging tummy. However, it becomes apparent to others. During the examination by a gynecologist, there is a clear increase in the uterus, as well as growth in the abdomen. According to the weeks of pregnancy, their correctly verified number can already be said that the indicators clearly differ from the norm of a singleton pregnancy. If in women who carry one baby, their tummy is barely noticeable at 10 weeks, then with multiple gestation it looks like a period of 14 weeks.
Starting from the second trimester, women are encouraged to use an antenatal bandage to facilitate and evenly distribute the load. With multiple pregnancy, active growth of the abdomen often indicates its normal course, unless, of course, there are other pathologies. The growth of babies by 19 weeks is approximately 25 cm, the bottom of the uterus is located between the navel and the pubic bone. Despite the noticeably enlarged abdomen, the first movements can be felt at about the same period as in women carrying one child, namely at 17-19 weeks. At the 22nd week, a woman notices that she begins to experience noticeable discomfort during movement, walking and bending.
In the middle of the third trimester, the coccygeal-parietal size of each fetus reaches 40 cm, the stomach is covered with stretch marks, as intrauterine development and growth of babies continues. With multiple pregnancies, constant medical supervision is recommended. In this case, most often a woman is placed in the hospital in advance so that you can assess the possible picture of the course of childbirth.