When a woman prepares to become a mother, a lot of questions turn in her head at once. She begins to carefully listen to her body and the ongoing changes, and also begins to pay attention to those things that previously did not interest her at all. But if pregnancy is the very first, then here a woman is interested in everything! And, probably, the most important question on the long list will be: "When does the stomach grow during pregnancy?"
Unfortunately, or vice versa - to joy, but no exact dates have been revealed when the size of the fetus in the womb will begin to increase. Each organism is strictly individual, therefore it is impossible to guess something in advance. According to medicine, the stomach begins to acquire large sizes from about 16 weeks of pregnancy, but this can happen sooner or later. An increase in the abdomen during pregnancy indicates that the uterus is growing and is already clearly beginning to be felt in the lower abdomen, slightly above the pubis. As the gestational age increases , it rises higher, and at the very end of the gestation process, the opposite reaction occurs: when the body prepares for childbirth, the uterus tends to the pelvic area, that is, it falls lower.
But regardless of this, as has already been proven in practice, throughout the entire time during which the mother carries the fetus, her body changes constantly. Thus, how the stomach grows during pregnancy is not difficult to guess. It happens that in the first month it begins to increase. Very rarely, but it happens that the fetus "manifests itself" in the seventh month or in the last trimester. There are also cases when pregnancy is defined as “hidden”, when the abdomen is not visible at all while the future person is growing and developing in his mother’s body.
So, ladies, the question of how the abdomen grows during pregnancy can be answered as follows: it begins to grow when it pleases, or does not appear at all. Nevertheless, there are several factors by which you can determine the timing when the stomach appears or at least becomes “noticeable”.
- What is the account of the child? How does the stomach grow during pregnancy? The answer is simple. It grows more slowly in the first pregnancy than in the second and subsequent, since the abdominal muscles have never been so stretched.
- Anatomical features. The future baby is always more noticeable in the tummy of a short, small mother, while in the body of large women, the fetus remains invisible for a long time. Although there are exceptions to the rules.
- Heredity.
- Weight gain during pregnancy.
- The growth rate of the fetus and the size of the unborn baby.
- Presentation. If the fetus is located closer to the spine, pregnancy will become less noticeable. And vice versa.
And what do doctors say about how the stomach grows during pregnancy? At a period of 7-8 weeks, the expectant mother may already be registered. And from about this time begins tracking the developing fetus. Do not undergo gynecological examinations often, since the size of the uterus is usually determined using a centimeter tape. A woman lies on a flat couch in the doctor’s office, and he, in turn, measures the size of the uterus. If all is well, then the size of this organ corresponds to the number of weeks. For example, with a period of 10 weeks, the uterus has a size of 10 centimeters. Therefore, it is clear that the abdomen will not be immediately visible.
Every mommy dreams of a big tummy. But, is it good when pregnancy is noticeable in the second trimester? A large belly is a risk factor in terms of changing the tone of the uterus. In addition, due to the rapid increase in the stomach, stretch marks appear, so doctors recommend monitoring their weight, not overeating and wearing prenatal bandages.