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A pregnancy baby bump might feel like an awkward protrusion from your body, something you had no idea would feel the way it does now that it is finally a part of your body. Most likely, you also are already obsessing about your bump and cannot keep yourself from touching it. As fun and as magical it is to have a baby bump, it also is important to know what’s happening in there.
On that note, to undo the mystery and to help you become more informed about your body, here are some fun facts and things to know about your baby bump.
Pregnancy Baby Bump Fact #1 - A baby bump will not be noticeable from day 0
Though rom-coms might have led you to believe that you will see your baby bump as soon as you conceive, the reality is quite different. Though it is true that you will feel something happening internally once you are pregnant, however, the bump will actually start to show only after women hit the 3rd-month mark. it only makes sense given the fact that a baby is only as big as a coriander seed by the first four weeks. By the third month, the bumps become possible because the baby would grow to become the size of a decent lemon!
Pregnancy Baby Bump Fact #2 - The shape of the uterus determines how early or late you'd start showing!
For a pregnancy belly or the baby bump to start showing, a lot of factors and conditions are involved – including the shape of the mother’s uterus. If the shape of your uterus is tilted towards the back, you most likely will take longer than expected to show. On the flip side, if the shape of your uterus is tilted towards the front, you’d most likely show much earlier than forecast!
Pregnancy Baby Bump Fact #3 - Once the baby bump starts to grow, it will grow aggressively
All the wait for having your bump to grow really pays off because once your bump starts showing, it will start to grow very rapidly, also causing the infamous stretch marks. Stretch marks are essentially caused when tiny tears forming the supporting layers underneath the skin tends to pull tight as your tummy expands. The stretch marks, though they begin as tiny, white, layer-like lines between the 13th–21st week, eventually grow to become dark as they stretch to their best by the 35th week.
Pregnancy Baby Bump Fact #4 - The random fluttering sensation is actually your baby's early movement!
Are you in the 4th or 5th month of pregnancy? Do you randomly feel a butterfly-like fluttering sensation in your stomach? Well, well, your little one has started making their moves! The fidgeting-like sensation felt around the 4th/5th month of pregnancy is called quickening and it is defined as a baby’s early movement. It should be noted that a full-fledged movement starts only by or after the 6th month of pregnancy. You would also be recommended to do ‘kick counts‘
Pregnancy Baby Bump Fact #5 - The belly button innie will now become an outie!
If your belly button is an innie, as it is In most cases, be prepared for it to become an outie during pregnancy. This protrusion takes place since as the uterus begins to expand, around the 26th week, it pushes from inside the stomach, making the belly innie become an outie. Though this might look rather funny in appearance, there’s absolutely nothing to worry about as this outie will go back to being an innie after the baby pops out and the belly deflates to its original.
Pregnancy Baby Bump Fact #6 - Baby bumps are not soundproof!
Have you seen mushy couples in movies talking to the baby inside the stomach? The partner usually sticking their ear against the belly to understand the baby’s responses? Well, that ain’t a complete sham. The ears of a baby start to develop as early as the 16th week, making it possible for them to hear what’s happening in the outside world. However, though the baby can hear, they cannot make much sense of what’s being said, and hence, there’s no response. However, by the time a baby reaches the 26th week in the stomach, their brains also fully develop and that is when they start responding to stimuli in the form of kicks and movement within!
Pregnant women are often advised to play soothing music or to just talk to their baby in order to grow a mamma-baby bond with the little one.
Pregnancy Baby Bump Fact #7 - The fundal height does not always equal the number of weeks you are along!
Your practitioner will want to check the fundal height (distance from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus) of the baby on each prenatal visit that you make pre-delivery. Now, though you might have read articles claiming fundal height (in centimeters) approximately equals the number of weeks you are, that is not an absolute truth. In most cases, being a centimeter or two above or below the supposed number is nothing to worry about. As long as your scans and tests come out normal, the baby is growing as it should.
Pregnancy Baby Bump Fact #8 - The baby bump does not come only with stretch marks but with other dark lines too!
The skin of most pregnant women tends to become rather odd and quirky, only to get weirder as the baby bump grows with each passing day. These abnormalities in the skin may show up as dark areolas or even hyperpigmentation on your face, owing to the surge in hormones in the woman’s body. The said hormones might also cause a skin condition called linea nigra, which essentially is a dark, vertical line extending from the belly button to the pubic area. Linea Nigra will typically be noticeable only by the 23rd week for most women and tends to fade away post-delivery. Sun exposure also causes skin discoloration to identify and hence, pregnant women are recommended to always cover up well when they step outdoors.
Pregnancy Baby Bump Fact #9 - Babies love it when mamma bear touches the pregnancy belly!
As a pregnant woman, you might have often felt warm, cushy, and fuzzy feeling down your spine when you touch the pregnancy belly. Well, well, it’s time you start doing that more often because researchers show that babies love it when the mother touches the belly! You might even feel your little one moving in the stomach as you touch the belly in response to the touch. This rubbing stimulation is also particularly helpful during later stages of pregnancy when the doctor recommends doing kick counts. Consider patting and touching as a way to connect with the baby and do that more often to build a bond with your little one as they bake!
Pregnancy Baby Bump Fact #10- Your pre-pregnancy belly will not be back as soon as you deliver
As sad and as disappointing as this may sound, your belly shape will not return to its normal flatness as it was pre-pregnancy as soon as the baby is out. Even after the delivery, you will have a rather protruded post-delivery belly. This is so because your abdominal muscles have been over-timing for over 9 months to accommodate the fetus and though they might not take 9 months to be back to their originality, the abdominal muscles, as well as the stretched skin will take time to return to the original size and shape.
As you sit back and wait for the belly to get back to normalcy, spend some bonding time with your new little cheeky baby, and perhaps, why not figure out a name for them ?
