How to make your belly less noticeable during pregnancy. When the belly begins to grow during pregnancy. Why the belly doesn't grow during pregnancy

03.11.2019

The most "prominent" part of a woman's body in position is her belly.

It gives the figure of a pregnant woman a special femininity.

During the first pregnancy, most expectant mothers want to quickly see changes in the outlines of their bodies.

Therefore, in the first months, while the belly does not noticeably increase, many women are very interested in when this moment will come

And when changes in the figure begin to occur, they have the next question.

What are the normal rates of abdominal enlargement during pregnancy?

The reasons for the growth of the abdomen during pregnancy

The most important reason for the increase in the size of the abdomen is the developing fetus in it.

By the end of pregnancy, it takes up so much space that all the organs of the abdominal cavity change their position, and the skin on the abdomen is stretched to the point of rupture of collagen fibers - then stretch marks or striae are formed.

However, there are other reasons for the rounding of the forms of a pregnant woman: the first is the uterus, the walls of which thicken and stretch to accommodate the growing child, the second is the amniotic fluid.

Their volume increases during the entire period of pregnancy, and may decrease slightly only shortly before.

In addition, a certain amount of space is occupied by the placenta, which provides a connection between the fetus and the mother.

When the belly begins to grow during pregnancy

Watching her belly every day, a pregnant woman may not even notice the moment when it began to grow. After all, these changes are usually quite slow.

In most cases, it becomes noticeable to others closer to the middle of the term (that is, by 4-5 months).

Some women manage to hide their interesting position until the last trimester, or even until the moment of childbirth (this happens quite rarely). In others, on the contrary, the belly begins to grow very early.

How the belly grows during pregnancy: photo

How the belly grows during pregnancy

There are times when the waist volume even decreases in the first months. This happens if a pregnant woman loses weight, for example, due to severe toxicosis. But more often than not, the growth of the abdomen fits into a certain schedule.

When a woman registers for pregnancy, the doctor takes measurements of some parameters of her body.

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Data on the size of the pelvis is especially important - it will be possible to judge from them whether the child will be able to successfully pass through the birth canal.

From about 16-20 weeks, a tape measure will be needed at each scheduled examination - the doctor will measure the height of the uterine fundus.

This parameter shows the distance from the edge of the pubic joint (lower abdomen) to the upper part of the uterus - its bottom.

According to practice, the number of centimeters between these points normally corresponds to the number of weeks of pregnancy.

Only at 39-40 weeks, the value of the height of the fundus of the uterus does not correspond to this dynamics - it decreases due to prolapse and reduction of the uterus due to a slight reduction in the volume of amniotic fluid before childbirth.

If we talk about an increase in the abdomen during pregnancy in numbers, their value will be as follows:

1 The diameter of the uterus before pregnancy is about 4 cm, length is 6-9 cm, weight is 60-90 g. During gestation, its length (the height of the fundus of the uterus) is maximum at 37 weeks - up to 40 cm. Weight before childbirth is up to 1500 G.

2 Amniotic fluid appears in the amniotic sac at the 8th week. By the 10th week, their volume is about 30 ml, then it increases to 1-1.5 liters.

At 37-38 weeks, before childbirth, it decreases to 800 ml.

3 During intrauterine development, the baby's body weight increases from 1 ∙ 10-6 g (the mass of the zygote - the cell from which the future man develops) to 2.6-5 kg (the average weight of the newborn).

4 The placenta is actively formed in the uterus at 3-6 weeks and is able to fully function from the fourth month. At the end of pregnancy, its weight is usually 500-600 g.

5 The increase in waist volume depends on the woman's initial forms before pregnancy. For expectant mothers of normal physique, without excessive weight gain, the waist circumference in the last weeks is 90-100 cm.

6 Normal weight gain also depends on the initial anthropometric data. It is calculated by the doctor in each individual case, but on average it should be 7-16 kg for the period of gestation.

7 Weight gain during pregnancy that does not directly affect the fetus, placenta, uterus and amniotic fluid (that is, the size of the abdomen itself) is associated with an increase in blood volume, adipose tissue, tissue fluid and mammary glands.

The shape of the abdomen during pregnancy

This is another question that worries women in position. The shape of the abdomen can really tell about the well-being of the pregnancy or the presence of pathologies.

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But only a doctor can draw such conclusions. A future mother without medical education is unlikely to be able to figure out anything on her own by the outlines of her body.

Usually, pregnant women try to determine the sex of the unborn child by the shape of the abdomen, but modern science refutes any connection between these concepts.

As a rule, the shape of the abdomen in a pregnant woman depends on her own physique, the structure and position of the pelvic bones, the condition of the muscles and ligaments of the abdominal cavity, and the height of the uterine fundus.

It changes during pregnancy, a flat tummy in the first trimester becomes rounded in the second, and during the third trimester it tends to take on an ovoid shape.

Abnormalities in the size and shape of the abdomen during pregnancy

The concept of “norm” in relation to pregnancy is quite flexible.

If the expectant mother, for example, has a belly growing faster than most other women, this does not mean that there must be any violations.

However, if the deviations are really palpable, they may indicate an abnormality in the health of the mother or baby.

Too large abdomen is the norm if the pregnancy is multiple; in other cases, they can be signs of polyhydramnios, a large fetus, the presence of neoplasms in the uterus, and other pathologies.
The abdomen is less than the norm at a particular time period is due to lack of water, fetal growth retardation and its incorrect position, but in the early stages - it is a sign of an ectopic pregnancy.
An uncharacteristic shape of the abdomen may indicate an abnormal position of the fetus or placenta previa, the presence of a narrow pelvis in a pregnant woman, or poor training of the abdominal muscles.

A pregnant woman who is overly worried about her unborn child may pay too much attention to observing the size and shape of her body.

Expectant mothers often make hasty conclusions about the wrong course of pregnancy, if any of the parameters, in their opinion, does not correspond to the norm. This is not worth doing.

You just need to visit your doctor regularly - he himself will perform all the necessary measurements and will be able to competently make a conclusion about the state of health of the mother and child.

What is the difference between a woman who is expecting a child and just a woman? Most will immediately answer that the size of the abdomen. But there are those who will object to them, and they will be right. Why do some women have a huge belly, while others are barely noticeable? Although most expectant mothers do not pay much attention to the size of the abdomen, there is an opinion that it is more important to monitor and control swelling, pressure, stretch marks, etc. Each belly is different and grows according to the schedule. But it is very important that there are no deviations from generally accepted norms. There may or may not be explanations for a small belly. Maybe this is a pathology of fetal development, or maybe your norm is just that, and at the same time a completely healthy child will be born.

In the first trimester of pregnancy, the belly may or may not be, if a woman suffers from toxicosis, then the belly will disappear and begin to grow only in the second trimester. Everyone, probably, has a couple of girlfriends whose belly was small during the whole pregnancy and not everyone even knew that the woman was going to give birth.

In any case, you should not panic right away, you must first go through all the examinations and tests.

Let's take a look at why the belly grows?

Nevertheless, in the overwhelming majority of cases, the belly grows and this is explained by the fact that the uterus is growing, in which the child develops and grows. During pregnancy, the uterus must contain the fetus, placenta and amniotic fluid, all this must fit somewhere, in addition, the child must be comfortable and safe inside the woman, which is why the uterus grows, changes its shape and location in the abdomen.

The uterus changes from the earliest stages of pregnancy, firstly, it changes its shape from triangular to round, and secondly it grows, and very quickly, although this will not be noticeable until a certain time, the fetus grows, the amniotic fluid fills the uterus, surrounding fetus. All changes will not be noticeable until about the 5th month, from which time the belly begins to grow. In the fifth month, the weight of the fetus is about 100 grams, its length is 12 cm.By childbirth, these indicators will increase tenfold and the child can be born with a body weight of 2.5 to 5 kg, an increase of 42-60 cm.All indicators will be formed at 35-36 1st week of pregnancy.

At each visit to the doctor, the doctor will measure the belly with a measuring tape, according to these figures, you can approximately determine the gestational age and the weight of the fetus. Also, during the entire period of pregnancy, amniotic fluid constantly changes its volume, it can be from 1000 to 15000 ml, but if the pregnancy is post-term, the volume of amniotic fluid can be reduced to 800 ml.

Consider the norms and deviations

Although all women are completely individual, there are some norms that are approximately the same for all pregnancies and deviations from them signal pregnancy problems.

Let's take a look at the description of the uterus throughout the duration of pregnancy.

At the 4th week, the uterus looks like a hen's egg, at the eighth week it already looks like a goose's egg, increasing in size. At the 12th week, the uterus is the size of the head of a newborn; at the appointment, the doctor already probes it through the front wall of the abdomen and measures the circumference of the abdomen. At the 16th week, you can already see a rounded tummy, if you imagine the place between the pubis and the navel, then the uterus is now located somewhere in the middle. At the 20th week, the stomach is already clearly visible to others, this is exactly the middle of pregnancy. The bottom of the uterus is located two fingers below the navel. At the 24th week, the fundus of the uterus moved to the level of the navel, and at the 28th week, the uterus is already above the navel. At the 32nd week, the navel is leveled, the baby grows and the bottom of the uterus is felt somewhere between the navel and the xiphoid process. At the 38th week, the uterus rises to the highest level up to the costal arches. At the 40th week, the navel is already protruding, and the bottom of the uterus drops again, preparing for childbirth.

During the entire pregnancy, the uterus grows about 20 times. The muscle fibers of the uterus also change. Thickening and increasing in length 10 times. The vascular network of the uterus also increases. The abdominal circumference is a very important parameter during pregnancy; it is measured in the area of the lumbar deflection in the back and the navel in front. The norm is 85-90 cm at the 32nd week, 90-95 cm at the 36th, and 95-100 cm at the 40th week.

If there are still deviations from the general norms, then the reasons may be the lack of fetal growth, this is the so-called hypotrophy (fetal growth retardation), or lack of water. The reasons for this are infectious and inflammatory diseases of the expectant mother, placental insufficiency, hypertension in a pregnant woman. Often the cause can be the wrong location of the fetus in the uterus, then a cesarean section is necessary. The uterus grows almost from the very first days of pregnancy, if the doctor notices that this is not happening, then an ectopic pregnancy can be diagnosed. This is a pathology of pregnancy, in which the ovum develops outside the uterus, and in its tube, for example.

Also, do not forget that every woman has her own constitution, one will have a belly before pregnancy, the other will not have it with her. It happens that at work with a pregnant woman, no one even suspects that their colleague is pregnant until the woman goes on maternity leave.

With any suspicions, deviations from the norm, the expectant mother should always consult with the doctor, only he can make the correct diagnosis and try to save the pregnancy, even with all its possible problems. If there are any problems, then you need to go to the hospital and be treated, the likelihood of recovery and the birth of a healthy child is very high. Do not delay the registration and delivery of all the necessary tests. Ideally, all your diseases must be cured before pregnancy, any harmless infection or bacteria can cause complications during pregnancy. It is necessary to eat right before conception and during pregnancy, to lead a healthy lifestyle, it is advisable to give up all your bad habits, starting from smoking and alcohol, and ending with eating chocolate at night.

And of course, a woman should listen very carefully to her body, which almost always signals about any problems. You also need to have a positive attitude and believe that everything will be fine and you will have a healthy baby!

Publication author: Eduard Belousov

It would seem that the answer is obvious: the belly grows because a child grows in it, and this happens in all expectant mothers the same way, because any normal pregnancy lasts 9 months. In fact, everything is much more complicated, and the peculiarities of the growth of the abdomen can tell the doctor a lot ...

Most expectant mothers from the earliest stages of pregnancy are interested in the question, when the belly begins to grow in pregnant women and how quickly it will increase. Of course, the size of the abdomen and the rate at which it grows can vary significantly from woman to woman. This is due to the peculiarities of the development of the subcutaneous fat layer and the peculiarities of the intestines of a pregnant woman. After all, an increase in the abdomen in the early stages may be completely unrelated to an increase in the size of the uterus. It can grow due to overeating, or become visually larger for a period of time due to increased gas production.

And here enlargement of the uterus during pregnancy normally it happens about the same in all expectant mothers. Starting from the first weeks after conception, there is a gradual growth of the fetus inside the uterus, an increase in the muscle mass of the uterus itself, an increase in the volume of amniotic fluid. The rate of these changes is assessed by an obstetrician-gynecologist during regular examinations of a woman, making a conclusion about the correct course of pregnancy and fetal development. Very small In the first trimester, the uterus is located inside the small pelvis of a woman and does not rise above the pubic bone, so the "belly", as a rule, is not yet visible to others. At this stage, the doctor estimates the size of the uterus itself. By 12 weeks of pregnancy, the bottom of the uterus (its upper part) rises to the edge of the pubic bone, and it can already be felt through the abdominal wall. Now, during each visit, the doctor measures the height of the fundus of the uterus with a conventional tape measure, determining whether this parameter corresponds to the gestational age. Roughly the height of the uterine fundus in centimeters corresponds to the gestational age in weeks.

When will the belly be visible

The active growth of the uterus begins after 16 weeks. From about this time, the belly becomes slightly noticeable. And after the 20th week, it rounds up even more. Of course, the degree of "bulging" of the uterus depends on the position of the child inside, and on the characteristics of the pelvis, the elasticity of the abdominal wall.

Amniotic fluid

Amniotic fluid(or amniotic fluid) is the fluid that surrounds the baby in the womb. In the early stages of pregnancy, they are formed by the membranes, then from the blood of the mother and child, and after 16 weeks, the kidneys and lungs of the fetus also take part in this process. The amount of amniotic fluid gradually increases from 30 ml (at 10 weeks of pregnancy) to 1–1.5 liters (at 37–38 weeks). But by the end of bearing a baby, their volume may decrease to 800 ml. Of course, the amount of amniotic fluid affects the size of the uterus and, accordingly, the size of the belly of a pregnant woman.

Additional factors of abdominal growth during pregnancy

In addition to the characteristics of the growth of the uterus, there are additional factors that affect the external dimensions of the growing tummy of the expectant mother:

Abdominal muscle condition... It is clear that the stronger and denser they are, the longer and better they will resist stretching, and the later the growing tummy will become noticeable to others. This is related to the fact that with repeated pregnancies, the belly often begins to appear earlier than the first time. In athletes and trained women, the tummy "shows up" later also due to the strong abdominal muscles.
Features of the structure of the skeleton and pelvic bones have a great impact on the size of the abdomen. In short, thin expectant mothers with a narrow pelvis, a growing tummy becomes noticeable earlier than in tall women with a wide pelvis.
Heredity... The peculiarities of the growth of the abdomen during pregnancy in the mother and grandmother are most often reflected in the rate of increase in the abdomen in a pregnant woman.

Deviation from the norm

As noted above, the increase in the size of the uterus while waiting for the baby, in contrast to the abdomen itself, occurs approximately the same in all women, and this is an important indicator of the normal course of pregnancy.

Why do doctors so carefully assess the growth rate of the uterus in the expectant mother? In the earliest terms, when the uterus is not yet palpable through the abdominal wall, the doctor can determine its size only during a vaginal examination on a gynecological chair. The discrepancy between its size and the expected gestational age may be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy. This is a serious pathological condition when the ovum does not develop in the uterine cavity, but in the fallopian tube or in the abdominal cavity, or in the pelvic cavity.

In the early stages... If the size of the uterus is less than those indicators that should be in the early stages, this may indicate an abnormal development of pregnancy. This occurs, for example, with a frozen or genetically defective pregnancy, etc. Too fast growth rates of the uterus in the early stages may indicate the presence of multiple pregnancies. In addition, this situation is typical for gallbladder drift. This is a pathology of pregnancy, when clusters of bubbles form in the hairy membrane of the embryo (chorion) instead of normal villi. In this case, at any time, uterine bleeding may occur, which, due to the germination of blood vessels, is very abundant, which is dangerous for the expectant mother.
In the second half of pregnancy. In the later stages of pregnancy, the discrepancy between the size of the uterus and the gestational age is most often found when the amount of amniotic fluid changes. Normally, the volume of amniotic fluid does not exceed 1.5 liters. But it so happens that the amount of water increases to 2–5 liters, in rare cases even more. Obviously, this cannot but affect the size of the abdomen - it will be more than normal. This condition is called polyhydramnios, and, of course, it cannot be considered normal. Most often, polyhydramnios develops if a pregnant woman is sick with diabetes mellitus, diseases of the cardiovascular system, and infectious diseases. The cause of excess water can also be fetal malformations.

Malnutrition, that is, a decrease in the amount of amniotic fluid, can also cause the size of the uterus to be smaller than expected. The most common causes of oligohydramnios are kidney or urinary tract disease of the fetus. Infections, increased blood pressure in the expectant mother, late gestosis (a serious complication of pregnancy, manifested by increased pressure, the appearance of edema and protein in the urine, as well as a malfunction of the placenta, as a result of which the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus is reduced) can lead to oligohydramnios. In the later stages, lack of water is often explained by an imperceptible leakage of amniotic fluid through tears of the fetal bladder. Also, a decrease in the amount of water is observed during post-term pregnancy in parallel with the aging of the placenta. In addition, severe dehydration of a pregnant woman, smoking and taking certain medications can lead to oligohydramnios.

In the second half of pregnancy, the size of the uterus may be associated with the characteristics of the growth and development of the fetus. For example, with a delay in its growth and intrauterine development, the uterus will enlarge more slowly than it should be.

A decrease in the height of the fundus of the uterus is possible with an incorrect position of the fetus in the uterus. For example, if the baby is lying across the belly.

An excess of the size of the uterus relative to the norm is noted with a large size of the fetus, which, in turn, may be a consequence of both genetic characteristics and diabetes mellitus in the expectant mother.

Thus, a change in the rate of growth of the uterus can serve as an indicator of various disorders in the condition of the mother and, more often, of the fetus. Therefore, if at the next appointment the doctor discovers that the height of the fundus of the uterus does not correspond to the gestational age, he prescribes additional studies to clarify the reasons that led to a decrease or increase in the growth rate of the abdomen.

Belly shape

Of particular importance in the second half of pregnancy is belly shape... It will not be a discovery for anyone that it mainly depends on the condition of the abdominal muscles. The shape is also influenced by polyhydramnios, a large fetus, the number of fetuses, the position of the baby in the uterus (oblique, transverse, longitudinal, etc.). With normal pregnancy and the correct position of the fetus (head down), the abdomen has an oval shape, with polyhydramnios it becomes spherical, and with the transverse position of the baby it takes the shape of a transverse oval. The belly of women with a narrow pelvis in the third trimester of pregnancy will be special: in those expecting their first child, it is usually pointed, as if pointed upwards, and in those carrying a child not for the first time, the belly is often a little saggy.

Doctors pay special attention to belly shape just before childbirth. If it seems unusual, then it is possible that the doctor will recommend an X-ray pelviometry - a scan of the pelvic bones, which allows you to determine the internal dimensions of the pelvis and compare them with the size of the fetal head. This study will help determine whether a woman will be able to give birth on her own or will have to have a cesarean section. Contrary to numerous folk myths, there is no scientific evidence that the sex of a child can be determined by the shape of the abdomen.

Stretch marks during pregnancy

Stretch marks, or striae are a kind of skin defect in the form of narrow wavy stripes of different widths, from white to reddish-purple in color. They appear mainly in places where the skin is most stretched - on the abdomen, chest and buttocks. During pregnancy, the uterus enlarges, and the wall of the abdomen stretches with it. If it grows rapidly, and the skin of the expectant mother is not very elastic, then stretch marks appear on it. Of course, the likelihood of the appearance of such a defect somewhat increases if the fetus is large, quickly gains in mass, or if there is polyhydramnios, but the state of collagen and elastin fibers is still determining. After all, human skin is naturally endowed with unique properties: firmness and elasticity, thanks to which it easily stretches and shrinks just as easily. Due to a number of hormonal changes and a significant weight gain in expectant mothers, the skin partially loses its wonderful characteristics. The thing is that hormones, estrogen and progesterone are responsible for the intrauterine development of the fetus, and their high concentration inevitably entails a decrease in the production of collagen and elastin, which directly affect the elasticity and smoothness of the skin. This is where stretch marks can appear.

To prevent the occurrence of this unpleasant skin defect, especially during the intensive growth of the abdomen in the third trimester, you need to monitor your diet in order to avoid rapid and excess weight gain. In addition, you can use special cosmetics for pregnant women, containing vitamins A, E, as well as substances that improve blood circulation in the skin. Since the skin is often drier during pregnancy, moisturizers can also be used. They will also help prevent stretch marks. Wearing a bandage also helps maintain a growing tummy and helps prevent stretch marks.

Every expectant mother knows: during pregnancy, the belly should grow. So it was conceived by nature: week after week, the baby increases in growth, the uterus stretches, and the volume of amniotic fluid increases. A pregnant woman can be seen from afar, and after 30 weeks, few will doubt that soon there will be one more person in the world. Unfortunately, it happens that a well-functioning system malfunctions, and the tummy does not grow in due time. Is a small belly during pregnancy a norm or a pathology?

It should be?

Starting from 16 weeks of pregnancy, at each appointment in the antenatal clinic, the doctor measures the patient's abdominal circumference and the height of the fundus of the uterus. These parameters are necessary in order to track the development of the baby in the womb. Normally, every week the tummy of the expectant mother adds 1 cm.Already from 18-20 weeks, those around her clearly notice that a woman is preparing to become a mother. With repeated pregnancy, the abdomen grows much faster, which is explained by the greater elasticity of the muscles and ligaments of the anterior abdominal wall. Why does the growth of the abdomen not always fit into the prescribed norms?

Probable causes of a small belly during pregnancy

Experts identify several reasons for this condition:

1. Hereditary predisposition

This situation is repeated from generation to generation. All women in the family note that the entire pregnancy took place with a small belly. Moreover, children are born on time without any serious deviations in health. A genetically determined small belly during pregnancy is more common in short, thin women.

2. Severe toxicosis of the first half of pregnancy

Nausea and vomiting that lasts for more than 12 weeks is very exhausting for a woman. She is losing weight, and it is quite natural that a rounded tummy at a period of 16-18 weeks will not be found yet. Treatment of toxicosis in this case should be carried out in a hospital with mandatory monitoring of the condition of the fetus.

3. Trained abdominal muscles

In women involved in sports, the abdominal muscles are constantly in good shape. A rounded tummy, typical of pregnant women, will appear much later than the due date.

4. Wrong position of the fetus

With a transverse or oblique position of the child in the uterine cavity, the abdomen will not protrude too much. Outwardly, such a woman will seem slightly overweight, but not at all pregnant. Up to 32 weeks, the baby can turn over, and then the shape and size of the abdomen will return to normal.

5. Delayed intrauterine development of the fetus

Unlike all the previous reasons, this situation is alarming for both the woman and her attending physician. A small belly in this case indicates that the baby is growing poorly and is not gaining the weight he is supposed to. The cause of developmental delay may be pathology of the placenta, chronic diseases and bad habits of the mother. Hypotrophy (low weight) of a child may also indicate some congenital abnormalities.

6. Low water

Lack of amniotic fluid most often indicates intrauterine infection of the fetus. After 40 weeks, this condition may be associated with true overburdening and aging of the placenta. Both situations require mandatory observation by an obstetrician-gynecologist.

Why doesn't the belly grow during pregnancy?

It so happens that until a certain period of pregnancy, everything was in order. The woman regularly visited the doctor, where her tummy was measured and no abnormalities were noticed. Suddenly, at the next visit, the expectant mother notices that the abdominal circumference has not increased. In most cases, this indicates the onset of fetal malnutrition and a possible delay in its development. The baby does not gain weight, which negatively affects his general condition. Treatment of such a pathology is carried out in a hospital setting. The use of drugs that activate the uteroplacental blood flow, as well as various vitamin mixtures, can achieve a good result and ensure the normal development of the child in the womb.

A small belly during pregnancy is not a sentence. In many cases, women with a neat tummy give birth to healthy babies without any abnormalities. In this case, it is still not worth giving up the examination. A regular visit to a doctor during pregnancy gives you a chance to notice a dangerous pathology in time. Timely diagnosis of conditions such as fetal growth retardation and oligohydramnios will allow starting adequate treatment and making it possible to avoid the development of complications.