Growth of the abdomen in the third trimester of pregnancy | When does the belly grow during pregnancy?

Growth of the abdomen in the third trimester of pregnancy

The third third trimester describes the seventh to ninth month of pregnancy, or the 29th to 40th week of pregnancy. The organ development of the child is almost completely completed at this time.Since it will increase in the coming weeks, especially in size and weight, there will be a significant increase in the belly circumference, especially in this phase of pregnancy, and the belly will become heavier. The stretching of the skin can lead to itching and a feeling of tension in the abdominal skin, which can be alleviated by applying cream or oil.

In addition, the pressure of the growing uterus can cause the navel to protrude somewhat. However, this usually disappears again after birth. So-called exercise contractions and down pains can also occur in the last third of pregnancy.

The uterus contracts at irregular intervals and the abdomen feels hard. These painless exercise contractions should, however, occur no more than ten times a day and no more than three times in one hour. In addition, the abdomen may lower slightly in the last four weeks of pregnancy.

Abdominal growth in twins

Even in multiple pregnancies, questions about growth, size and shape of the abdomen cannot be answered in general. This is because very individual courses of development are apparent. Since several children grow in the abdomen of the expectant mother, the woman’s body usually changes more in twin or multiple pregnancies than in “single” pregnancies. In contrast to “single pregnancies”, the abdomen is usually visible earlier in twin pregnancies, sometimes as early as the eighth week of pregnancy. Overall, the abdomen grows faster and the abdominal girth in multiple pregnancies is usually larger than in pregnancies with one child.

Abdominal growth in the second pregnancy

If a woman is pregnant for the second time, the course of the pregnancy may differ from the course of the first pregnancy. In most cases, a bulge of the abdomen can be seen earlier in a second pregnancy, often already during the first trimester. One reason for this is the strong stretching of skin and tissue during the first pregnancy.