When does the baby’s belly grow? | Course of a pregnancy

When does the baby’s belly grow?

Many pregnant women ask themselves when the belly grows during pregnancy and when a “baby belly” can finally be seen.Questions about the pregnancy belly can usually not be answered in general, because as individual as each pregnancy proceeds, so differently is also the appearance and the growth of the belly during the pregnancy. In some women, the abdomen tends to grow forward, in others it spreads more over the entire pelvis. Often the abdomen does not grow continuously, but rather in thrusts.

In the first trimester of pregnancy there is usually no typical “baby belly” visible. During the second trimester until the eighth month of pregnancy in the third trimester, the most significant increase in abdominal girth is seen. In the ninth month of pregnancy, the abdomen usually lowers slightly.

At what point is pregnancy visible?

From when and how fast the belly grows, how big it becomes overall and what shape it has varies greatly from woman to woman. There are various factors that influence the development of the abdominal girth. These include things that the pregnant woman “brings with her” at the beginning of the pregnancy.

These include the height and weight of the expectant mother, the condition of her connective tissue and sporting activity before the pregnancy (especially the training condition of the abdominal muscles). On the other hand, the size, weight and position of the child and the amount of amniotic fluid also have a great influence on the development of abdominal growth. The number of pregnancies and whether it is a single or multiple pregnancy (e.g. twin pregnancy) also affect the speed and extent of abdominal growth.

Most women look “pregnant” after the 16th week of pregnancy. The waist becomes wider, the belly begins to grow forward and bulges out more and more. From the sixth month of pregnancy onwards, even outsiders can often no longer overlook the “baby belly”.

Changes in the breast during pregnancy

Many women notice changes in their breasts as the first sign of pregnancy. Due to the hormonal changes in the body and the resulting enlargement of glandular tissue and milk ducts and increased blood circulation, the breasts become larger and can react more sensitively to touch. Many women already know these symptoms as part of their normal monthly cycle.

In contrast, however, the changes in the breasts are usually more pronounced during pregnancy. During pregnancy, the breast changes continuously.

• In the first trimester of pregnancy, the strong increase in hormones in many women leads to a strong growth of the breast.

  The breast may feel itchy, tingling and sometimes hot and swollen. A feeling of tension and sensitivity to even light touching can also occur.

• In the second trimester of pregnancy the speed of growth decreases slightly and the unpleasant symptoms usually become less. In addition, the nipples and areolas may appear somewhat darker and in some cases some foremilk (the so-called colostrum) may leak out already from this phase of pregnancy.
• In the third trimester of pregnancy the breast actively prepares for breastfeeding, the breast continues to grow slowly and can become even fuller and heavier.