Introduction
Many pregnant women ask themselves when the belly grows during pregnancy and from when finally a “baby belly” can be seen. Questions about the pregnancy belly usually cannot be answered in general, because as individual as each pregnancy is, so different is the appearance and growth of the belly during pregnancy. From when and how fast the belly grows, how big it becomes overall and what shape it has, can therefore vary greatly from woman to woman.
What influences the growth of the abdomen during pregnancy?
In some women, the abdomen tends to grow forward, in others it spreads more over the entire pelvis. It is important to know that the size of the belly does not necessarily reflect the size of the child. There are various components that influence the development of the abdominal girth.
These include things that the pregnant woman already “brings with her” at the beginning of the pregnancy. These include the size and weight of the expectant mother, the condition of her connective tissue and sporting activity before 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 previous pregnancies and whether it is a single or multiple pregnancy also affect the speed and extent of abdominal growth. In the course of the pregnancy months, various perceptible and visible changes of the abdomen can occur. One of these is the so-called “Linea nigra” (Latin for “black line”).
It appears as a brown or black discoloration of the skin, which can run from the breastbone to the pubic bone in the middle of the abdomen. It is caused by hormonal changes during pregnancy and is sometimes more and sometimes less intense. In most pregnant women, the linea nigra appears in the second trimester of pregnancy, sometimes it appears earlier, sometimes later or not at all.
