When the pregnancy test is positive, many future moms are already anxious to know when they will be able to show everyone the beautiful baby bump. However, at first it’s hard to tell the difference between a pregnant belly and just a bit of extra fat. When can you really start noticing pregnancy by the belly1?
How to Identify a Pregnant Belly in the Beginning
Several factors contribute to when the pregnant belly starts to have a visible shape: if it is the first pregnancy, if the woman has a wide waist or is physically active. Generally, it’s only from the 20th week that the belly becomes noticeable, but for mothers who have already had other pregnancies, it can be between 12 and 18 weeks. For those who exercise and are in their first pregnancy, the muscles tend to “camouflage” the belly for longer, and for those who are overweight, it can also be difficult to notice the belly during part of the pregnancy.
How to Know if the Belly Is from Pregnancy?
A protruding belly without any other symptoms is probably not due to pregnancy. Especially because, in general, the pregnancy test rules that out even before the belly starts to show, so don’t wait for confirmation from the belly. Check out what the main early symptoms of pregnancy are2:
- Missed period: the very first sign
- Cramps
- Breast enlargement
- Fatigue and sleepiness
- Vaginal discharge
- Nausea and vomiting
- Cravings and increased sensitivity to smells
- Low blood pressure
- Constipation and increased urination
- Higher body temperature
- And finally, to confirm: a positive pregnancy test
On the other hand, the most common causes for a growing belly are gas, water retention or fat.
Which Area of the Belly Starts to Grow First?
The pregnant belly starts to “grow” below the navel, which is the region where the uterus is located, and this emerges from the pelvis. It also becomes firmer and the navel sticks out. With this, a slight bulge or ‘swelling’ can be noticed in this spot.
How to Hide a Pregnant Belly?
Some clothes can accentuate or disguise the pregnant belly. Darker colors and loose dresses or tops help hide it. But eventually, there’s no escape: the pregnant belly will show.
How to Measure a Pregnant Belly?
During prenatal appointments, the measurement of uterine height is done to make sure growth is normal. For this measurement, a measuring tape is used and the result is recorded in the expectant mother’s health booklet. Uterine height can be measured around 16 weeks and, in some cases, from 20 weeks. It’s at this stage that the uterus typically reaches navel height3. There may be situations where the uterine height differs from the expected gestational age. This can happen for several reasons, such as: a large baby, fibroids, twin pregnancy, or even gestational diabetes. In the eighth month of pregnancy, the belly reaches its maximum size, above the navel. In the ninth month, the belly loses a bit of volume, but even so, the baby continues to gain weight. What happens is the placenta “ages” and decreases in weight as the amount of amniotic fluid lessens.
What Is a Pregnant Belly Like in the First Few Weeks?
In the first weeks, it’s rare to know you are pregnant, and there are no changes in the woman’s belly that could indicate pregnancy in the first month. What is proven is that women who have had other deliveries, the “multiparas”, may have their belly become noticeable a bit earlier than first-time moms, the “primiparas”, who usually have firmer and more toned muscles.
What a Pregnant Belly Looks Like
Every pregnancy is unique and, therefore, so is the pregnant belly. Its size depends on different factors for each woman’s body, and the belief that the baby’s gender changes the belly’s shape is a myth. For example, in women with wide hips, the belly appears larger than in those with narrower pelvic bones. Among women with pronounced lumbar lordosis, the abdomen generally projects more forward.
How to Tell the Difference Between a Pregnant Belly and Fat
The pregnant belly is ‘firmer’ than a belly with localized fat, and keeps growing as the months go by. That’s why it’s only easy to confuse the two in the early months, and then it becomes clear that it’s a pregnant belly.
What Is a 3-Month Pregnant Belly Like?
In the third month of pregnancy, it’s normal to have gained a kilo or two, and by the end of pregnancy, between 11 and 13 kilos will be gained! However, the size of the pregnant belly will depend on each pregnancy, and there is no standard to generalize what the 3-month belly is like. An interesting fact is that in the third month the baby already reacts if someone touches your belly. The mother may not feel it very well yet, but the baby already responds to stimuli. This means the fetus already has reflexes.
How Is the “Lower Abdomen” in Pregnancy
One of the first symptoms of pregnancy is a pain in the lower abdomen. But generally, only from the 20th week does the lower abdomen start to stick out, as the uterus grows.
Why Does the Pregnant Belly Get Hard?
The belly starts getting hard right at the beginning of pregnancy, between the 7th and 8th week of pregnancy. At this stage, even though you might not notice any growth, the woman may start to feel that the “lower abdomen” is more swollen and firmer than before pregnancy. As the baby grows, the belly begins to get rounder and harder, but the shape can vary from woman to woman. After getting hard below the navel, it gets firmer around it and finally almost the whole belly. It hardens because of the uterus and placenta, which protect the baby and therefore need to be firmer than a normal organ.
Why Can’t Pregnant Women Sleep Lying on Their Back?
After the first half of pregnancy, as the belly and baby grow, it is no longer recommended to sleep on your back, as there is a risk of feeling unwell and having shortness of breath because the weight of the uterus compresses the vena cava. The recommended sleeping position is on your left side. Doctors have noticed that, during labor, this position provides the best oxygenation for the baby, allowing blood to flow better through the umbilical cord. So it’s good to start getting used to it.
Why Does the Pregnant Belly Itch?
It is common for the pregnant belly to itch and for there to be skin irritations that come and go during pregnancy, without any apparent cause. This happens because increased hormones make the skin more sensitive. It’s also common to feel itching on the breasts. But pay attention if the itching is severe, as there is a rare liver disease called Obstetric Cholestasis, whose main symptom is intense itching all over the body. Only a blood test can diagnose cholestasis. If there are red spots on the body, especially after a fever, consider the possibility of Zika symptoms. This disease can seriously affect the baby during pregnancy. So all caution is necessary during pregnancy; stay alert to any symptoms.
Pregnancy Line on the Belly: When It Appears
Most pregnant women have a line, like a dark mark on their belly, usually from the second trimester onward. In some cases it may be up to 1 cm wide, in the lower part of the abdomen, but it can also pass the level of the navel. It’s called the “linea nigra” and it disappears a few weeks after birth. The linea nigra is formed by skin pigmentation in the area where the abdominal muscle stretches to accommodate the placenta’s growth, separating the muscles more. The mark appears because pregnant women have heightened sensitivity to a hormone related to skin pigmentation. Some research also suggests that the appearance of the marks and the linea nigra may be related to a folic acid deficiency in pregnant women.
How to Draw on a Pregnant Belly
Nowadays, many pregnant women and their families and friends have fun drawing and painting on the baby bump using washable water-based paints. Get creative, as long as you don’t use markers or any chemical-based products! Here are a few examples: 
How to Lose Belly After Pregnancy
To reduce the fat that remains on your belly after pregnancy, it is recommended to follow a hypocaloric diet and do exercises that strengthen your abdomen and back. This way, posture and muscle tone improve, helping you to lose the pregnancy belly faster. You should generally start exercising around 20 days after a normal delivery, or 40 days after a cesarean. But it is advisable to get clearance from your obstetrician before starting any type of exercise, since excess or certain practices can be too strenuous for your body and hamper recovery. Extra care is needed for those who had a cesarean. Also see: My Belly Is Shaking! Is That Pregnancy?
