The rate of growth of the abdomen during pregnancy is a purely individual matter. For some women, the characteristic pregnant belly appears as early as 10-12 weeks, while others, even in the third trimester, look as if they simply overate.
The belly can be large or small, protruding forward or as if blurred, located low or high - everything will depend on the individual characteristics of pregnancy.
How the belly grows and looks during pregnancy depends on many factors: the woman’s physique, the structure of the pelvis, the condition of the muscles, the growth of the uterus and child, and the amount of amniotic fluid.
Most often, the belly begins to grow after the 12th week of pregnancy, and others will be able to notice the woman’s interesting position only from the 20th week. However, everything is strictly individual, there is absolutely no exact definition of the timing of the appearance of the belly, it is simply impossible to predict.
Don’t be upset if the shape or size of your belly doesn’t match the average, because everything is individual. Focus on your constitution, the functioning of your body and the development of your baby.
At 4 weeks the uterus reaches the size of a chicken egg.
At 8 weeks - a goose egg.
At 12 weeks, the uterus reaches the upper edge of the pubic bone. The belly is not yet noticeable.
At 16 weeks, the belly is rounded, the uterus is located halfway between the pubis and the navel.
At 20 weeks, the abdomen is noticeable to others, the fundus of the uterus is 4 cm below the navel.
The growth of the abdomen in pregnant women directly depends on the rate of uterine enlargement, the speed of which, in turn, is influenced by several factors. This is the number of fetuses, the volume of amniotic fluid, as well as the weight of the children themselves and the placenta.