When does the belly appear during pregnancy?

It is impossible to predict exactly when it will begin to grow, but in the early stages, waist size practically does not change. However, each new gram of embryo stretches the uterus, as a result both it and the tummy increase.

After the test showed 2 stripes, the volume of the uterus does not exceed 5 ml with a weight of 50-60 g. But at about 5 weeks of pregnancy, it begins to grow, and a gradual but systematic development of new muscle fibers occurs. After all, the uterus will have to stretch almost 500 times relative to its original size.

At 9 weeks of pregnancy, the uterus becomes the size of a goose egg. As long as it fits within the boundaries of the small pelvis, the stomach does not grow. Next, the uterus grows and rises above the level of the pelvis, heading into the abdominal cavity.

At this time, the waist also begins to slowly expand, and after 14-15 weeks you can measure the height of the fundus of the uterus. It is its wide part - the bottom - that rises into the abdominal cavity and determines the circumference of the abdomen during pregnancy week by week.

After 16 weeks, the belly increases significantly and in most women becomes noticeable. The growth rate of the tummy by week depends on the body build, the size of the small pelvis, the number and weight of the fetuses.

The abdominal circumference (AC) of a pregnant woman is a purely individual indicator, since initially each woman’s waist circumference is different. The height of the uterine fundus more accurately reflects the size of the fetus by week of pregnancy, so the doctor measures both parameters.

Rate of abdominal growth during pregnancy.

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.

Feeling the tummy during pregnancy.

The belly of the expectant mother changes not only in appearance. From the 20th week of pregnancy, the mother begins to feel the baby's movements. At first they look like light flutters, but over time the movements become more intense, because towards the end of pregnancy the weight and size of the child increases, and now he is not as spacious in the uterus as before. The number of movements gradually decreases, but their strength increases.

The movements of the baby, especially intense ones, can cause unpleasant sensations in a woman, especially in the right or left hypochondrium.

This is explained by the fact that with a cephalic presentation (the baby is positioned head down in the uterus), the impacts of the baby’s legs are projected into the area of the mother’s internal organs: the liver, stomach, intestines and spleen. Such sensations and even pain are natural and do not require treatment.

And sometimes painful sensations appear in the lateral parts of the abdomen.

They arise due to the fact that during pregnancy the ligaments that support the uterus and ovaries are stretched.

In addition, changes occur in the fallopian tubes (they thicken, blood circulation in them increases), in the ovaries (they increase somewhat in size, cyclic processes stop in them, and the position of the ovaries changes due to an increase in the size of the uterus). Mild painful sensations in the lower abdomen may occur several times during the day, but, as a rule, they quickly disappear if the woman takes a position that is comfortable for her. Sometimes periodic discomfort in the lower lateral parts of the abdomen appears due to constipation, which is also common in pregnant women: during pregnancy, hormones are produced that relax the uterus, and they have a similar effect on the intestines: its peristalsis is disrupted, resulting in constipation.

What does the shape of a pregnant belly say?

By the way, in the past they often tried to determine the gender of the child by the shape of the belly. It was believed that a round belly foreshadows a girl, and an elongated, oblong, “sharp” belly portends a boy. However, these predictions did not always come true, since the shape and size of the abdomen do not depend at all on the gender of the child.

• In large, tall women, the belly may be small and not very noticeable until advanced stages of pregnancy, but in thin, petite women (especially with a narrow pelvis or a large baby), the belly appears very large.

• The state of the muscle tone of the anterior abdominal wall and uterus has a significant influence on the shape of the abdomen. During your first pregnancy and good muscle tone, your stomach may look more “toned” than with subsequent pregnancies. In addition, with repeated pregnancies, as a result of reduced muscle tone of the anterior abdominal wall, the child does not occupy its final position until the last month of pregnancy. Because of this, the shape of the abdomen can also be “stretched”.

• If a woman is expecting twins, her belly will be larger than with a singleton pregnancy.

• And often the belly can be large simply because a woman stops restricting herself in nutrition and eats “for two.”

• If the child grows quickly or is large, then the mother’s belly may grow faster and be larger.

• Babies are positioned differently in the uterus. With some types of presentation, the belly will be less noticeable, with others it will begin to grow earlier and will appear larger.

Rate of abdominal growth in pregnant women.

II trimester.

At this time, the child sharply gains height and weight, and the uterus also grows rapidly. That is why, at 12-16 weeks, an attentive mother will see that the belly has already become noticeable. True, those around you will notice the woman’s new position at about 20 weeks, especially if she wears tight-fitting clothes.

III trimester.

By the beginning of the third trimester, pregnancy is no longer in doubt. The belly is clearly visible even if a woman wears loose clothing.

Sharp, round, different.

From approximately the second trimester of pregnancy, during each examination, the obstetrician-gynecologist determines the height of the uterine fundus and measures the abdominal circumference at the level of the navel. Why does the doctor so carefully monitor the enlargement of my mother’s tummy? The fact is that this is the easiest way to monitor the growth and development of the unborn baby.

One of the formulas for approximate estimation of fetal weight based on the height of the uterine fundus (UFHR):

child's weight (g) = VSDM (cm) x abdominal circumference (cm) ± 150-200 g.

How will the belly increase as pregnancy progresses?

If in the first trimester the rate of abdominal enlargement is determined only by individual characteristics, then as pregnancy progresses, a deviation in the size of the abdominal circumference from the norm may signal complications or an incorrectly set period.

Starting around the 12th week, your doctor will measure the height of the fundus of the uterus (the distance from the symphysis pubis to the edge of the uterus) and abdominal circumference at each appointment. It is believed that after the 12th week the belly should increase by an average of 1 cm per week. Thus, a woman of average build will have an abdominal circumference of 100-110 cm by the end of pregnancy.

There are special tables that obstetricians-gynecologists use to determine whether your abdominal circumference is normal, but they cannot give an accurate picture; it all depends on your initial waist circumference and the characteristics of pregnancy. That is why doctors pay more attention to the dynamics of abdominal enlargement.

Let’s say right away that how the belly looks and grows during pregnancy depends on many reasons: the woman’s physique, the structure of the pelvis, the condition of the muscles, the growth of the uterus and child, the amount of amniotic fluid. Therefore, for some, the belly grows faster, for others slower, for some mothers it is large, for others it can be almost invisible. But still, there are some general patterns in the growth and size of the abdomen during pregnancy.

Why do some women start looking pregnant earlier than others?

As is usually the case, there are several reasons:

• Mother's build - as a rule, the slimmer the woman, the earlier pregnancy becomes noticeable;

• Elasticity of the abdominal wall muscles - a trained abs stretches worse, because of this, some athletic mothers begin to look pregnant later;

• Posterior flexion of the uterus is a physiological feature in which the uterus is positioned slightly differently than most - tilted back toward the rectum rather than forward toward the abdominal wall. Because of this, its increase becomes noticeable later;

• Twins - a woman carrying twins will, of course, have a larger belly than a woman pregnant with one baby, so it will begin to visually increase earlier.

What causes your belly to grow?

By the 12th week of pregnancy, the baby is still very tiny, no larger than a plum, and the belly may already be quite noticeable. How does this work? It’s very simple - the size of the belly increases not only due to the growth of the child. Together with the baby, the uterus and placenta grow and the volume of amniotic fluid increases.

When does your belly start to get bigger?

If this is your first pregnancy, most likely your belly will begin to grow somewhere between 12 and 16 weeks, and even then, the difference will only be visible to you at first. But this does not mean that your figure will not change in any way until the 4th month - you can gain a couple of kilograms already in the first trimester.

Calendar method for calculating gestational age.

In the harems of the Turkish sultans and Chinese emperors, the prerogative of counting was entrusted to the eunuchs on duty - they recorded each visit of the favorite to the ruler in a special journal. If you are planning to have a child, a menstrual cycle calendar with possible days of conception will definitely not hurt you. Especially if you are preparing for IVF - sometimes future parents discover a surprise on an ultrasound scan before embryo transfer.

Otherwise, a gynecologist will help you. A pregnancy test and blood test only confirm the fact of an increase in hCG and possible conception. By visual examination, pregnancy is determined after 4-5 obstetric weeks. There are many signs - changes in color and blood supply to the genitals, changes in cervical mucus, enlargement of the uterus. But if a woman came to the doctor at 7-8 weeks, the exact date cannot be established during the examination. The size of the uterus can be either larger or smaller than the actual period, this is influenced by many factors.

The approximate obstetric gestational age can be determined at the first ultrasound. But even here, by the end of the first trimester, nuances are possible. At 5-6 weeks, all the embryos are the same size, and then some babies grow faster, others a little slower. It can be difficult for a doctor to determine. – whether there is a delay in fetal development or the matter is in an inaccurately defined period. So you better hurry up!

Pregnancy tests are sold on every corner these days. If the situation suddenly seems interesting to you, it’s better to find out what’s going on once again. And at the first two strips, consult a doctor.