As a rule, a woman can begin to notice the growth of her abdomen from the 12th week, that is, closer to the beginning of the second trimester, and others may suspect her of an interesting position starting from the 16th week of pregnancy, and from the 20th week their last doubts will disappear. It is from this moment that the active growth of the abdomen begins during pregnancy; its circumference will henceforth increase by an average of 1 cm every week.
The abdomen begins to increase due to the growth of three components:
1. The fruit itself. In 9 months, on average, he should gain 48-54 cm in height and 2.8 - 5 kg in weight.
2. Amniotic fluid. They can reach 1500 ml at the end of pregnancy.
3. Uterus. Increases in weight up to 1 kg.
As the baby grows and develops, it begins to actively move from the 8th week of pregnancy, and its mother can feel this at 18-22 weeks. Again, this is all strictly individual: a multiparous mother or a mother with a thin build will feel it first. Many people compare these sensations to the fin of a very small fish - if a woman is pregnant for the first time, she may simply confuse this with natural processes in the abdomen.
Until the 12th week, although the uterus is growing, it is located in the small pelvis of the expectant mother, which hides the belly from external observers. After 12 weeks, it begins to be clearly palpable through the anterior abdominal wall, and from this point on it will rise upward. By the 20th week, the fundus of the uterus (upper part) can be felt two fingers below the navel, and the tummy becomes noticeable to others. At 38 weeks, the uterus reaches its highest state, and in 1-2 weeks it descends - one of the first harbingers of labor is prolapse of the abdomen. The baby descends back to the pelvic floor, which eliminates the possibility of changing its position in the stomach.
The amount of amniotic fluid or amniotic fluid has its own norms, but sometimes it can go beyond their limits for reasons beyond the woman’s control. This also has a direct effect on the growth of the abdomen; if any deviations are detected, the doctor will correct the course of pregnancy.