Find out the reasons for abdominal pain in pregnant women, and what to do if you have them.
All parents want their baby to be born healthy. Every mother worries about the condition of the baby even before giving birth. She experiences many new sensations not yet known to her during pregnancy. It often happens that in the first months of an interesting situation, the stomach begins to hurt. This is very worrying. Let's further study the causes of unpleasant sensations.
What affects the growth and size of the abdomen in a pregnant woman: important factors
- Body type . If a girl is thin, then she will notice a small belly a little earlier than a similarly pregnant woman with curvy figures.
- First-born or already experienced mother
. For example, in firstborns, pregnancy is noticed earlier, since the tummy grows faster (pronounced), but in women who have already had experience of bearing a child, the visibility shifts by at least a couple of weeks. This happens due to the readiness and previous experience of the body. - How many babies are in the belly ? Pregnancy with twins, or even more so with triplets, manifests itself in the form of a round belly earlier, since babies need twice or even three times more space than one.
- Genetics . In girls of small build, pregnancy can become noticeable very early, and the growth of the indicator itself can be quite rapid. This often happens when the child is large (as they say, he “takes after” his father or grandfather).
- Volume of water
. With “polyhydramnios,” the belly grows faster and is therefore noticeable earlier. With “oligohydramnios,” the size of the abdomen is determined almost by the volume of the fetus, which is why it increases “in time” with the growth of the baby. - How much does a pregnant woman eat? Many women at the beginning of pregnancy suffer from terrible toxicosis: they practically don’t feel like eating, so they don’t gain weight quickly, which means a pronounced belly will appear earlier. While others do not deny themselves anything, so they quickly get better, and against the general background, the stomach may not be visible even in due time.
It is a mistaken belief that you need to eat more. Regardless of the amount the mother eats, the child will take from the body exactly as much as he needs for normal growth and development. And everything that is eaten “in excess” is deposited in the mother’s sides, which is very difficult to get rid of in the future.
Abdominal metamorphosis in the second trimester (by week)
Week 14
The beginning of the second trimester, no significant changes are observed. The fact that the belly has grown a little can only be seen by the expectant mother herself, observing herself in the mirror. And I haven’t gained much weight yet.
Week 15.
The belly is not yet so big that it interferes with sleep, but many expectant mothers are finding it increasingly difficult to choose a comfortable sleeping position. And at this time the baby begins to hear sounds from outside.
Week 16
The parameters of a growing belly can only be assessed by a loving father, and at this time the characteristic signs of a “duck” appear in the mother’s gait. The child begins to push.
Week 17
The final week of the fourth month of pregnancy. You can already wear things more loosely, your tummy wants comfort and space. But even if you are dressed normally, it is becoming increasingly difficult to hide your belly from prying eyes. Growing. Already noticeable.
Week 18.
The stomach begins to urgently need maternal affection. During this period, the baby actively and regularly makes itself known with kicks. It's time to start communicating with him using your voice and gentle touches on your belly.
Week 19.
The weight gain doesn't stop. A woman's belly is noticeably enlarged and her hips are expanding. There is a high chance of shortness of breath.
Week 20
Equator of your pregnancy. The tummy has grown so much that the navel begins to protrude and stretch marks may even appear. From now on, monitor the condition of your stomach very carefully. Stretch marks can be prevented.
21 weeks.
Your baby already weighs about 400 grams (standard - 360 -380), they can already measure him from crown to heels, and based on an ultrasound examination, they can even tell the gender of the child.
Week 22.
Only a week has passed, and the baby already weighs 430 grams. Accordingly, the parameters of the uterus, placenta and mother’s abdominal cavity are adjusted to its parameters. You can no longer hide your joy from others. And why hide it? Inside you is already a full-fledged person, a child who looks very much like a newborn, although very miniature.
Week 23.
Draws in the lower abdomen. Mom starts having Braxton-Hicks contractions—false contractions. The uterus begins to prepare for childbirth. The baby's weight is already 500 grams.
Week 24.
The baby weighs 600 grams and barely fits in the uterus; he has practically no free space left for tumbling. The navel on my mother’s belly has become even more convex, its outline can be easily seen even through clothes. In addition to external changes in the abdomen, this week is characterized by internal discomfort: nagging pain, digestive disorders.
Week 25.
Many pregnant women complain of itching in the abdominal area. The skin is so stretched that it dries out and causes discomfort for the pregnant woman. Stock up on moisturizing creams and try not to injure the skin on your stomach by excessive scratching.
Week 26.
The final week of the second trimester. During pregnancy, the belly always grows constantly, but this week it grows by leaps and bounds. This is very noticeable to both yourself and those around you. It becomes so voluminous and heavy that you may experience difficulty walking, pain in the pelvis and lower back. But the time of childbirth is rapidly approaching.
Fetal sizes at different stages of pregnancy
Everyone understands that as the child grows, the belly of the expectant mother also increases, but this does not always happen proportionately. For example, one woman may have the same size belly at 6 months of pregnancy as another woman literally before giving birth. Children may vary slightly in weight. This happens mainly due to the position of the child: one occupies all the space in the mother’s abdominal cavity, the second frees it up due to the more stretched abdominal skin.
What does the belly say?
In the second trimester, it is possible to catch the baby’s first movements and then we can say with complete confidence that the stomach has really “talked.” Another of the main changes is the fact that from the 14th week a woman’s appetite noticeably increases: the baby requires more nutrients, it grows, causing the mother’s tummy to continuously grow.
The pregnancy belly at the beginning of the second trimester is very different from the belly at the end of the trimester. Twelve weeks is a significant period of time during which the baby does a lot of things. His main task is to actively develop and grow fabulously (by leaps and bounds). So the roundness of the abdomen during this period is the main female joy.
Features of tummy growth in pregnant boys and girls
Previously, when there was no ultrasound, the sex of the child was determined by the shape of the abdomen. Of course, this method was not 100% accurate, but in most cases the sex of the unborn child was guessed correctly.
How does the roundness of pregnancy depend on the sex of the baby inside?
Boy
In women expecting a boy, the belly usually becomes noticeable earlier than in expectant mothers who will have to braid their hair. This happens due to the direction in which the baby grows. A boy's belly usually grows forward. It was observed that up to 6.5 months, standing from behind, it is impossible to see that a woman is pregnant (all the outlines of the waist are there).
A girl
who is pregnant with a girl quickly becomes rounder, but her belly becomes clearly visible later than in women carrying a boy. What does it mean? The tummy with a girl first grows to the sides, the woman becomes slightly shapeless in the abdominal area (the waist quickly disappears). The growth of the abdomen forward occurs after maximum space has been occupied on the sides.
This information is not confirmed by medical research. Its authenticity is insisted on by the people, who from generation to generation have observed many pregnancies with their growing bellies.
Possible discomfort
In the first month, the body experiences severe stress, which affects the girl’s feelings. In addition to delayed menstruation, the following signs of pregnancy occur:
- the temperature rises to 37.5 degrees, but it is forbidden to bring it down with tablets;
- the breasts gradually increase in size, and its sensitivity increases sharply;
- nipples become darker;
- olfactory receptors are greatly enhanced;
- increased fatigue, lethargy and drowsiness, acute mood swings due to hormones are possible;
- painful sensations in the lower abdomen, in the stomach - normally they pass quickly and do not cause severe discomfort.
Many new unpleasant sensations arise from the digestive system. Severe nausea and vomiting develops regardless of the time of day. They should not be eliminated with the help of tablets, but the doctor can recommend safe herbal decoctions that relieve unpleasant symptoms.
Very often, women experience heaviness in the stomach, against the background of which gas formation increases and bloating increases. It is better to combat these signs with folk recipes - dill water. Excessive flatulence is dangerous to the child’s health, so it must be corrected using safe methods.
It must be remembered that any discomfort is tolerable, and acute sensations are a reason to consult a doctor.
Pregnancy week by week: how the belly grows
The belly appears on average from 11 to 16 weeks of gestation . Then it gradually increases, this can be determined using a centimeter and a photo. A sharp increase in the abdomen is observed mainly in the last months of pregnancy, when the fetus begins to gain weight faster and prepare for childbirth. A week before giving birth, the stomach drops as the baby enters the pelvis.
How the belly grows during pregnancy
There are cases when waist size even decreases in the first months. This happens if a pregnant woman loses weight, for example, due to severe toxicosis. But most often, abdominal growth fits into a certain schedule.
When a woman registers for pregnancy, the doctor takes measurements of some parameters of her body.
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Data on the size of the pelvis is especially important - it will be possible to judge whether the child will be able to successfully pass through the birth canal.
From about 16-20 weeks, a tape measure will be needed at every routine examination - the doctor will measure the height of the uterine fundus.
This parameter shows the distance from the edge of the symphysis pubis (lower abdomen) to the upper part of the uterus - its bottom.
According to practice, the number of centimeters between these points normally corresponds to the number of weeks of pregnancy.
Only at 39-40 weeks the value of the height of the uterine fundus does not correspond to this dynamics - it decreases due to prolapse and reduction of the uterus due to a slight reduction in the volume of amniotic fluid before birth.
If we talk about abdominal enlargement during pregnancy in numbers, their meaning will be as follows:
1 The diameter of the uterus before pregnancy is about 4 cm, length is 6-9 cm, weight is 60-90 g. During gestation, its length (height of the uterine fundus) is maximum at the 37th week - up to 40 cm. Weight before birth - up to 1500 G.
2 Amniotic fluid appears in the amniotic sac at 8 weeks. By the 10th week, their volume is about 30 ml, then increases to 1-1.5 liters.
At 37-38 weeks, before birth, it decreases to 800 ml.
3 During intrauterine development, the baby’s body weight increases from 1∙10-6g (the weight of the zygote - the cell from which the future human being develops) to 2.6-5 kg (the average weight of a newborn).
4 The placenta is actively formed in the uterus at 3-6 weeks and is able to fully function from the fourth month. At the end of pregnancy, its weight is usually 500-600 g.
5 The increase in waist size depends on the woman’s initial shape before pregnancy. For expectant mothers of normal build, without excessive weight gain, the waist circumference in recent weeks is 90-100 cm.
6 Normal weight gain also depends on initial anthropometric data. It is calculated by the doctor in each individual case, but on average it should be 7-16 kg during the period of gestation.
7 Weight gain during pregnancy, which does not directly affect the fetus, placenta, uterus and amniotic fluid (that is, the size of the abdomen itself), is associated with an increase in the volume of blood, adipose tissue, tissue fluid and mammary glands.
Photos of “pregnant bellies” at different stages
Photos of different women during pregnancy clearly show that the size of the abdomen at the same time is completely different, and the beginning of its growth is also different.
Sex in the first month of pregnancy
Many women and their partners are concerned about whether it is possible to make love in the early stages. In the first month, you should avoid penetrative sex and other sexual practices so as not to cause uterine contractions, which can cause a miscarriage. It is worth taking care of calm conditions for cell implantation into the uterine wall. It is not critical if you indulged in bed caresses, not yet knowing that you were expecting a baby. But after diagnosing pregnancy, you should hold off on sex.
Doctors about belly growth during pregnancy
Gynecologists consider the normal growth of the abdomen, starting from 4 months, with an increase of 2-3 cm in volume per month. The appearance of a baby bump is considered normal from 12 to 16 weeks.
Even the most experienced gynecologist will not be able to give certain exact dates. Women are all individual, different in body structure, each with its own gene pool, strengths and weaknesses - all this collectively affects pregnancy and its manifestations as a whole.
Processes in the body of a pregnant woman at 1 month
In the first 2-3 weeks after conception, intense hormonal changes begin. The egg moves quickly and implants in the uterus. After just 7 days, the embryo looks like a small watery ball. From the moment it settles inside the uterus, the formation of the placenta begins - the protective membrane through which the baby receives nutrients from the mother.
At the same time, the basis for the formation of the neural tube is laid and the umbilical cord begins to develop. Other organs are also formed: the digestive system, blood vessels, nerves, respiratory and excretory structures of the future organism. The brain begins to form. However, you should not expect that the embryo will begin to move in the first month. In many ways, mobility is influenced by a whole set of factors:
- first pregnancy - no earlier than 19 weeks, second - 17 weeks;
- how active the woman was up to this point, whether she retains mobility;
- how the fruit is located;
- Is the woman overweight?
If a girl moves a lot and plays active sports, she definitely won’t feel the baby moving at the end of the first month. For others this is possible, but not in every case.
Factors that affect belly growth
Here is a list of circumstances whose influence on belly growth has been proven:
- pregnancy order;
- woman's physique;
- genetics;
- type of fetal presentation;
- poor nutrition of the mother;
- the speed of formation of the baby and its size.
