Generally, about 20 weeks in is when the pregnancy belly button will pop out, says Dr. Kecia Gaither, MD, MPH, FACOG, double board-certified in OB/GYN and Maternal Fetal Medicine, Director of Perinatal Services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln.
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A: It doesn’t happen to all pregnant women. But sometimes a growing baby in the uterus can put so much pressure on a woman’s abdominal wall that her normally “innie” belly button becomes an “outie.” It typically happens in the second or third trimester of pregnancy, most commonly around 26 weeks.
A majority of people around the world have an innie belly button, but outies are incredibly common as well. The cause for concern about an outie belly button is when that outward bulge is actually a medical condition known as an umbilical hernia.
An umbilical hernia is a result of weakness in the muscles in or around your belly button. It causes the belly button to pop outwards and can happen at any age. Umbilical hernias are most common in women during and after pregnancy, and in people who are overweight.
Don’t be alarmed if your belly button hasn’t made its outward voyage yet. Some women’s belly buttons don’t pop out. They stay the same or become flat. This all depends on your weight before pregnancy and how much you have gained or stretched during pregnancy.
When do pregnant bellies start getting hard?
During the first trimester
With the growth of the uterus and development of the baby, the belly can start to feel firmer, even early on in pregnancy. Hardening is mostly due to excessive stretching of abdominal muscles. This generally happens around weeks 7 and 8.
The shape of your baby’s belly button, by the way, has nothing to do with how the cord was cut or anything else you or your doctor did. It’s simply a result of how your baby’s umbilical cord met her belly, and there’s nothing you can or should do to change it.
What causes an outie?
Most people who have an “outie” fall into one of two categories: either they were born with a tiny umbilical hernia, which is most likely, or had a small infection at the base of the umbilical cord that went unnoticed. This will cause unusual tissue called granulation tissue to form.
How common are Outies?
Most of us have innie belly buttons, with only about 10 percent outies. A few of us may have something in between, or even a little of both! Here are some more fun facts about our belly buttons.
A person who is overweight can have a very small belly button, and a person who is underweight can have a larger-sized belly button. However, a person with obesity is more likely to have a funnel-shaped belly button, which may appear as a deep belly button that resembles an open mouth.
With increasing age or body weight, the belly button shape becomes oval across and the depth of the belly button increases. After pregnancy, the navel can protrude.
the answer is no. your belly button is basically a big kot of fibrosed tissue (scar tissue) so is tougher than ordinary tissue.
Yes, as your stomach expands with the baby, you may notice that your belly button becomes flat and taut against your skin. This is normal and will usually revert back to your normal belly button once your baby is born. Sometimes you will see a flap of skin that lays flat with an indent. This is not a cause for concern.
Where do you push on your stomach to feel the baby?
So most fetal movement (kicks, etc.) is felt in the lower part of the belly. As both the uterus and fetus grow, a fetus’ movements can be felt all over the belly, including the upper part of the abdomen. So it is completely normal to feel fetal kicks in the lower part of your abdomen prior to 20 weeks.
Why is my pregnant belly sometimes hard and sometimes soft?
What nobody tells you is how it will feel as it expands, and how that feeling can change over time. Depending on your stage of pregnancy, your body type, and even the time of day, sometimes your belly will feel soft and other times it will feel tight and hard. The reality is, there’s no normal to compare yourself with.
Is a pregnant belly squishy?
During this time, you may also experience mild period-like pains. In addition, your belly may feel soft or squishy, and you might also notice that your abdominal muscles are stretched and weak. Don’t worry!
Can you suck in your stomach when pregnant?
Experts say sucking in your stomach while pregnant is completely harmless when done for short periods of time, as Hembrow did. They did, however, caution against doing so for prolonged periods and in certain conditions.
Can I sleep on my stomach while pregnant?
Early on in pregnancy, you can sleep on your stomach. Eventually, that position can become uncomfortable. But it’s OK to sleep on your stomach if it is comfortable. Lying on your back is not recommended because of pressure on the inferior vena cava.
Can you make your Outie an innie without surgery?
It is hard to tell without photos, but surgery is necessary for an outie belly button to turn into an innie belly button.
Surgery on the belly button alone is usually performed on those who have lost a lot of weight or are unhappy about their belly buttons. When performed as part of a tummy tuck procedure, the size, shape and location can be changed while the overall stomach wall is being strengthened.
Are all Outies hernias?
Although they are hernias, “outies” only very rarely experience some of the more serious complications of hernias: incarceration and strangulation. When a hernia incarcerates, the protruding organ or structure becomes trapped outside of its proper location.