The shape of the pregnant woman’s belly is the subject of many comments and speculation. There are those who believe that according to its shape it can be predicted if the woman is expecting a boy or a girl.
That if it is beaked it is a boy and if it is round, it is a girl. That if you have the same belly as your sister who had a girl, that if yours is more prominent, flatter, bigger or smaller, it will surely be a boy. But this is just a myth. The shape and size of the pregnant belly has nothing to do with the sex of the unborn baby .
It is impossible to know the sex of the baby by any other means than scientific. Either a blood test or an ultrasound, and that if the baby can be seen, and not always with one hundred percent reliability. That the cases in which a girl was expected (with a chosen name and everything, and a boy arrived, or vice versa, are not rare either.
What factors influence the shape and size of the belly
Each pregnancy is a world, and each belly is different because each woman is different. Even the same woman can have different bellies in each of her pregnancies, regardless of the sex of the baby.
But what does the shape and size of the pregnant belly depend on? There are several factors that can influence, which we will see below:
Each womb, a world
The uterus is a muscle, therefore the shape and size of the gut are directly related to the uterine tone and that of the muscles that line the uterus .
If the woman has toned abdominal muscles, the tummy will be flatter and taller, as these support the weight of the uterus as the baby grows. On the other hand, if the abdominal muscles are flaccid, the uterus deviates forward and the gut appears more protruding.
Baby’s position
Of course, how the baby is positioned inside the tummy also influences the shape and size. If it is placed at the back of the uterus, the gut bulges less. But if it is placed transversely, then the belly looks clearly wider than it is high. If you stand up, the gut is flatter, and if the fetus is turned upside down, it appears more pointed.
Previous pregnancies
It also has to see whether or not the woman has had previous pregnancies. With the second baby, the belly is noticeable earlier than with the first, and as the pregnancies increase, the uterine muscle stretches, making the belly appear wider.
Single or twin pregnancy
In pregnancies with two or more babies, logically the size of the belly is larger, and the shape of the belly is more rounded .
Location of the placenta
The location and size of the placenta is another factor that determines the shape and size of the gut. Depending on the placental implantation site, the belly can vary in shape and look more voluminous.
If it is located on the front of the uterus, that is, in front of the baby, the gut is usually more rounded, while if it is located on the back of the uterus, the belly may have a more irregular shape.
Amount of amniotic fluid
Not all women have the same amount of amniotic fluid. Having polyhydramnios or oligohydramnios (too much or too little amniotic fluid in pregnancy, respectively) will also influence your belly size.
Other conditions of the mother
Some physical conditions of the mother must also be taken into account, such as the deviation of the spine. If you have a pronounced lordosis (inward curve of the lumbar spine) the gut appears more prominent.
In the case of very thin women, the gut seems enormous in proportion to its thinness, on the other hand when there is obesity it seems small because it goes unnoticed by the volume of the abdomen.
The tone of the abdominal muscles of women also influences. When the muscles are flaccid, the gut comes out more and when they are more developed, the gut appears flatter. In cases of obesity, the gut can even go unnoticed.
As you can see, the size and shape of the pregnant woman’s belly can be due to various factors, but in no way predict the sex of the baby .
Photo by lucas mendes from Pexels
In Babies and more | How the belly grows during pregnancy, trimester by trimester
