Concerns About Your Pregnant Belly

By Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE, About.com Guide

You're eating well. You're exercising. You're seeing your doctor or midwife for your prenatal appointments. But there is still this niggling thought when people tell you that your belly look so small for your gestational age. So what can you or should you do?

First remember that babies come in all sizes, as do bellies. Your doctor or midwife is monitoring your baby's size in relation to your due date and the size of your pregnant belly through a series of screenings, including measuring your abdomen at every visit once you reach 15-20 weeks. This measurement tells them how much your belly is growing. Really strong abdominal muscles can prevent your abdomen from "hanging out" and make you look smaller, despite having a perfectly appropriately sized baby. In rare cases, you may have less amniotic fluid, called oligohydramnios. If you had this your doctor or midwife would tell you at your prenatal appointment and you would not measure correctly.

Previous

• Being Worried Can Be Normal
• Is my belly too small?
• Is my belly too big?
• Am I carrying too high?
• Am I carrying too low?
• Am I carrying too wide?

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