5 Common Concerns About Your Pregnant Belly

Many expectant parents obsess about the size and shape of their pregnant belly. They might worry, for example, whether their belly is too big or too small for the week of pregnancy. They may fret they're carrying too high, low, or wide.

After all, pregnant people can't see inside the womb, so the only clues they have on a day-to-day basis are what they can see and feel. Here's everything you need to know about your pregnant belly—from how it changes during pregnancy to some of the most common concerns.

Carrying Small 

You're eating well, exercising, and getting regular prenatal checkups. Yet people frequently say you look small for your gestational age. What gives?

Like babies, pregnant bellies come in all shapes and sizes. Your doctor or midwife is monitoring your child's size in relation to your due date with regular screenings, including measuring your abdomen at every visit once you reach 15 weeks to 20 weeks. This measurement tells them how much your belly is growing. The normal rate of growth once a person starts showing is about 1 centimeter per week.

If your abdominal muscles are really strong and tight, they can prevent your growing womb from sticking out as far as casual observers might expect. Tall bumps also tend to look smaller than those of a shorter individuals.

The only potential problem associated with a petite pregnancy bump is a condition called oligohydramnios, in which there's too little amniotic fluid. This is something your caregiver would catch at your regular prenatal appointments.

Carrying Large 

Some people seem to carry bigger because of the way their baby is positioned in the womb or even how they're built. If you're tiny, a pregnant belly can look huge.

If this isn't your first pregnancy, it's possible you noticed you popped much earlier than you did previously. That's because, after one pregnancy, your muscles have stretched a bit and will give in to the pressure of your expanding uterus more easily.

Your doctor or midwife is measuring and monitoring the size of your belly at every prenatal visit, and there's likely no problem. In rare cases, a large belly is due to excess amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios), a condition the caregiver will catch in time to treat you for it.

Carrying High 

"You look like you swallowed a basketball!" This is a typical comment made about individuals who appear to be carrying their babies up front and up high.

It's not uncommon for babies to settle themselves into the womb in this way, especially during the first two-thirds of pregnancy. Some people simply carry all of their pregnancies this way from start to finish—particularly those who have super strong abdominal muscles. And despite old wive's tales, how you carry the baby isn't a true indicator that you're having a boy or girl.

Carrying Low 

Carrying low can be uncomfortable, but some expectant parents are built to carry low. In a second or third pregnancy, the muscles and ligaments that support the growing womb are stretched and weakened, and they can't hold up the growing womb as well as before. 

Toward the end of your pregnancy, you may notice that you're carrying lower than before almost overnight. This is probably because your baby has dropped or lightened in preparation for being born. (Not all babies do this; some don't drop until labor starts.)

If you notice an overnight drop in your bump before the 37-week mark, talk to your practitioner, as it could indicate your body is getting ready for labor.

The biggest problem with carrying low is that it puts pressure on your lower back. Exercises like pelvic tilts can help ease discomfort or pain it causes in your lower back. 

Carrying Wide 

A wide belly may mean your baby is in a transverse lie, meaning positioned from side to side rather than with their head up or down. Your caregiver will be able to feel if this is the case.

It usually isn't a problem unless the baby doesn't flip into a head-down position in time to be born, in which case you may need a C-section. If you were overweight when you got pregnant, you may also feel like you are carrying more side-to-side than other pregnant people.