The problem being, people often conveniently forget you're a human being with thoughts and feelings and not just an incubator. Of course you care about the health of your baby! But the opinion of someone with zero medical experience is only going to impact your stress levels. So what's big, what's small and what's healthy when it comes to baby bump size? We speak to midwife Lorna Bird about measuring your bump:.
Don't fret if yours doesn't measure up — the 'right' size doesn't exist. Just like babies, bumps come in all shapes and sizes. Yours may be nice and neat like a watermelon, or so large you feel like a submarine in maternity pants. The fact is, there's no perfect size for your bump and you are well within your rights to ignore anyone who implies that there is.
And before you start panicking about birth weight, bump size is no indication of your baby's weight either. Bump size and shape depend on various things. Your bump size can also change with subsequent births , but this is no hard and fast rule and how big your belly looks depends on the individual.
Your bump may be more spread out or bigger because the muscles aren't holding in the baby so well so it can look bigger with subsequent births. Just because someone has a big bump, it doesn't mean they'll have a big baby. Size and shape depend on various things. Ultimately, there are so many variables at play that your baby bump can be big or small!
If you're very slim and upright, for example, you might not have a big bump but you might have a big baby as there's more room for your baby to hide. If you are concerned or simply curious, speak to your midwife. She is the most important person when it comes to assessing your bump size, as she is experienced in knowing whether your baby is the right size.
At each of your antenatal checks, your midwife will assess you by sight while you're standing up, then feel your bump while you're lying down. Then I'll measure from the pubic bone to the fundus. How your baby bump looks is no indication of the actual size of your baby, as every woman carries differently. However, midwives do have an official measurement process to ensure you are within the healthy size range.
But 2cm either side is usually not a cause for concern. Like babies, bumps come in all shapes and sizes. Does big bump mean a big baby? Not necessarily. A large bump can simply mean a lot of fluid.
No, a labour can be as hard with a 6-pounder as a pounder. How hard the birth is has more to do with the position of the baby and how relaxed and mobile you remain during labour - easier said than done, admittedly! Larger babies can run in families but often has as much to do with social factors as much as genetics. If a parent is overweight, the likelihood of a child having weight problems is higher. A woman with a larger bump is usually no more likely to be at risk than one with a smaller offering.
Having said that, the extra weight can be a strain and add to problems like haemorrhoids or varicose veins. Your BMI should be somewhere between 19 and Ultrasound scans are far more common, but some hospitals have a policy of not telling parents the sex of the baby.
But there is one indication, admittedly rather late on pregnancy, which could give you a clue. But it seems there could be some truth in this. An Irish study published in the British Medical Journal examined 8, births at a Dublin hospital between and The authors found that on average labour lasted longer when delivering a baby boy, and that there were more complications requiring interventions such as caesarian sections.
So if you find yourself in the midst of a difficult labour this could hint that you are having a boy. But remember that these are only average figures and there are plenty of difficult labours with female babies too. And that once labour is finally over, you will find out the sex soon enough. If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on Future, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter. Disclaimer All content within this column is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional.
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