Home Blogs Hardening of Stomach During Pregnancy

Hardening of Stomach During Pregnancy

It is quite common and natural to experience a hard stomach during pregnancy. Along with the other symptoms of pregnancy such as nausea, morning sickness, swollen feet and spider veins, you might feel your belly has become hard. A rock hard stomach during late pregnancy or even in the second trimester tends to occur because the uterus would have already traveled down half way and will have come to rest between the pubic bone and the belly button. While the uterus is lying in this position it will continue to grow and get bigger as the baby develops within the uterus. Most first time mothers may also worry about how much more their stomach’s will grow, as their skin may have already been stretched to the maximum. The uterus grows in size to accommodate the growing baby. Hence a constant hard stomach during pregnancy would also be because the growing uterus tends to press against the walls of the stomach.

In most cases a hard stomach during pregnancy is observed post completion of 21 weeks of pregnancy. At this time, the skeleton of the baby tends to be less rubbery and starts hardening, causing the stomach to become hard. The development of a hard stomach during early pregnancy also depends on the woman’s body type. If the woman is slim then a small hard uterus may be felt as early as two to three weeks into the pregnancy. On the other hand, if the woman is overweight then it may take some more time for the uterus to push against the walls of the stomach and appear hard through the skin. You should also keep in mind that the stomach doesn’t become fully hard until you go into labor and the contractions begin. In case of a hard stomach during pregnancy, pregnant women should take precautions such as– avoid scratching vulnerable areas on the stomach as these tend to be more prone to the development of stretch marks. Additionally, pregnant women should ensure that they keep themselves hydrated throughout the pregnancy by drinking plenty of water as it helps improve the elasticity of the skin.

• RSS Feeds -
• All posts
• All comments