During pregnancy, the size of your tummy naturally grows bigger to accommodate the growing baby, which naturally stretches the muscles in your abdomen. Now when you tuck your stomach in, you’ll most likely pull in your intestines, stomach, and a few other internal organs, which will change the shape of your tummy but will not affect the baby because the baby and all the uterine fluids stay enclosed inside the uterus that’s made of strong muscles.
Pregnancy is a woman’s most beautiful journey of bringing forth your own, but it brings along many changes to your body that might be worrying, making you question your decision of taking the long walk along the way.
The truth is, these changes to your body and your wardrobe are inevitable. Deep down in your heart, you still want to fit in your old clothes, or you just want to stay toned and wonder if you’ll be able to get your flat tummy back and just how much exercise it will take to get your body toned again.
So are you still struggling with the adjustments that come along with the news of the growing bundle in your stomach and wondering, is there something you can do to make it better, like can you suck it all in?
Can you suck in your stomach during pregnancy?
Yes. The short answer is yes, you can, it won’t harm your baby, but you probably shouldn’t. The muscles of the uterus are tough enough to withstand the pressure, and they won’t contract easily unless you apply a lot of pressure to pull them in.
As much as you are at liberty to suck it in, it isn’t recommended to do it for an extended period because you overextend the abdomen’s core muscles, leading to complications.
If the abdomen muscles keep pulling, they can separate down the middle with one part above the belly button and the other half left below- more like how a zip opens down the middle to divide a cloth into two different pieces. This separation is called Diastasis Recti.
Even though tucking in your stomach during pregnancy doesn’t harm the baby inside, you can only do it for a short time because from as early as 8 weeks of pregnancy, the uterus and the baby starts to grow bigger, and your stomach hardens, making it harder to suck in.
So as your pregnancy grows, you might not be able to suck in your stomach even if you wanted to because the harder your stomach feels, the more difficult it becomes to suck it in.
Is Diastasis Recti condition bad during pregnancy?
Yes. Yes, it is bad for the mother but not for the baby. But what’s bad for the mother eventually becomes bad for the baby because it weakens the connective tissues and core muscles, and the baby won’t have much support. What’s bad for the goose is bad for the gander, right?
Without support, the baby will drop in the wrong direction, which isn’t correctly aligned to the cervix. This, in turn, will complicate your labor and delivery, and it could affect your future pregnancies.
Pelvic floor pain is another side effect of overworking your core muscles by sucking in your stomach during pregnancy. This is when there’s uneven movement in either of your pelvic floor muscles or when your pelvic joints become stiff.
While it doesn’t pose any risk to the growing fetus, it can be excruciatingly painful. The pain is enough to make it difficult for you to stand, walk or even sit.
Sucking in your stomach during this time also puts pressure on the body’s core muscle called the Transversus Abdominis, which is the deepest of core muscles that support the whole body.
You’ll be holding this muscle in a single position when you’re sucking in your stomach, and because it can not contract or expand, it doesn’t interact well with the rest of the muscles giving you back pain and disrupting the birthing process.
If you have to suck in your stomach while pregnant, you can do so for a short time, especially in the early trimester. It shouldn’t be a complicated process.
FAQ’s
Can I hurt my baby by hitting my stomach?
Thankfully you don’t have to worry every time your stomach comes into collision with all the elbows and the countertops because mother nature provides a safe and protected environment in the uterus full of amniotic fluid for the fetus to float in.
The rib cage in the front and the spine in the back also form protective bony barriers that keep the baby safe from most accidents.
Some abdominal contact is inevitable and typically harmless during pregnancy unless you press very hard, but with these protective barriers, there’s virtually no risk of them coming into contact with any trauma unless it’s a major accident.
Can my baby feel when I push on my tummy?
Pregnant women have one thing in common, they can’t keep their hands off their baby bumps. The constant rubbing, touching, and patting can be soothing, but for other moms, it’s their way of feeling close to their baby.
Rubbing your tummy during pregnancy just feels good no matter the reason, and when your growing little one responds with those tiny kicks, it means they are feeling good too.
So keep on rubbing that beautiful bump because it’s a great way to get them moving around through the touching stimulation, especially at 28 weeks when you start counting the kicks.
Conclusion
Remember, the recommended weight gain during pregnancy should be between 25-35 pounds only if you had a normal pre-pregnancy weight, and a healthy balanced diet will keep your body toned and in good shape after your pregnancy.
But for now, have fun with your pregnancy and don’t fuss too much about your stomach. You’ll have plenty of time to tone your body and get it back to its former glory or thereabout once you receive your bundle of joy in your arms.
